How to Bid for UK Public Tenders in 2025: Procedures, Notice Types & Bid Methods Explained

The UK public sector spends hundreds of billions of pounds every year on goods, services and works. If you know how to navigate the system, public tenders in the UK can become a stable, long-term source of revenue.

In 2025, the rules have changed significantly. The Procurement Act 2023 has now come into force and created a new regime for public procurement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It replaces much of the old EU-based framework (Public Contracts Regulations 2015) for new procurements started on or after 24 February 2025.GOV.UK+1

This article explains, in practical terms:

• Where to find UK tenders

• What the main notice types are

• Which tender procedures are used most often

• How a typical UK tender process works from the bidder’s point of view

• Practical tips to improve your chances of winning

1. Where are UK public tenders published?

Depending on contract value, geography and type of authority, UK tenders are mainly published on the following platforms:

1.1 Find a Tender Service (FTS)

Find a Tender (FTS) is the UK government’s official portal for high-value public contracts, typically above approximately £139,688 including VAT for general central government procurements (thresholds are reviewed periodically).GOV.UK+1

From 1 January 2021, FTS replaced the EU’s Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) for new UK high-value contracts.GOV.UK+1

1.2 Contract Finder (England)

For lower value contracts in England, opportunities from central government and many local authorities are published on Contract Finder, usually for contracts above £12,000.The Times

1.3 Devolved nation portals

Each devolved administration has its own portal for its public bodies:

• Scotland: Public Contracts Scotland

• Wales: Sell2Wales

• Northern Ireland: eSourcing NI and eTendersNIThe Times

1.4 Aggregators & intelligence platforms

In addition to the official portals, there are commercial platforms that aggregate tenders from multiple sources.

One of these is TendersGo, a global tender & contract search engine that collects UK public sector tenders along with opportunities from 220+ countries in one place. For companies that want to monitor UK plus international public procurement in a single interface, this type of platform significantly reduces the time spent checking multiple portals daily.

2. Notice types under the new regime

With the Procurement Act 2023, UK has introduced a more structured and transparent system of notices, especially on Find a Tender. For new procurements started under the Act, you will see notice types such as:find-tender.service.gov.uk+2find-tender.service.gov.uk+2

• UK1: Pipeline notice

  • Early indication of upcoming opportunities and the authority’s future procurement pipeline.

• UK2: Preliminary market engagement notice

  • Signals that the authority wants to talk to the market before finalising the specification or procurement strategy.

• UK3: Planned procurement notice

  • Confirms that the authority intends to start a procurement; can give you time to prepare.

• UK4: Tender notice

  • The key notice for suppliers. It launches the competitive process (open or competitive flexible procedure) and invites tenders or requests to participate.

• UK5: Transparency notice

  • Used, for example, when the authority intends to make a direct award without competition in specific legally permitted circumstances.

• UK6: Contract award notice

  • Notifies the market of who won the contract.

• UK7: Contract details notice

  • Gives more detailed information about the awarded contract (value, main terms, duration etc.).

• UK10: Contract change notice

  • Published when the contract is modified in certain ways (extensions, scope changes) that must be made transparent.

• UK11: Contract termination notice

• UK12: Procurement termination notice

  • Indicate that a contract or a procurement procedure has been terminated.

For suppliers, the UK4 Tender notice is where you start preparing to bid, while UK1–UK3 are useful to build your pipeline and decide where to invest time in early engagement.

3. Main tendering procedures in UK public procurement (2025 onward)

3.1 Under the Procurement Act 2023

The new Act simplifies competitive procedures. For above-threshold contracts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, there are now two main competitive tendering procedures:Transport for London+3GOV.UK+3find-tender.service.gov.uk+3

1. Open procedure

2. Competitive flexible procedure

In addition, authorities can in limited circumstances:

• Make a direct award

• Award call-off contracts under frameworks or dynamic markets without a full new procedure (although some call-offs still require competition among framework suppliers).GOV.UK+2Capital Law+2

3.1.1 Open procedure

The open procedure is a single-stage process:

• Any interested supplier can submit a full tender in response to the tender notice.

