Key fact: The UK government has a target to award 33% of procurement spend to SMEs. Contracts range from small local authority orders worth £12,000 to national framework agreements worth hundreds of millions. The key to winning is not size — it is finding the right contracts and responding to them well.
The 9 steps to winning a government contract
Find the right contracts
Use PSIP to set up daily alerts filtered to your CPV codes, sector and geography. Review new contracts each morning — assess whether the scope, value, location and timescales fit before investing time in a full response. Be selective: a well-researched bid on the right contract beats three rushed responses on the wrong ones.
Assess your bid/no bid decision
Before committing to a response, score the opportunity against key criteria: Does the requirement match your capability? Can you demonstrate relevant experience? Is the timeline achievable? Is the contract value worth the bid cost? Is the incumbent beatable? If you score poorly on three or more, consider passing.
Register on the portal and obtain documents
Register on the relevant procurement portal — Contracts Finder, Find a Tender, PCS Scotland etc — and download the tender documents. Read the specification, evaluation criteria, contract terms and any pricing schedule in full before drafting a single word of your response.
Complete the selection questionnaire
If an SQ is required, complete it carefully and accurately. Buyers check financial accounts, insurance certificates and compliance documents. Ensure you meet all minimum thresholds. An SQ failure at this stage is disqualifying — do not treat it as a formality.
Plan your response to the quality questions
Map each quality question to the evaluation criteria and weighting. Allocate word count proportionally — give more space to higher-weighted questions. Plan your key messages and evidence before writing. Use the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for case studies.
Write quality responses with evidence
Answer what was asked, not what you want to say. Use specific examples with quantified outcomes. Avoid generic claims — "we have extensive experience" scores nothing without evidence. Reference the buyer's own language and priorities from the specification. Keep sentences clear and direct.
Address social value
Most public sector contracts now require a social value response. Central government mandates a minimum 10% weighting. Make specific, quantified commitments aligned to the Social Value Model themes the buyer has specified. Vague commitments score poorly.
Price competitively and accurately
Understand whether the contract is evaluated on quality only, or quality and price. If price is weighted, benchmark your rates against market data. Do not underprice to win — buyers can query abnormally low tenders. Ensure your pricing covers your actual costs plus a sustainable margin.
Submit on time and request feedback
Never miss a submission deadline — late submissions are almost always disqualified. Submit a day early if possible. After the outcome, always request written feedback — whether you win or lose. Buyer feedback is the most valuable learning you can get for future bids.
Types of public sector procurement procedure
Open procedure
Any supplier can respond. ITT is issued publicly with the contract notice. Most common for straightforward contracts. No SQ stage — all evaluation is done on the submitted response.
Restricted procedure
Selection questionnaire first, then ITT issued to shortlisted suppliers only. Used when the buyer wants to limit the field before issuing detailed documents.
Framework agreement
A multi-supplier agreement that allows buyers to call off contracts without a full procurement. Getting on a framework is competitive, but gives ongoing access to multiple buyers.
Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)
An electronic list of pre-qualified suppliers that can be added to at any time. Buyers run mini-competitions among DPS members. More flexible than frameworks.
Competitive flexible procedure
Introduced by the Procurement Act 2023 — a flexible route that gives buyers more discretion in how they structure the competition. Increasingly used by central government.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find government contracts to bid for?
UK public sector contracts are published across seven procurement portals: Find a Tender (above-threshold UK-wide), Contracts Finder (England, all values), Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales, eTendersNI, ProContract and YORtender. PSIP aggregates all seven into one dashboard with daily email alerts filtered to your sector and geography.
Do I need to be a large company to bid for government contracts?
No. The UK government has a target to award 33% of procurement spend to SMEs directly or through the supply chain. Many contracts are specifically designed for SMEs, and frameworks like G-Cloud are built to make it easier for smaller companies to compete. Contracts Finder and Find a Tender both include many contracts suitable for SMEs.
What is a selection questionnaire in UK procurement?
A selection questionnaire (SQ) is the first stage of many public procurement processes. It assesses whether your company meets the minimum requirements to proceed — financial standing, technical capability, insurance levels, and compliance with equality and health and safety requirements. Passing the SQ is a prerequisite for receiving the invitation to tender.
How long does a government tender process take?
Timelines vary significantly. Open procedures (most common for smaller contracts) typically run for 30-90 days from publication to response deadline. Restricted procedures add an SQ stage before the ITT, extending the timeline. Framework applications can take 3-6 months from publication to appointment. PSIP's contract expiry tracker helps you identify contracts well in advance so you have time to prepare.
What is an invitation to tender (ITT)?
An ITT (Invitation to Tender) is the formal document issued to suppliers who have passed the selection questionnaire stage, or directly in an open procedure. It sets out the full requirements, evaluation criteria, contract terms and submission instructions. Your response to the ITT is the document on which you are evaluated and scored.
Can I bid for government contracts if I have never won one before?
Yes, but expect buyers to ask for case studies or references demonstrating relevant experience. If you lack public sector experience, use private sector experience of similar scale and complexity. Many frameworks and smaller contracts are open to new market entrants. Starting with below-threshold contracts on Contracts Finder is a good way to build a track record.
Find the right contracts to bid for
PSIP delivers every matching UK public sector contract to your inbox every morning — filtered to your sector, geography and CPV codes across all seven portals. 7-day free trial, no credit card required.
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