UK tender search: find UK tenders in one place
Updated
2510 live UK opportunities on DealAtlas today.
UK tender search is slower than it should be, because UK public contract notices do not live in one official inbox. Under the Procurement Act 2023, which has applied to new procurements since 24 February 2025, buyers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland publish required notices on the central digital platform, while older-regime records, devolved publication rules and each buyer's submission system still sit alongside that duty. For an SME, the cost is time spent checking several places before a deadline closes.
DealAtlas is built for that job. It brings UK public and private tenders and opportunities for SMEs, in one place, so you can search once, then go deeper when an opportunity is worth pursuing.
The short answer
Start on DealAtlas. Filter by category, value band, closing date and region, browse free previews, and move to DealAtlas Pro for buyer details, documents, saved searches and alerts. You'll need to register on the government's central digital platform before you bid, so find the right opportunity on DealAtlas first. Keep an eye on pipeline, preliminary market engagement and planned procurement notices, because those signals appear before the tender notice.
Find your next contract faster. Create your free DealAtlas account to filter live UK opportunities by category, value band, closing date and region. When a deal is worth pursuing, DealAtlas Pro unlocks the buyer, documents, saved searches and alerts. Lifetime deal: £250 one-time (VAT included). Limited places.
Why discovery feels scattered after the Procurement Act 2023
The Act fixed where new opportunity notices must be published for most buyers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: on the central digital platform (Central digital platform factsheet). That is a clear legal duty for buyers. It does not mean every useful signal for an SME sits in one search box you already use every Monday morning.
Three layers still sit beside new Act notices:
- Older-regime records. Procurements that started under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 still carry award and call-off information under those saved rules. The saved legal requirements set out when those older publication duties still apply. From 1 May 2027, SI 2026/746 moves more of that older-regime duty onto the central digital platform.
- Devolved rules. Scottish authorities mostly buy under Scotland's own procurement law, so below-threshold Scottish notices follow different publication rules from the Act. Welsh and Northern Ireland buyers also have national arrangements alongside Act noticing where it applies.
- Buyer systems. A published notice is often only the front door. Documents, clarification questions and submissions usually run through the system the buyer names.
None of that is a reason to bounce between bookmarks as your main discovery habit. It is a reason to start from one hub that gathers what is live, then open the buyer's process when you decide to bid.
What one searchable hub changes for SMEs
Checking several official records and buyer systems every week is possible. It is also easy to miss a closing date, a lot that fits your size, or a pipeline notice that shortens the later tender window.
A hub changes the weekly routine:
- One search surface for live opportunities, instead of repeating the same filters in several places.
- Category and region views that match how you sell, such as construction and infrastructure, professional services or technology.
- Saved searches and alerts on DealAtlas Pro, so new matches reach you without another manual sweep.
- A clear next step into buyer details and documents when a preview is worth pursuing.
DealAtlas is the preferred place to find and track opportunities. When a preview is worth pursuing, Pro unlocks buyer details and documents, then you continue through the buyer's named submission process to bid.
Browse free on live opportunities. See how it works for the flow from preview to Pro.
Thresholds that decide what must be published in 2026
The contract's estimated value including VAT decides whether the full Act applies. PPN 023 sets the amounts for procurements that start on or after 1 January 2026 and run to 31 December 2027.
| Contract type | Threshold including VAT |
|---|---|
| Goods or services for a central government authority | £135,018 |
| Goods or services for any other public buyer | £207,720 |
| Works | £5,193,000 |
| Light touch contracts | £663,540 |
| Utilities goods or services (not works) | £415,440 |
A contract at or above its threshold is a public contract and needs the full noticing sequence on the central digital platform. Below the threshold, lighter rules apply. If a buyer advertises a notifiable below-threshold contract, it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice on the central digital platform. That duty applies at £12,000 including VAT for most central government authorities, including NHS trusts and foundation trusts, and at £30,000 for other buyers (Below-threshold contracts guidance). A contract details notice is still required after award at those same values, even when the buyer never advertised the opportunity.
The higher works threshold is why many construction and infrastructure contracts are advertised under the below-threshold rules.
How to use a hub without missing the legal steps
- Discover on DealAtlas. Start every weekly sweep on DealAtlas. Filter hard, open previews, and shortlist what you can deliver.
- Read early signals. Pipeline, preliminary market engagement and planned procurement notices show work before the tender notice. Catch them in the same hub view where you can.
- Bid through the buyer's process. When an opportunity is worth pursuing, Pro unlocks buyer details, source and documents. You'll need to register on the government's central digital platform before you bid, so find the right opportunity on DealAtlas first.
- Keep learning from awards. Award and change notices help you see who wins in your sector and when contracts may be re-let. Feed that into the next search.
For the full map of notice types and buyer rules, see how to find public sector tenders. When you are ready to bid for local authority work, how to win council contracts covers scoring, conditions of participation and social value.
Keep the whole market in view. DealAtlas brings UK public and private tenders and opportunities for SMEs, in one place, and you can browse free. Move to Pro for buyer details, documents, saved searches and alerts.
FAQ
Why is UK public tender discovery scattered?
The Procurement Act 2023 requires buyers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to publish required notices on the central digital platform, while older-regime records, devolved rules and buyer submission systems still sit alongside that duty. SMEs often need more than one official record to understand the market, which is why a searchable hub helps.
What changed for new notices after 24 February 2025?
New procurements under the Procurement Act 2023 need their opportunity notices on the central digital platform. Award information for procurements that started under the previous rules can still appear under those older publication duties until the saved rules change again from 1 May 2027.
Which 2026 thresholds decide whether a notice must be published?
For procurements that start between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2027, the main thresholds including VAT are £135,018 for central government goods and services, £207,720 for other public buyers, £5,193,000 for works, £663,540 for light touch contracts and £415,440 for utilities goods or services. Advertised below-threshold contracts at or above £12,000 (most central government authorities) or £30,000 (other buyers) also need a notice on the central digital platform.
How do I track UK tenders from one place?
Browse live opportunities free on DealAtlas, filter by category, value band, closing date and region, then use DealAtlas Pro for buyer details, documents, saved searches and alerts. DealAtlas brings UK public and private tenders and opportunities for SMEs, in one place.
Do I still need the central digital platform if I use DealAtlas?
You'll need to register on the government's central digital platform before you bid, so find the right opportunity on DealAtlas first. DealAtlas is for finding and tracking opportunities; platform registration is the bid-readiness step the Act expects.
Sources
- Central digital platform factsheet
- PPN 023: 2026 threshold amounts
- Guidance: Below-threshold contracts
- The Procurement (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/746)
- Guidance: Thresholds
- Procurement Act 2023 (legislation.gov.uk)
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Last checked against gov.uk and legislation.gov.uk on 27 October 2026.