Public sector tenders in the North East

For North East tenders from councils, start with NEPO’s supplier page: NEPO says Open will replace the NEPO Portal, so check there which portal to register on now. New opportunities under the Procurement Act 2023 are also advertised on Find a Tender, which is where our live list comes from. In the week to 10 Oct 2026, 32 live notices named a North East delivery location (as of 10 Oct 2026).

Where North East buyers publish tenders

Open (NEPO). Open is the platform NEPO says will replace the NEPO Portal, according to its supplier page. NEPO also publishes an introduction to Open (PDF), which we have not assessed. Use NEPO’s own pages rather than older ones when you register.

If you registered on the old portal. Gateshead’s procurement opportunities page recommends registering on Open. If a search result sends you to the old NEPO portal, check NEPO’s supplier page for which portal to use now.

Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. Since 24 February 2025 no new procurements can start under the old rules (the Public Contracts Regulations 2015), and new below-threshold opportunities must be advertised on Find a Tender (PPN 019, para 8). Contracts Finder still carries notices for procurements that started under the old rules (PPN 019, para 7). We list those two only, so quotes run solely on Open won’t appear here. For how the main portals compare, see our guide to UK tender portals.

Who buys in the North East

Councils are the core buyers. Darlington Borough Council is one example: its passenger transport dynamic purchasing system is on Find a Tender. There is also a listing on Open that we have not assessed, so check the portal’s own pages. NHS bodies, universities and housing associations also advertise, and we haven’t verified which system they use, so read each notice. The live list on this page shows who is publishing now.

Local support for small suppliers

The Business Support Service gives free advice to businesses in England on 0800 998 1098, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm (gov.uk). The page points to local growth hubs, which you can find through the growth hub finder. Ask whether yours supports tendering. We haven’t checked what each hub offers.

Winning public contracts in the North East

Be realistic about distance. The North East runs from Northumberland down to the Tees Valley. A van-based trade in Newcastle can cover Tyne and Wear comfortably but will think twice about a Teesside call-out. Set your radius first, then filter the live list by delivery location.

Learn the dynamic purchasing system idea. A dynamic purchasing system is the older name for what the Procurement Act 2023 calls a dynamic market (section 35): a pool of suppliers that buyers draw on. Darlington’s passenger transport opportunity is a legacy example of one. If a pool like that matches your work, joining it may be worthwhile: once you’re a member you can be invited to compete for individual contracts without re-applying to join, though you still tender for each (section 34). Read the notice for how and when you can apply, and see our guide to frameworks and dynamic markets.

Frameworks and pools are common. In the week to 10 Oct 2026, 72 of the 470 live UK notices mentioned frameworks or DPS (as of 10 Oct 2026), so a one-off tender is not the only way in. Read how a framework is structured before you decide it’s out of reach.

Know the payment terms. Section 68 implies a term in most public contracts under the Act that valid invoices are paid within 30 days, which helps if you are a small firm watching cash flow.

Use the lower-value rules. A below-threshold contract is “notifiable” at £12,000 or more for central government bodies (NHS trusts included) and £30,000 or more for other authorities, including VAT (section 87(4); gov.uk guidance). If the buyer advertises a contract of that size, it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice on Find a Tender. It needn’t if it only invites suppliers it has chosen. Smaller contracts are the easiest place for a new supplier to start.

Put your local value in numbers. Central government departments, their agencies and non-departmental public bodies must weight social value at least 10% where relevant and proportionate, on above-threshold procurements started on or after 1 October 2025 (PPN 002). NHS trusts and councils aren’t covered by that note, so check the evaluation criteria in the pack. Staff hired locally, apprenticeships and local suppliers are all countable.

Read the award notices. For a notifiable below-threshold contract, the buyer must publish a contract details notice after entering into it (section 87(3)). The gov.uk guidance sets out 30 days for central government bodies and 90 days for others (gov.uk guidance). They show what the councils have already bought.

Check the pack for insurance. Only 29 of the 470 UK live notices in the week to 10 Oct 2026 (about 6%) stated insurance requirements in the notice itself (as of 10 Oct 2026). Look at public liability and employers’ liability and turnover tests before you commit bid time. Our tender eligibility checker is coming soon. Until then, tell us your trade and postcode to join the free weekly list of live tenders, starting soon.