Quick answer: Find a Tender covers UK-wide contracts above approximately £139,000. Contracts Finder covers English contracts above £10,000 — including many smaller, below-threshold contracts that never appear on Find a Tender. To see all relevant opportunities you need to monitor both portals.
What is Find a Tender?
Find a Tender (find-tender.service.gov.uk) is the UK government's primary procurement portal for above-threshold contracts. It was created after Brexit to replace the EU's OJEU TED portal, which UK buyers previously used to advertise contracts to European suppliers.
Since the Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, Find a Tender has expanded significantly. It now covers the full contract lifecycle — from pipeline notices published 12 months in advance, through to tender notices, award notices, contract performance notices, and contract termination notices. All contracting authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must publish above-threshold notices on Find a Tender.
What is Contracts Finder?
Contracts Finder (contractsfinder.service.gov.uk) is the English procurement portal for contracts of any value — including below-threshold contracts that never appear on Find a Tender. Central government bodies must publish contracts above £10,000, and local authorities must publish contracts above £25,000.
Contracts Finder is particularly valuable for suppliers targeting smaller contracts with councils, NHS bodies, and arm's-length bodies. It also publishes contract award notices, making it a rich source of competitor intelligence — you can see exactly which suppliers are winning contracts with your target buyers and for how much.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | 🇬🇧 Find a Tender | 🏴 Contracts Finder |
|---|---|---|
| Geography | UK-wide (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) | England only |
| Minimum value | ~£139,000 (central gov) / ~£214,000 (other) | £10,000 (central gov) / £25,000 (local authority) |
| Below-threshold contracts | No | Yes |
| Contract awards | Yes | Yes |
| Pipeline notices | Yes (Procurement Act 2023) | Limited |
| Framework opportunities | Yes | Some |
| Free to use | Yes | Yes |
| Registration required | GOV.UK One Login for alerts | Optional |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
| Covers Scotland | Above threshold only | No |
| Covers Wales | Above threshold only | No |
| CPV code search | Yes | Yes |
Which portal should I use?
The answer depends on what you are looking for:
Use Find a Tender if...
- ✓You are targeting larger contracts above £139,000
- ✓You want to see central and local government, NHS, and utilities contracts UK-wide
- ✓You want pipeline notices for upcoming procurements
- ✓You are targeting Scottish or Welsh public sector buyers (above threshold)
Use Contracts Finder if...
- ✓You are targeting smaller English contracts below £139,000
- ✓You want to see contracts from councils, NHS bodies, and smaller public bodies
- ✓You want competitor intelligence on who is winning contracts with specific buyers
- ✓You supply goods or services typically procured below threshold
Use both if...
- ✓You want comprehensive coverage of English public sector opportunities
- ✓You want to be certain you are not missing relevant contracts
- ✓You are serious about building a public sector revenue stream
What about Scotland and Wales?
Neither Find a Tender nor Contracts Finder provides comprehensive coverage of Scottish or Welsh public sector contracts. For complete UK coverage you also need:
🏴
Public Contracts Scotland
publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
All Scottish public sector contracts from Scottish Government, councils, NHS Scotland, and universities.
🏴
Sell2Wales
sell2wales.gov.wales
Welsh Government and Welsh public body procurement — essential for suppliers targeting Wales.
The problem with monitoring four portals manually
To find all relevant UK public sector opportunities, you need to search four separate portals — each with different search interfaces, alert systems, and data formats. Most suppliers only monitor one or two and miss contracts published on the others.
PSIP solves this by aggregating all four portals into one searchable database, updated daily. Search once, find everything. Set up alerts with keyword and CPV code filters that match across all sources simultaneously.
🇬🇧
Find a Tender
🏴
Contracts Finder
🏴
PCS Scotland
🏴
Sell2Wales
All four portals aggregated in PSIP — one search, complete coverage
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Find a Tender and Contracts Finder?
Find a Tender covers UK-wide contracts above the procurement threshold (approximately £139,000). Contracts Finder covers England contracts of any value above £10,000, including many below-threshold contracts that do not appear on Find a Tender.
Do I need to use both Find a Tender and Contracts Finder?
Yes, if you are targeting English public sector contracts. Find a Tender covers above-threshold contracts UK-wide. Contracts Finder covers English contracts of all values. Many relevant opportunities appear on one but not the other.
Is Find a Tender free to use?
Yes. Find a Tender is a free government service available at find-tender.service.gov.uk. You need a GOV.UK One Login account to save searches and set up alerts.
Is Contracts Finder free to use?
Yes. Contracts Finder is a free government service available at contractsfinder.service.gov.uk. No registration is required to search, though you need an account to save searches.
What replaced OJEU after Brexit?
Find a Tender Service replaced the OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) TED portal for UK procurement after Brexit. All above-threshold UK contracts that were previously published on OJEU TED are now published on Find a Tender.
Does Find a Tender cover Scotland and Wales?
Find a Tender covers UK-wide above-threshold contracts. However, Scotland and Wales also have their own portals — Public Contracts Scotland and Sell2Wales — which publish additional contracts specific to those nations.
What is the minimum contract value on Contracts Finder?
Contracts Finder publishes English central government contracts above £10,000 and local authority contracts above £25,000. Many contracts below these thresholds are not publicly advertised.
Search all four portals in one place
PSIP aggregates Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland and Sell2Wales into one platform. Search 65,000+ tenders, set up alerts, and never miss a relevant contract. 7-day free trial, no credit card required.
Start free trial