If you want to win public sector work, the first job is simply finding the opportunities. The trouble is they're spread across several official portals — one per nation, plus legacy systems. Here's how they fit together.
At a glance
- Find a Tender (FTS) is now the UK's central point for publishing tenders under the Procurement Act 2023 — it covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Contracts Finder is the older England portal; it still carries opportunities from procurements started before 24 February 2025.
- Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) is Scotland's portal — Scotland runs under its own procurement law, separate from the Act.
- Sell2Wales and eTendersNI are the national portals for Wales and Northern Ireland, which feed into the central platform.
- Individual councils and NHS trusts also run their own e-tendering portals, where lower-value work often appears before it reaches anywhere central.
The big change: the Procurement Act 2023
The Procurement Act 2023 went live on 24 February 2025, replacing the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The same day, an enhanced Find a Tender service launched as the new Central Digital Platform — the single home for procurement notices across most of the UK.
The practical effect: for any procurement started on or after 24 February 2025 by an in-scope authority in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, notices are published on Find a Tender, not Contracts Finder. Scotland sits outside the Act and keeps its own system. Our guide to the Procurement Act 2023 covers the wider changes.
Find a Tender (FTS)
Run by the Cabinet Office, Find a Tender is the central digital platform for the UK. It carries both higher-value notices and the below-threshold opportunities that authorities are required to advertise. When you register as a supplier, you receive a PPON (Public Procurement Organisation Number) and can reuse your details across bids.
It's the single most important portal to watch for England, Wales and NI. Address: find-tender.service.gov.uk.
Contracts Finder
Contracts Finder is the older England-focused portal, now run by the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) — the body that was Crown Commercial Service until 1 April 2026. Under the Act it's been superseded by Find a Tender for new procurements, but it still carries notices from procurements that began under the old rules, so it remains worth checking during the transition. Address: contractsfinder.service.gov.uk. (Our guide to Contracts Finder vs Find a Tender explains which to use when.)
Public Contracts Scotland (PCS)
Scotland is outside the Procurement Act 2023. It runs under the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Scottish public bodies advertise on Public Contracts Scotland, run by the Scottish Government — so if you want Scottish work, this is the portal to use. Address: publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk.
Sell2Wales
Wales is in the Act. The Welsh Digital Platform, which includes Sell2Wales, is the system Welsh authorities use, and it forwards notices to the central Find a Tender platform almost instantly. The Welsh Government advertises its own contracts above £25,000 here as a matter of practice. Address: sell2wales.gov.wales.
eTendersNI
Northern Ireland is also in the Act. eTendersNI, run by the Department of Finance's Construction and Procurement Delivery team, is the NI portal. From 24 February 2025, suppliers bidding for above-threshold NI work register on the central platform and provide their PPON and a share code when tendering. Address: etendersni.gov.uk.
The part nobody warns you about
Reading the list above, the work looks manageable. In practice it is four or five portals, each with its own search syntax and alert settings, checked daily — because below-threshold opportunities can open and close inside a fortnight. Miss a week and you miss the window.
That monitoring is a real job, and it is not the job you started your business to do. It is one of the things Lentora takes on for the suppliers we bid with: we watch the market continuously, and we only come to you when something is genuinely worth your time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main UK tender website?
Find a Tender (find-tender.service.gov.uk) is the central platform under the Procurement Act 2023, covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland uses Public Contracts Scotland.
Is Contracts Finder still used?
Yes, during the transition. New procurements publish on Find a Tender, but Contracts Finder still carries notices from procurements that began before 24 February 2025.
Where do I find Scottish public tenders?
On Public Contracts Scotland (publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk). Scotland runs under its own procurement law, separate from the Procurement Act 2023.
Do I have to check every portal separately?
Yes. Each nation runs its own system, and many councils and NHS trusts publish on their own e-tendering portal as well. Saved searches with email alerts on each one are the practical minimum.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Central digital platform factsheet
- GOV.UK — Below-threshold contracts guidance
- GOV.UK — Devolved contracting authorities guidance
- GOV.WALES — Procurement Act 2023: Welsh Digital Platform
- Department of Finance NI — eTendersNI