Guides
Plain-English guides for small businesses bidding for UK public sector contracts, based on the Procurement Act 2023.
How to win public sector contracts
- How to win public sector contracts: SME guide (2026)How to win public sector contracts as a small firm under the Procurement Act 2023: find tenders, check requirements, decide, bid and get paid.
- Below-threshold contracts: the rules for smaller tendersBelow-threshold contracts under the Procurement Act 2023: notice rules, no separate suitability stage, 30-day payment and who is exempt.
- Bid or no bid? A 10-question checklist for UK tendersA bid/no-bid checklist for UK public tenders: ten questions on knock-outs, fit and economics, built on the Procurement Act 2023 rules.
- Defence Sourcing Portal: how MOD tenders are publishedDefence Sourcing Portal explained from gov.uk: free to access, category-code alerts, and which MOD notices TenderWorthy does and doesn't cover.
- Delta eSourcing: what suppliers need to knowDelta eSourcing explained for suppliers: free registration, buyer invitations, and which Delta tenders TenderWorthy can and can't show you.
- eTendersNI: how Northern Ireland tenders are publishedHow to use eTendersNI: who runs it, the free D-U-N-S number you need, and which Northern Ireland notices TenderWorthy does and doesn't cover.
- Find a Tender vs Contracts Finder: the difference (2026)Find a Tender vs Contracts Finder: what each site covers now, the 2026 thresholds, and which to watch for UK public sector tenders.
- G-Cloud for small businesses: how to get on and win workG-Cloud for small businesses: what the framework covers, how new suppliers can join the open framework, and what buyers check before a call-off.
- How are tenders scored? Most advantageous tender explainedHow are tenders scored? Pass the entry conditions, then score against published criteria. How MAT, weightings, price and feedback work.
- How to find public sector tenders in the UK (2026)How to find UK public sector tenders: where notices are published, how to hear about them early, and how to filter for ones you can bid for.
- How to get on a framework or dynamic marketHow to get on a framework: how frameworks, open frameworks and dynamic markets work under the Procurement Act 2023, and how small firms get a place.
- How to read a tender notice in 5 minutes (UK, 2026)How to read a tender notice in five minutes: eight checks in order for a UK notice under the Procurement Act 2023, and where requirements hide.
- How to use Contracts Finder: search, alerts, what it listsHow to use Contracts Finder: what it still lists under PPN 019, which notices now go on Find a Tender, and how to search and get email updates.
- How to use Find a Tender: search, alerts and notice typesHow to use Find a Tender, the government's free tender service: search and filters, saved searches and email alerts, notice types, and registering to bid.
- How to win council contracts as a small businessHow to win council contracts: how councils buy under the Procurement Act 2023, why below-threshold work suits small firms, and how approved lists work.
- How to win NHS contracts: a guide for small suppliersHow to win NHS contracts: the Provider Selection Regime vs the Procurement Act 2023, who buys, where to look, and what to check first.
- How to write a tender response that scoresHow to write a tender response: follow the buyer's published scoring, pass the compliance checks, answer in the order asked. For first-time bidders.
- PCS tender: how Scottish public contracts are advertisedPCS tender explained: where Scottish public contracts are advertised, which rules apply, and what TenderWorthy does and does not cover.
- Proactis tenders: how to use ProContract as a supplierProactis tenders explained: what ProContract is, free registration, overnight alerts, and which ProContract tenders TenderWorthy can show you.
- Social value in tenders: what buyers ask and what to writeSocial value in tenders: which rules apply to central government and councils, and how a small firm can write a measurable answer.
- Subcontracting in the public sector: working with tier onesSubcontracting on public sector tenders: how to find tier one suppliers, the 30-day payment term in section 73, and what to check before you sign.
- Tender lots explained: bid for one lot or severalTender lots explained: what a lot is, why buyers split contracts, how many lots you can bid for or win, and how each lot is scored.
- Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) for UK suppliersTenders Electronic Daily (TED) explained: UK notices moved to Find a Tender in 2021, EU tenders are found via TED. What UK suppliers should do.
- What is a tender? Public sector tendering explainedWhat is a tender? A supplier's formal offer to a public buyer, plus the notice, documents and award rules around it under the Procurement Act 2023.
- Why tenders fail: 12 reasons bids are rejected or loseWhy tenders fail under the Procurement Act 2023: the grounds for disregarding a tender, exclusions, missed rules, low prices, and losing on score.
- Your first tender: a step-by-step checklistA 15-step checklist for your first UK public tender, from registering on the Central Digital Platform to getting paid, with tick boxes.
The Procurement Act 2023 for suppliers
- The Procurement Act 2023: what suppliers need to knowThe Procurement Act 2023 for suppliers: what changed on 24 February 2025, thresholds, notices, payment terms, and where Scotland differs.
- Central Digital Platform registration: a step-by-step guideCentral Digital Platform registration, step by step: One Login, your organisation, the unique identifier, supplier information and share codes.
- Dynamic purchasing systems (DPS) under the Procurement ActWhat a dynamic purchasing system (DPS) is, why existing DPSs must end by 23 February 2029, and how dynamic markets replace them for new procurements.
- Exclusion grounds and the debarment list explainedHow exclusion works under the Procurement Act 2023: mandatory and discretionary grounds, self-cleaning, the debarment list and what you must declare.
- PQQ (pre-qualification questionnaire): what replaced itWhat a PQQ (pre-qualification questionnaire) and the SQ were, what the Procurement Act 2023 uses instead, and where the old names still turn up.
- Procurement Act notices: what each UK notice means for youProcurement Act notices from UK1 to UK17: when buyers publish each one, which section requires it, and what a supplier should do when it appears.
- Procurement Act vs PCR 2015: what changed for suppliersProcurement Act vs PCR 2015: old terms and new, what is new for suppliers, which rules apply to your tender, and Scotland's exception.
- Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) explainedWhat a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) asks, how it links to conditions of participation and the Central Digital Platform, and how to prepare.
- Public sector payment terms: the 30-day rulePublic sector payment terms: a buyer must pay a valid invoice it doesn't dispute in 30 days. What sub-contractors get, and how to check a buyer.
- The competitive flexible procedure explained for suppliersThe competitive flexible procedure explained: how buyers design the stages, shortlists and negotiation under section 20, time limits, and how to bid well.
Is your business ready to bid?
- Tender readiness: is your business ready to bid?Tender readiness checklist built on what notices and packs ask for: registration, insurance, certifications, DBS checks, finances and policies.
- CPV codes explained, and how to choose yoursWhat CPV codes are, how divisions, groups, classes and categories nest, and how to choose the right codes for tender searches and alerts.
- How to price a tender for a public contractHow to price a tender: read how price is scored, build your costs, handle VAT in contract values, and explain a low price under the Procurement Act.
- How to write case studies for tendersCase studies for tenders: where they count, how to pick the job, a fill-in structure evaluators can score, and how to keep every claim checkable.
- Policies needed for tenders: what the law requiresPolicies needed for tenders: which ones the law requires of your business, which ones UK tender packs ask for, and how to keep them tender-ready.