How to Bid for Government Contracts in the UK (2026 Guide)

The UK public sector spends hundreds of billions of pounds a year with private suppliers. Councils, NHS trusts, government departments, schools and housing associations all buy goods, services and works through formal tenders.

The opportunity is huge. But the rules changed in 2025, and plenty of guides online haven’t caught up.

This guide walks you through the full process as it works today: where to register, which rules apply to which contracts, how to decide what to bid for, and how to write a bid that actually scores.

What changed: the Procurement Act 2023 in plain English

The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025. It replaced the old EU-based rules (the Public Contracts Regulations 2015) for new procurements in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If you last bid a few years ago, here’s what’s different:

	Old rules (pre-February 2025)	Procurement Act 2023
Your company information	Re-entered in a selection questionnaire for every tender	Stored once on the Central Digital Platform and shared with a share code
How winners are chosen	Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT)	Most Advantageous Tender (MAT)
Feedback after award	Standstill letter	Assessment summary showing your scores and the winner’s
Standstill period	10 calendar days	8 working days from the contract award notice
Social value (central government)	Considered under PPN 06/20	Minimum 10% of the total score under PPN 002, with commitments written into the contract

One quick note on Scotland: the Act doesn’t cover devolved Scottish authorities, which still follow their own procurement regulations. If you’re bidding for Scottish public sector work, check the rules on Public Contracts Scotland.

For the full picture, see our guide to the Procurement Act 2023.

Step 1: Register on the right platforms

The UK doesn’t have one single portal. Where you register depends on who’s buying, how much the contract is worth and where in the UK it is.

Find a Tender and the Central Digital Platform

Find a Tender is now the government’s Central Digital Platform. It launched in its new form on 24 February 2025, alongside the Act.

If you want to bid for contracts covered by the Act, you need to register here. You’ll complete your core supplier information, which covers:

• Basic information about your organisation
• Connected persons (for example, directors and people with significant control)
• Economic and financial standing, based on your latest accounts
• Exclusion grounds (declarations about things like fraud, insolvency or poor past performance)

Once it’s done, you generate a share code and give it to the buyer when you bid.

Think of it like a passport. You fill in the application once, then show it at every border instead of filling in a new form each time. Just as with a passport, it needs to be valid. Buyers expect your information to be up to date for every tender, so check it before each submission.

If you’re bidding as a consortium, or relying on another company to meet a requirement, they’ll usually need to register and share their information too.

Contracts Finder

Contracts Finder lists lower-value public sector contracts in England. Buyers must publish notices for below-threshold contracts worth more than £12,000 including VAT (central government) or £30,000 including VAT (other public bodies) when they advertise them.

It’s a good starting point if you’re building a public sector track record.

Devolved portals

• Scotland: Public Contracts Scotland
• Wales: Sell2Wales
• Northern Ireland: eTendersNI

Buyer portals and frameworks

Many councils, NHS trusts and housing providers run their tenders through their own e-tendering systems, such as ProContract, In-Tend or Atamis. The notice on Find a Tender will tell you which one, and you’ll need a separate login for each.

Frameworks are pre-approved supplier lists that public bodies can buy from without running a full tender each time. Key framework providers include:

• Government Commercial Agency (GCA): formerly Crown Commercial Service, which became GCA on 1 April 2026. Existing CCS frameworks still apply.
• NHS frameworks: through organisations such as NHS Supply Chain and NHS Shared Business Services.
• Public buying organisations: such as YPO and ESPO, used widely by councils and schools.

Getting onto the right framework can open the door to years of call-off work, so it’s worth tracking when they re-open.

Step 2: Understand which rules apply (the 2026 thresholds)

Not every government contract follows the same process. The value of the contract decides how much of the Act applies.

New thresholds came in on 1 January 2026. They’re slightly lower than before, so more contracts now fall under the full rules.

Contract type	Threshold from 1 January 2026 (including VAT)
Goods and services, central government	£135,018
Goods and services, sub-central bodies (for example, councils)	£207,720
Works (for example, construction)	£5,193,000
Light touch services (for example, many health, social care and education services)	£663,540
Below-threshold notices: central government	£12,000
Below-threshold notices: other public bodies	£30,000

Two things to remember:

• Thresholds include VAT. A council contract worth £180,000 before VAT is worth £216,000 including VAT, so it’s above the £207,720 threshold.
• Wales sets its own thresholds, so check the Welsh Government’s guidance for Welsh contracts.

