UK public sector contracts are open to businesses of every size, from sole traders to large firms, and small businesses win them every day. The process looks daunting at first, but it follows a consistent pattern. This step-by-step guide takes you from getting set up to submitting your first bid, and building a track record from there.
Step 1: Be clear about what you sell and who buys it
Before you search for anything, write down what you offer, which public bodies would buy it, the contract sizes you can realistically deliver, and two or three examples of relevant past work. That clarity makes it much easier to filter opportunities and to write focused bids.
Step 2: Get registered
- Central Digital Platform. Since the Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, suppliers register once on the Central Digital Platform, accessed through Find a Tender, to take part in procurements under the Act. Registration is free; do it before you need it.
- Regional and buyer portals. Many buyers also run tenders on their own e-sourcing systems, and devolved nations have their own portals: Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI. Register on the ones relevant to your area and sector.
There is no single registration that covers every opportunity, which is why monitoring matters (step 4).
Step 3: Know your CPV codes
Every public tender is classified with CPV codes, the standard numbers buyers use to describe what they are buying. Knowing the handful of codes that match your work, plus the adjacent ones buyers also use, helps you find far more of the relevant opportunities.
Step 4: Find the right opportunities
Where a contract is published depends mainly on its value. Larger contracts above the procurement thresholds must follow the full rules and be advertised on the Central Digital Platform. Lower-value contracts are often advertised too, but many only appear on regional or buyer portals.
When a notice appears, judge whether it suits your size:
- Check the value against your turnover. Buyers commonly look for turnover of around twice the annual contract value.
- Look for lots. Buyers must consider splitting contracts into smaller lots, which often suit SMEs better.
- Check the history. Award notices show who won before and at what value, which tells you what you are up against.
Step 5: Understand how you will be asked to bid
Under the Procurement Act 2023, most competitions use one of two procedures:
- The open procedure: everyone submits a full tender in one stage.
- The competitive flexible procedure: the buyer designs the stages, which can include a shortlisting stage, negotiation or dialogue before final tenders.
Much work is also awarded through frameworks and dynamic markets, where a set of approved suppliers is invited to compete for call-off contracts. If you are not on the framework, you cannot bid for its call-offs, so getting onto the right ones is one of the most valuable long-term moves you can make. New open frameworks reopen to new suppliers at set points, and dynamic markets can be joined while they run.
Below-threshold contracts are usually simpler: often a straightforward request for quotes or tenders, with no separate pre-qualification stage.
Step 6: Prepare your documents in advance
Most tenders ask for the same core information. Keep a library ready:
- company registration details and two to three years of accounts;
- insurance certificates: public liability, professional indemnity, and employers' liability, which is a legal requirement with at least £5 million cover if you employ staff (buyers often ask for £10 million);
- policies covering health and safety, equality, environment and data protection;
- a modern slavery statement (legally required above £36 million turnover, and often requested from smaller firms);
- three to five case studies with outcomes and referees.
Some sectors expect specific accreditations: Cyber Essentials for many IT contracts, CQC registration for regulated care, and construction pre-qualification such as PAS 91, often evidenced through schemes like Constructionline or CHAS.
Step 7: Decide, then write your bid
Spend half an hour on each opportunity before committing. Do you meet the minimum requirements? Is the scope a genuine fit? Do you have strong evidence? Is the deadline achievable? If not, let it go.
If you bid, answer exactly what is asked, back every claim with evidence, and treat social value seriously: central government buyers must give it at least 10% of the score. Contracts are awarded to the "most advantageous tender" against published criteria, so read those first. Our bid writing guide covers how to write answers that score, and our guide to winning public sector contracts covers choosing and positioning your bids.
Step 8: Submit, then learn from the result
Submit through the buyer's portal at least a day early, and keep a copy of everything. Whatever the outcome, study the feedback: under the Procurement Act 2023, buyers must give each bidder an assessment summary explaining how its tender was scored. It is the fastest way to improve.
Building a track record
If you have no public sector experience yet, build one step by step:
- Start below threshold. Smaller contracts have lighter processes and less competition, and each win becomes a reference.
- Subcontract. Larger contractors often use SME subcontractors, which gives you directly relevant experience.
- Target lots and frameworks. Smaller lots and SME-friendly frameworks, such as G-Cloud for cloud software and services, are designed to let smaller suppliers in.
- Use private sector evidence. Buyers assess whether you can deliver, not whether you have done identical public sector work before.
How long does it take?
A single above-threshold competition often takes six to sixteen weeks from notice to award, depending on the procedure. Allow a few months from starting to focus on public sector work to winning a first contract, and keep several bids in progress so no single outcome decides everything.
Start finding opportunities
TenderSignal brings together Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and 600+ buyer portals into one feed filtered by your categories, region and contract value, so you see the right opportunities early.
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