What is a tender? It is a supplier’s formal offer to provide goods, services or works on stated terms and at a stated price, in response to a buyer’s invitation. In UK public procurement, “tendering” also means the whole competition: the notice, the documents, the scoring and the award.
The Procurement Act 2023 has governed that competition since 24 February 2025, except for devolved Scottish authorities. This guide explains the words you will meet in tender notices, then follows one tender from notice to contract. It is part of our guide on how to win public sector contracts.
What is a tender in UK public procurement?
The buyer has to be a “contracting authority”: a public authority and, for utilities contracts, public undertakings and private utilities as well (section 2(1)).
The contract has to be a “public contract”: goods, services or works supplied to that authority for payment, at or above the threshold amount, and not exempted (section 3). Below the thresholds a lighter set of rules applies to “regulated below-threshold contracts” (section 84). See below-threshold contracts.
The Act’s word for your submission is a “tender”. After a competitive tendering procedure, the buyer can award to the supplier that submits the most advantageous tender (section 19(1)).
Scotland. Devolved Scottish authorities are excluded from the Act (section 2(5)(a)). They use Scottish rules such as the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. See tenders in Scotland.
Tender words, in Procurement Act terms
Five terms matter when you read a tender notice. Each is below with its place in the Act and, where one is sourced, the old name.
| Term | What it means for you | In the Act | Formerly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tender notice | The buyer's notice inviting tenders, or requests to participate, and saying it intends to award a contract | s.21(1)–(2) | Contract notice (PCR 2015 reg 49) |
| Associated tender documents | Documents that add detail to the notice, such as the specification and award criteria. See the tender documents checklist | s.21(3)–(4); guidance para 19 | – |
| Conditions of participation | What you must meet to be awarded the contract: legal and financial capacity, or technical ability | s.22(1)–(2) | – |
| Award criteria | What tenders are scored against. The buyer must say how tenders will be assessed and how important each criterion is | s.23(3) | – |
| Most advantageous tender (MAT) | The tender that meets the buyer's requirements and best satisfies the award criteria. See how tenders are scored | s.19(2) | Most economically advantageous tender, MEAT (PCR 2015 reg 67) |
A sixth term, the Procurement Specific Questionnaire, has its own glossary entry. Notices appear on the Central Digital Platform, which is the Find a Tender service, available at find-tender.service.gov.uk (guidance paras 1–2).
How a public sector tender works, step by step
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The buyer publishes a tender notice. It goes on Find a Tender, where UK4 is the tender notice. For smaller contracts, if a buyer advertises a below-threshold contract worth £30,000 or more including VAT (£12,000 for central government buyers, including NHS trusts), it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice on the platform (section 87(1), (4); guidance paras 10, 12). It can instead invite quotes from chosen suppliers without a notice (section 87(2); para 23).
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You read the notice and the tender documents. The guidance says associated tender documents must generally be provided free of charge and electronically, and need not be separate if the notice already holds everything (para 19). Here is how to read a tender notice in five minutes.
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Steps 3 to 7 follow the Act’s rules for above-threshold contracts. The buyer runs an open or competitive flexible procedure. The open procedure is a single stage with no restriction on who can submit a tender (section 20(2)(a)). The competitive flexible procedure is designed by the buyer. It can limit the number of suppliers, and the notice says how (section 20(2)(b), (4); guidance paras 40, 86).
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You meet the conditions of participation. They must be proportionate (section 22(1), (5)). The buyer cannot require audited accounts, except from suppliers that must have them audited by law (section 22(3)(a)). It cannot require insurance for performing the contract to be in place before award (section 22(3)(b)). The guidance says insurance the law already requires, such as employers’ liability, may still be required as a condition (para 20).
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You submit your tender by the deadline. Time limits are set under section 54, and the closing date is in the notice, so check it first. Here is how to write a tender response.
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The buyer scores the tenders and picks the most advantageous. It may disregard a tender with an abnormally low price, but must first notify the supplier and give it a reasonable chance to show it can perform at that price (section 19(3)(c), (4)–(5)).
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Award, standstill, contract. The buyer gives each supplier with an assessed tender an assessment summary, then publishes a contract award notice (section 50). Unless an exemption applies, it cannot enter into the contract until a standstill period of eight working days, starting on the day the notice is published, has ended (section 51). See standstill period.