Why this matters to you

1. Above threshold, the contract is a “covered procurement”. You’ll need your Central Digital Platform registration, you’ll receive an assessment summary after award, and there’s a formal standstill period before the contract is signed.
2. Below threshold, the process is lighter. The Act also limits how far buyers can use suitability questions to filter out bidders on smaller contracts, which makes them more accessible for SMEs.

Step 3: Find and track opportunities early

The businesses that win most often aren’t the ones reacting to tender notices. They’re the ones who saw the opportunity coming months earlier.

Here’s how to get ahead:

• Set up alerts on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder using keywords and CPV codes. CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary) codes are standard 8-digit codes that describe what’s being bought.
• Watch pipeline notices. Larger public bodies (those spending more than £100 million a year) must publish pipeline notices listing upcoming contracts worth more than £2 million. It’s a free preview of what’s coming.
• Respond to preliminary market engagement. Buyers often talk to the market before a tender goes live. Joining these sessions lets you shape your understanding of what they need, and sometimes the requirement itself.
• Track contract end dates. Award notices show who holds a contract now and when it ends. A contract ending in 18 months will probably be re-tendered in about 12.
• Follow your target buyers. Check council and NHS trust procurement pages, and read their published strategies and priorities.

If you don’t have time to monitor all of this, our Tender Search Service does it for you and sends only the opportunities that fit.

Step 4: Make a bid/no-bid decision

This is the step most businesses skip, and it’s often why their win rate is low.

A good tender takes weeks of work. Bidding for something you can’t realistically win isn’t just a waste of time; it takes resources away from the bids you could win.

Run every opportunity through five questions:

Question	What to check
Capability	Do you have the experience, accreditations and case studies the buyer asks for?
Capacity	Could you deliver this contract alongside your current work? Do you have time to write a strong bid?
Competition	Is there an incumbent? How strong is your position against likely competitors?
Commercials	Can you deliver profitably at a price that will score? Can you handle the cash flow?
Compliance	Do you meet every pass/fail requirement, such as insurance levels, turnover or certifications?

If you can’t answer “yes” with confidence to most of these, it’s usually a no-bid. Our guide to the bid/no-bid decision includes a fuller framework.

Step 5: Break down the tender documents

Once you’ve decided to bid, download the full tender pack. It usually includes:

• Instructions to bidders or Invitation to Tender (ITT): the rules, deadlines and how to submit
• Specification: what the buyer actually needs
• Evaluation criteria and weightings: how each answer will be scored
• Conditions of participation: the minimum standards you must meet
• Pricing schedule: the exact format for your price
• Contract terms: what you’ll be signing up to

Build a compliance matrix

Before anyone writes a word, list every requirement, question, word limit, mandatory attachment and deadline in one table. Give each item an owner and a due date.

It sounds basic. But missing a single mandatory document can get a bid rejected before it’s even scored. Our post on the most common tender mistakes shows how often this happens.

Ask clarification questions

If anything is unclear, ask the buyer through the portal before the clarification deadline set out in the ITT. Questions and answers are normally shared with all bidders anonymously, so you won’t give away your approach.

Understand the scoring

Work out where the marks are. If one question is worth 20% of the score and another is worth 5%, your time and words should reflect that. Our guide to interpreting tender evaluation criteria explains how to read scoring matrices and weightings.

Step 6: Write a bid that scores

Evaluators aren’t choosing their favourite company. They’re scoring your answers against a published marking scheme. Your job is to make it easy for them to give you top marks.

Mirror the question

Use the buyer’s wording as your headings, in the same order as the question. If a question has four parts, your answer has four clearly labelled sections. Evaluators should never have to hunt for the bit they’re scoring.

Prove every claim

“We deliver excellent service” scores nothing. “We’ve maintained 99.2% on-time attendance across 14 council contracts since 2021” scores.

Use specific numbers, named examples, timescales and outcomes. For method statement questions, show how you’ll deliver, step by step. Our guide on responding to method statements has worked examples.

Take social value seriously

Under PPN 002, in-scope central government buyers must give social value at least 10% of the total score. Many councils and NHS bodies set similar or higher weightings.

Two things matter here:

• Be specific and local. Generic pledges about “community engagement” score poorly. Named apprenticeships, local suppliers and measurable targets score well.
• Only promise what you’ll deliver. Under PPN 002, social value commitments must be written into the contract as terms or KPIs. You’ll be held to them.

See our 9 tips for winning social value responses, or our social value bid writing service if you need support.

Price for the Most Advantageous Tender

Under the Act, contracts go to the Most Advantageous Tender, not the cheapest. Quality, social value and price are combined according to the published weightings.