• There is no separate selection stage before the tender; selection & award criteria are applied to the same submission.GOV.UK+1

It is typically used for simpler procurements where requirements are clear and the authority does not need dialogue, negotiation or multiple stages.

For bidders, this means:

• You submit all your documentation (technical, commercial, qualification) in one go.

• The evaluation is usually more document-heavy, but the process is relatively straightforward.

3.1.2 Competitive flexible procedure (CFP)

The competitive flexible procedure is the most significant innovation of the new regime. It allows contracting authorities to design their own multi-stage process, within the legal framework, instead of being locked into rigid EU-style “restricted” or “competitive dialogue” formats.Capital Law+4GOV.UK+4GOV.UK+4

Key features:

• The authority can structure multiple stages, for example:

  • Selection / shortlisting

  • Dialogue or negotiation

  • Demonstrations / site visits / pilot projects

  • Final tenders

• It can limit the number of suppliers after initial stages.GOV.UK+1

• It can resemble older procedures such as restricted procedure, competitive dialogue, competitive procedure with negotiation or innovation partnerships, but under a single flexible framework.procurementportal.com+3GOV.UK+3Ashurst+3

• It must still respect core principles: value for money, transparency, integrity, equal treatment and proportionality.GOV.UK+1

For suppliers, the competitive flexible procedure is now the most common method for complex, high-value or strategic contracts, especially where buyers need interaction or staged competition.

Typical supplier experience in a CFP might include:

1. Request to participate (short questionnaire on capability & experience)

2. Shortlisting

3. Invitation to participate in dialogue / negotiation or to submit an initial tender

4. Clarification meetings, presentations or solution workshops

5. Submission of refined / final tenders

6. Evaluation and contract award

Time limits and transparency requirements for these stages are set out in the Act and guidance.find-tender.service.gov.uk+3GOV.UK+3procurementportal.com+3

3.1.3 Direct awards & frameworks

Under the new regime, direct awards (without a competitive procedure) are only allowed in limited situations, for example:

• Extreme urgency

• Protection of exclusive rights

• Certain special cases defined in the ActAshurst+1

Frameworks and dynamic markets (the successor to many previous dynamic purchasing systems) are also central tools. Above-threshold use of dynamic markets must go through a competitive flexible procedure.GOV.UK+2find-tender.service.gov.uk+2

For suppliers, this means:

• Getting onto frameworks or dynamic markets can be as important as winning a single contract, because many future call-offs may be limited to framework members.

4. Legacy procedures you will still see

Not everything switches overnight.

For procurements started before 24 February 2025, the old Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and similar regulations continue to apply. Under those rules, you will still see procedures such as:Herbert Smith Freehills+3northernprocurement.org.uk+3procurementportal.com+3

• Open procedure

• Restricted procedure

• Competitive procedure with negotiation

• Competitive dialogue

• Innovation partnership

• Negotiated procedure without prior publication

These will gradually disappear for new tenders but will remain visible in live contracts and long-running framework competitions.

5. Typical bidding process for UK public tenders

Although procedural details differ, a standard bidder journey under the current regime looks like this:

5.1 Market awareness & early notices

• Monitor pipeline notices (UK1) and preliminary market engagement (UK2) to see what is coming.find-tender.service.gov.uk+1

• Authorities may issue questionnaires or hold supplier events before starting the formal competition.

5.2 Tender notice & access to documents

• A UK4 tender notice is published on Find a Tender (and sometimes mirrored locally), launching either an open or competitive flexible procedure.GOV.UK+1

• You must register on the relevant e-tendering portal (often a third-party system linked to the notice) to download documents and submit bids.

5.3 Selection stage (where applicable)

Under open procedure, selection is normally part of the same submission. Under competitive flexible procedure, it is common to have a distinct selection (qualification) stage, focusing on:GOV.UK+1

• Financial standing

• Technical & professional capability

• Relevant experience / references

• Exclusion grounds (e.g. corruption, tax offences, serious breaches)

Authorities use this stage to shortlist suppliers for the tender stage.

5.4 Invitation to Tender (ITT) / dialogue / negotiation

Depending on the chosen procedure:

• Open procedure: you receive a full Invitation to Tender (ITT) and submit your complete tender (technical & price).