Tender, bid or quote: what’s the difference?
In everyday use, “bid” and “tender” are used interchangeably. That is plain-language usage, not a legal distinction. The Act’s word is “tender”.
A “quote” can be the small-contract version. Below the thresholds, a buyer can ask chosen suppliers for quotes without publishing a notice (guidance para 23). If you are weighing up whether a notice is worth your time, read how to decide whether to bid.
“Tender” in private-sector buying and RFPs
Private companies also talk about tenders. You may see an RFP (request for proposal), an RFQ (request for quotation) or an ITT (invitation to tender). Those are everyday labels.
The Procurement Act 2023 places its duties on contracting authorities, as defined in section 2. A private company is generally not a contracting authority unless it is a private utility awarding a utilities contract (section 2(1)). If it isn’t, follow the process in the documents it sends you.
TenderWorthy lists public sector notices from Find a Tender and Contracts Finder only. We don’t list private-sector tenders.
What a tender asks of a small firm
On above-threshold contracts, buyers must have regard to the particular barriers small and medium-sized enterprises may face, and consider whether they can be removed or reduced (section 12(4)).
Below the thresholds, a buyer can’t run a separate suitability stage before tenders are submitted, but it can still assess suitability at the award stage (some larger works contracts, Welsh devolved buyers and framework call-offs aside; section 85 and guidance para 16). Our guide to council contracts for small businesses has the detail.
On above-threshold contracts, buyers must consider splitting a contract into lots, or give reasons for not doing so. See lots.
What each buyer asks for varies, and you won’t find it all in the notice. Only about 6% of live notices (29 of 470) stated insurance requirements in the notice itself in the week to 10 Oct 2026 (how we count). For the rest, check the tender documents. Start with public liability insurance for tenders and turnover requirements.
Where to find tenders
- Find a Tender is the Central Digital Platform. The supplier guide says it is free to use and that you only need to register when you want to bid. See how to use Find a Tender.
- Contracts Finder still carries notices for procurements started under the old rules, per PPN 019. The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 were revoked on 24 February 2025.
- Devolved portals, as named by gov.uk: Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales, eSourcing NI and eTendersNI.
In the week to 10 Oct 2026 we saw 470 live tenders from 338 buyers across Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. For the full picture, see how to find public sector tenders and live UK tenders by sector and region.
Your next step
Tell us your trade and postcode to join the free weekly list of live tenders, starting soon. On Pro (£49/month), notices that fit your trade and area are checked against what each states about insurance, certifications and location, and you get an email each morning on days with new matches.
Questions
What is a tender in simple terms?
A tender is a supplier's formal offer to do the work on stated terms and at a stated price, in response to a buyer's invitation. Under the Procurement Act 2023, a public buyer can then award the contract to the supplier with the most advantageous tender (section 19).
What's the difference between a tender and a tender notice?
The tender notice is the buyer's invitation (section 21 of the Procurement Act 2023). The tender is your response to it. The notice says what is wanted and points to the associated tender documents, and you submit your tender by the closing date it states.
Do I need to register before I can tender for public contracts?
Not to look. The government's supplier guide says Find a Tender is free to use and that you only need to register at the point you want to bid for a contract. Registering on the Central Digital Platform is the step to do when you decide to bid.
Is a tender the same as an RFP?
They are in the same family but belong to different settings. RFP (request for proposal) is a term used in private-sector buying. Public buyers under the Procurement Act 2023 publish a tender notice and associated tender documents. The Act's duties fall on contracting authorities as defined in section 2, so unless the company is a private utility awarding a utilities contract (section 2(1)), its RFP follows whatever that company's own documents say.
Can a small business win public sector tenders?
Yes. Under section 12(4) of the Procurement Act 2023, on above-threshold contracts, buyers must have regard to the particular barriers SMEs may face and consider whether those barriers can be removed or reduced. A council in England or Wales that advertises a contract worth £30,000 or more including VAT must first publish a notice on the Central Digital Platform, unless it only invites chosen suppliers (sections 84(2), 87; guidance paras 9, 10, 23). We make no claims about win rates. See our guide to council contracts for small businesses.