Price realistically and explain your costs where the tender allows. Buyers can investigate a price that looks abnormally low, and can reject it if you can’t justify it.

Respect word limits

Stay within every word, character and page limit. A tight limit means the buyer wants focus, not less substance, so plan how many words each part of the answer deserves before you start writing.

Step 7: Review and submit early

Get someone who didn’t write the bid to review it against the original specification, question by question. Writers get too close to their own answers to spot gaps. Our guide on how to properly review your bid covers what to check.

Then submit early:

• Set an internal deadline 48 hours before the real one. Portals slow down near deadlines, and uploads fail.
• Check your Central Digital Platform information is current and your share code is included.
• Confirm every mandatory attachment is uploaded in the right format.
• Save the submission receipt.

Late bids are almost always rejected, whatever the reason.

Step 8: After you submit

The process doesn’t end at submission.

• Assessment summary: for covered procurements, every bidder receives an assessment summary after the award decision. It shows your scores and the winning bidder’s, so you can see exactly where you lost or won marks.
• Standstill period: the contract can’t be signed until at least 8 working days after the contract award notice is published.
• Learn from the result: win or lose, compare your scores with the winner’s and update your standard content. If you can, ask for a feedback conversation.
• If you win: plan mobilisation early. Contracts worth more than £5 million must have at least three published KPIs, and buyers will report on your performance.

How long does it take to bid for a government contract?

Timescales vary by buyer and procedure, but here’s a realistic guide:

Stage	Typical time
Central Digital Platform registration	An hour or two, if your accounts and details are to hand
Bid/no-bid decision	1 to 3 days
Tender window (from notice to deadline)	Often 4 to 6 weeks; longer for complex contracts
Evaluation and award	Several weeks to a few months
Standstill	At least 8 working days

The tender window can feel generous until you factor in gathering evidence, pricing, internal sign-off and review. Our guide to how long a tender really takes breaks this down week by week.

Putting it all together: a worked example

Here’s how the steps fit together for a typical SME. (Illustrative example.)

A facilities management company in the Midlands spots a council tender for school cleaning, worth £180,000 a year before VAT over three years.

1. Which rules apply? Including VAT and the full term, the contract is worth £648,000. That’s well above the £207,720 sub-central threshold, so it’s a covered procurement under the Act.
2. Registration: the team updates its core supplier information on Find a Tender and generates a share code. The council uses In-Tend, so they register there too.
3. Bid/no-bid: they already clean four schools nearby, have the right insurances and can mobilise staff locally. The incumbent has had complaints about missed cleans. It’s a bid.
4. Break it down: quality is weighted 60%, price 30% and social value 10%. The biggest quality question (25%) is about mobilisation and TUPE.
5. Write: the mobilisation answer uses a 12-week plan, a named manager and data from a recent school contract. The social value answer commits to two local apprenticeships and spending with three local suppliers, all things they can deliver.
6. Submit: they upload two days early and save the receipt.
7. After award: whatever the result, the assessment summary shows exactly how each answer compared with the winner’s.

Why bid for government contracts?

If you’re still weighing it up, here’s why public sector work is worth the effort:

• Reliable income. Contracts often run for several years, with clearly defined budgets.
• Prompt payment. The Act implies 30-day payment terms into public contracts.
• Credibility. Delivering for a council or NHS trust builds trust with other buyers, public and private.
• SME access. Lower thresholds, simpler below-threshold processes and buyers’ duty to consider barriers facing SMEs all help smaller businesses compete.
• Repeat work. Strong performance and good case studies make every future bid stronger.

Worried you’re too small? Read our guide on how SMEs compete against larger companies.

Getting help with government bids

Government tendering rewards preparation, evidence and clear writing. If you don’t have a bid team, or your current win rate doesn’t reflect how good your work is, you don’t have to do it alone.

DellaPip supports businesses across construction, defence, facilities management, healthcare, IT and digital, and social care:

• Tender Search Service: we find the opportunities that fit.
• Bid Review and Enhancement: expert review before you submit.
• Tender Writing: compliant, high-scoring responses written for you.
• Bid Management: the whole process, from kick-off to submission.
• Bid Training: build your team’s skills for every future bid.

Bidding for defence work? See our complete guide to winning defence contracts.

Summary

Bidding for UK government contracts in 2026 means working under the Procurement Act 2023. Register on Find a Tender and keep your core supplier information current. Check the 2026 thresholds to see which rules apply. Find opportunities early, be selective about what you bid for, and break down every tender with a compliance matrix. Then write evidence-based answers to the scoring criteria, take social value seriously, submit early and learn from every assessment summary.

Frequently asked questions