Quick answer: UK public sector construction contracts are published across seven separate procurement portals — Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales, eTendersNI, ProContract and YORtender. To see all relevant opportunities, you need to monitor all seven simultaneously, set up alerts by CPV code, and track contracts due for renewal.
Why construction tender sourcing is fragmented
UK public procurement is deliberately decentralised. Councils, NHS trusts, central government departments, housing associations, and devolved administrations all publish construction contracts through different portals, often with different thresholds and different registration requirements. There is no single source of all UK public sector construction work.
The Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, moved all above-threshold contracts onto Find a Tender — but this only covers works above £5.4 million. The majority of public sector construction and maintenance contracts fall below this threshold and are published on the other six portals, many of which are regional or devolved.
The seven UK portals for construction tenders
Here is every portal where UK public sector construction contracts are published, with the threshold and scope for each.
| Portal | Threshold | Geography | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find a Tender | £5.4m+ (works) | UK-wide | Above-threshold works contracts. Includes pipeline notices under Procurement Act 2023. |
| Contracts Finder | £12,000+ | England | Below-threshold contracts. Essential for smaller construction and maintenance work. |
| Public Contracts Scotland | All values | Scotland | Covers all Scottish public sector construction — councils, NHS Scotland, universities. |
| Sell2Wales | All values | Wales | Welsh public sector construction including Welsh Government, councils, health boards. |
| eTendersNI | All values | Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland public sector construction and civil engineering. |
| ProContract | All values | Regional | Used by many councils and combined authorities in England. |
| YORtender | All values | Regional | Yorkshire and Humber region public sector construction. |
The practical problem
Each portal has a different search interface, different alert functionality, and different registration requirements. Monitoring all seven manually is time-consuming. Most construction companies only check Find a Tender and Contracts Finder — and miss Scottish, Welsh, and regional contracts entirely. PSIP aggregates all seven into one searchable database with a single alert setup.
Construction CPV codes — what to monitor
Every public sector contract is classified using a CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary) code — a standardised EU-derived taxonomy that categorises what is being procured. Setting up alerts by CPV code is significantly more reliable than keyword alerts, because CPV codes catch contracts with vague titles that keywords miss.
For construction companies, the relevant CPV codes sit within the 45000000 (Construction Works) and 71000000 (Architectural, Engineering and Related Services) families. Here are the most important ones to monitor:
See our complete guide to CPV codes for a full breakdown of the taxonomy and how to use codes in tender alerts.
Understanding construction procurement thresholds
The procurement threshold for works contracts — defined as contracts whose subject matter involves civil or building works — is significantly higher than for goods and services. Under the Procurement Act 2023:
Works contracts (central government & wider public sector)
Must be published on Find a Tender. Includes pipeline notices under the Procurement Act 2023.
Works contracts (utilities)
Utilities sector (water, energy, transport) have a lower works threshold for publication.
Below-threshold works (England)
English central government bodies must publish on Contracts Finder. Local authorities from £25,000.
This means the vast majority of public sector construction and maintenance contracts — repairs, refurbishment, M&E works, groundworks, and smaller new build projects — never appear on Find a Tender and must be found on Contracts Finder and the devolved portals.
Major public sector construction frameworks
Many public sector construction contracts are let through frameworks rather than open tender. If you are not on the right frameworks, you are invisible to buyers who use them — which is a significant proportion of the market. Here are the main frameworks for UK public sector construction:
Construction Works and Associated Services (RM6228)
Crown Commercial Service
New build, refurbishment, fit-out and associated professional services for central government and wider public sector across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Multiple lots by value, region and specialism including works above £10m, £1m–£10m, and below £1m.
NHS ProCure23 (P23)
NHS England
Construction and refurbishment of NHS healthcare settings, including hospitals, health centres and clinics. Managed by NHS Shared Business Services.
Includes separate lots for main contractor works, design and build, and specialist works.
LHC Building Framework
LHC Procurement Group
New build, refurbishment and retrofit for local authorities, housing associations, and public sector bodies.
Includes lots for new build housing, refurbishment, and decarbonisation works.
Procure22 (P22)
NHS Shared Business Services
NHS and public sector construction projects, including design and build and traditional procurement routes.
Structured by project value and region, covering the full England footprint.
SCAPE Construction Framework
SCAPE
Used by local authorities, housing associations and public sector bodies for direct award construction projects, reducing procurement timescales significantly.
Regional lots across England and Scotland, covering new build and refurbishment.
Framework competitions are typically run every 3–5 years. Missing a competition window means waiting until the next one — which is why tracking framework expiry dates is as important as tracking individual contract opportunities. PSIP tracks expiry and re-competition windows for all major construction frameworks.
How to find construction contracts before they are tendered
The contractors who consistently win public sector work engage with buyers before the ITT is published. Here are the three main early signals to monitor:
1. Pipeline notices
Under the Procurement Act 2023, public bodies with annual relevant spend above £100 million must publish pipeline notices covering planned contracts above £2 million over the next 18 months. These notices appear on Find a Tender and give construction companies advance visibility of upcoming projects — often a year or more before the formal tender is published.
2. Contract expiry tracking
Every construction contract published on the UK portals includes an end date. When a contract expires, the buyer typically re-tenders. By monitoring contracts due to expire in the next 6–12 months, you can identify upcoming re-tenders before they are advertised — and contact the buyer while competitors are still waiting for the ITT. See our contract expiry tracker.
