Public sector tenders in Yorkshire and the Humber

Searching for Yorkshire tenders usually leads to YORtender, a tendering portal that councils such as Leeds and North East Lincolnshire point suppliers to. We have not assessed the portal itself, so check its own pages. 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, 36 live notices named a Yorkshire and the Humber delivery location (as of 10 Oct 2026).

Where Yorkshire’s public buyers publish tenders

YORtender. We have not assessed the portal itself, so check its own pages for registration and alerts. Leeds and North East Lincolnshire point suppliers to it. Barnsley Council also has a YORtender page, which we have not assessed. Published figures for how many councils use it differ, so we don’t give one.

Watch the address. We link the EU-Supply address above. ProContract also has a YORtender page, which we have not assessed. If a notice or search result gives you a different YORtender address, go back to a council’s page and follow its link instead.

Combined authority. West Yorkshire Combined Authority has its own procurement page.

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). Big frameworks go there too: the YORbuild Major Works 2 notice from Leeds City Council is one example, so check the notice for its current terms. 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 YORtender won’t appear here. For how the main portals compare, see our guide to UK tender portals.

Who buys in Yorkshire and the Humber

Councils are the visible buyers: Leeds and North East Lincolnshire both show up above. In our data, Sheffield City Council had 5 live notices in the week to 10 Oct 2026, among the most active buyers in the UK that week (as of 10 Oct 2026). West Yorkshire Combined Authority publishes too, and NHS bodies, universities and housing associations also advertise. Match each buyer on the live list to its system before you register.

Local support for small suppliers

The Hull and East Yorkshire Growth Hub keeps a tenders page for Yorkshire and Humber local authorities. In England, the Business Support Service gives free advice on 0800 998 1098, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm (gov.uk), and the page points to local growth hubs you can find through the growth hub finder.

Winning public contracts in Yorkshire and the Humber

Set up any portal alerts carefully. Check YORtender’s own pages for whether it offers alerts and how they work, then choose the narrowest settings that match what you actually do. Too broad and your inbox fills from one end of the region to the other. The region is large, so also check delivery location before you read the pack.

Create your Find a Tender record before the big opportunities arrive. gov.uk’s supplier guide says registration is free, only needed when you want to bid, and stores your core business details for reuse across bids. Framework bids ask for a lot of company information, so having it ready helps.

Treat big frameworks as a route, not a barrier. A framework such as YORbuild may be out of reach for a small firm on its own. Ask whether the winning contractors use local subcontractors, and read our guide to frameworks and dynamic markets to see how frameworks are structured.

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. For most of these contracts, buyers can’t shortlist on experience or accounts before inviting tenders (section 85), so a first-time bidder can compete. Larger works contracts and framework call-offs are exceptions.

Bid for the lot that fits. Before publishing a tender notice for an above-threshold contract, a buyer must consider lots and, if lots would be appropriate but it doesn’t use them, give reasons (section 18). In the week to 10 Oct 2026, 62 of the 470 live UK notices were multi-lot (as of 10 Oct 2026). A Sheffield contractor may be able to take a South Yorkshire lot without covering the whole region.

Know the payment terms. Section 68 implies a term in most public contracts under the Act that valid invoices are paid within 30 days. If you’re a subcontractor, section 73 implies the same 30-day term into your subcontract.

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). Check what Sheffield, Leeds or Hull have awarded recently before you pitch.

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 turnover tests in the pack 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.