• Competitive flexible procedure: you may submit initial tenders, participate in dialogue or negotiation, and then refine your solution over several rounds.tussell.com+3GOV.UK+3GOV.UK+3

5.5 Evaluation & award criteria

Under the new regime, contracting authorities aim to select the “Most Advantageous Tender” rather than purely the “Most Economically Advantageous Tender”, giving more room to consider quality, social value and broader outcomes alongside price.crowncommercial.gov.uk+2Clarion+2

Typical evaluation criteria include:

• Technical quality / methodology

• Team competence & experience

• Delivery plan & risk management

• Price / cost models

• Social value, environmental impact, innovation, SME participation etc.

All criteria and their weightings must be disclosed in the tender documents.

5.6 Standstill period

For above-threshold procurements, there is usually a standstill period (often at least 10 calendar days) between notification of the award decision and signature of the contract. This gives unsuccessful bidders time to request debriefing or challenge the decision in serious cases.Vikipedi+1

5.7 Contract signature & performance

Once standstill expires without challenge, the authority signs the contract. A contract details notice (UK7) and later contract change (UK10) or termination (UK11/UK12) notices may follow over the life of the contract.find-tender.service.gov.uk+1

6. Most common bid methods & supplier strategies

In practice, if you are a supplier looking at UK public tenders in 2025:

1. Simple, clearly defined contracts

   • Most likely use the open procedure.

   • You prepare one comprehensive tender addressing both qualification and award criteria.

2. Complex, innovative or strategic contracts

   • Increasingly run under the competitive flexible procedure, with:

     • Shortlisting

     • Dialogue or negotiation

     • Refinement of solutions

   • You need capacity to engage over a longer period and adapt your bid.

3. Frameworks & dynamic markets

   • Authorities establish frameworks or dynamic markets under an open or competitive flexible procedure.DLA Piper Intelligence+3GOV.UK+3find-tender.service.gov.uk+3

   • Once you are on a framework, you compete for call-off contracts through mini-competitions or, in some cases, direct award.

4. Direct award situations

   • Limited and tightly regulated under the Act; often not open to general competition.Ashurst

7. Practical tips for bidding on UK public tenders

1. Register on all relevant portals

   • FTS, Contract Finder, and the devolved nation portals where you want to operate.

2. Monitor both tender and pipeline notices

   • Use UK1–UK3 notices and local market engagement events to anticipate opportunities and prepare early.

3. Understand the procedure type

   • If the notice says open procedure, plan for a strong single-stage submission.

   • If it is a competitive flexible procedure, prepare for stages, dialogue and iterations.

4. Invest in selection (“qualification”) documents

   • Clean financials, solid references, clear policies (health & safety, ESG, quality management) are essential, especially as authorities are increasingly sensitive to risk, social value and compliance.Clarion+1

5. Respect time limits & formats

   • The Procurement Act and guidance define minimum time limits for participation and tendering. Late submissions are usually rejected automatically.GOV.UK+1

6. Use analytics & intelligence tools

   • Authorities and regulators are using data and even AI tools to monitor bidding behaviour and detect collusion or anomalies.Financial Times+1

   • Suppliers should mirror this mindset: track where you bid, how often you are shortlisted, and why you win or lose.

7. Look beyond the UK only

   • If you sell internationally, platforms like TendersGo allow you to follow UK plus EU and global tenders in one system, with multilingual search and automatic English versions of notices, which helps your team standardise its bidding process.

8. Conclusion

The UK public procurement landscape in 2025 is shaped by:

• The Procurement Act 2023, now in force for new procurements

• A simplified set of two main competitive procedures (open and competitive flexible)

• A more granular system of notices and a stronger emphasis on transparency and social value

For suppliers, the key is to:

• Understand which procedure is being used

• Read notice types correctly

• Prepare robust qualification and tender documents

• Engage early where possible

• Use data and tools to choose the right opportunities

If you build a disciplined approach to FTS, national portals and global aggregators such as TendersGo, UK public tenders can become a predictable, scalable part of your business development strategy instead of a confusing one-off experiment.