3. Prior Information Notices (PINs)
Buyers can publish a Prior Information Notice to signal upcoming procurement and invite market engagement before a formal tender. Responding to a PIN is one of the best ways to influence the specification — buyers who know you are more likely to write requirements that reflect genuine market capability. Learn more about PINs.
Step-by-step: setting up construction tender monitoring
Choose your CPV codes
Start with the parent code for your specialism — 45000000 for general construction, 45200000 for civil engineering, 45300000 for M&E installation. Then add specific child codes for your exact services. The more specific your CPV selection, the more relevant your alerts.
Set up alerts across all seven portals
Each portal has its own alert system, all with different functionality. Find a Tender requires a GOV.UK One Login account. Contracts Finder has basic keyword alerts only — no CPV filtering. The devolved portals each have separate registration. PSIP gives you a single alert that runs across all seven simultaneously, filtered by CPV code, buyer, geography, and contract value.
Set your contract value filters
Filter by value to match your capacity. If your typical project range is £500k–£5m, set value filters accordingly. This prevents your daily digest being dominated by contracts too small or too large to bid competitively.
Monitor expiring contracts in your sector
Use a contract expiry tracker to identify construction and maintenance contracts due for renewal in the next 6–12 months. Filter by CPV code and buyer type. For each interesting expiry, check who currently holds the contract and what they are being paid — this is your competitive intelligence before the re-tender goes live.
Engage buyers before ITT publication
For contracts due to re-tender, contact the buyer's commercial or estates team to express interest and request a meeting. Buyers are generally willing to engage before formal procurement begins. Ask about their requirements, timeline, and any planned specification changes. This relationship gives you an advantage that no amount of bid-writing skill can replicate.
Apply to relevant frameworks
Identify which frameworks your target buyers use for construction procurement. Check when each framework is due for re-competition. Apply during the next competition window — framework membership is often a prerequisite for the most valuable public sector construction work.
What the Procurement Act 2023 means for construction suppliers
The Procurement Act 2023 introduced several changes that directly affect construction tender monitoring:
Pipeline notices
Authorities with £100m+ relevant spend must publish 18-month forward pipelines. This is genuinely new advance intelligence for construction companies.
Contract performance notices
Buyers must now publish notices during contract performance. This creates transparency about how incumbent contractors are performing — useful market intelligence.
Competitive flexible procedure
The new flexible procedure replaces competitive dialogue and allows more creative procurement — potentially more opportunities for innovative construction approaches.
Transparency notices
More notices across the contract lifecycle (award, performance, termination) mean more data points for tracking contract expiry and incumbent supplier intelligence.
See our full Procurement Act 2023 guide for suppliers for a complete breakdown of what changed.
Accreditations for government construction contracts
Most public sector construction tenders require specific accreditations at the selection questionnaire stage. The most common requirements:
Frequently asked questions
Where are construction tenders published in the UK?
UK public sector construction tenders are published across seven portals: Find a Tender (works above £5.4 million), Contracts Finder (English contracts above £12,000), Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales, eTendersNI, ProContract, and YORtender. Most contractors only monitor one or two of these and miss opportunities published on the others.
What is the procurement threshold for construction works in the UK?
The procurement threshold for construction works (defined as "works contracts") under the Procurement Act 2023 is approximately £5.4 million including VAT for central government and wider public sector bodies. Below this threshold, construction contracts for English public bodies above £12,000 must be published on Contracts Finder.
What CPV codes should construction companies monitor?
The main construction CPV codes are 45000000 (Construction Works), 45100000 (Site Preparation), 45200000 (Civil Engineering), 45300000 (Building Installation), 45400000 (Building Completion and Finishing), 71300000 (Engineering Services), and 71500000 (Construction-related Services). Setting up alerts for these codes across all seven portals ensures you see every relevant opportunity.
What accreditations do I need for government construction contracts?
Common requirements for government construction contracts include Constructionline registration (Gold or Platinum for larger contracts), CHAS or SafeContractor accreditation, ISO 9001, and Building Regulations compliance. Larger contracts may require BIM Level 2 capability. NHS construction contracts often require compliance with HTM (Health Technical Memoranda) and HBN (Health Building Notes).
How far in advance are government construction projects advertised?
Under the Procurement Act 2023, authorities with annual relevant spend above £100 million must publish pipeline notices covering contracts above £2 million planned over the next 18 months. These pipeline notices appear on Find a Tender and give construction companies significant advance notice of upcoming projects before formal tender.
What are the main construction procurement frameworks?
Key public sector construction frameworks include: CCS Construction Works and Associated Services (RM6228) for central government and wider public sector, NHS ProCure23 (P23) for NHS healthcare construction, the LHC Building Framework for social housing and local authorities, and various regional frameworks run by combined authorities. Getting onto a framework is often the fastest route to recurring public sector construction revenue.
How do I find construction contracts before they are tendered?
To find construction contracts before formal tender: monitor pipeline notices on Find a Tender (required under the Procurement Act 2023 for larger authorities), track contracts expiring in the next 6-12 months using a contract expiry tracker, engage buyers at early market engagement events, and respond to Prior Information Notices (PINs). Contractors who engage buyers before the ITT is published are significantly more likely to win.
Find construction tenders across all seven UK portals
PSIP aggregates Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales, eTendersNI, ProContract and YORtender into one platform. Set up CPV code alerts, track expiring contracts, and monitor pipeline notices — all in one place. 7-day free trial, no credit card required.
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