Contracts Finder or Find a Tender: which should a UK seller search?

A UK seller looking for companies that have won or are losing public contracts should search both Contracts Finder and Find a Tender. GOV.UK describes Contracts Finder as the place to search for contracts worth more than £12,000 including VAT, and points to Find a Tender for high-value contracts. Which notice appears where depends on the contract's value and the buyer, so neither site alone is a full picture.

This page explains the difference for someone using the data to find prospects, not bidding for contracts. It is not procurement advice.

What each site is for

Contracts Finder is the government's search service for opportunities and awarded contracts. Find a Tender is the service for higher-value contracts above the thresholds in the procurement rules. GOV.UK gives the above-threshold level as usually over £139,688 including VAT, but other documents quote different thresholds for different types of contract, so check the current figure on GOV.UK before relying on a number.

Publication duties also vary by buyer. Under earlier guidance (PPN 01/23), central government authorities publish contracts above £12,000 and other public bodies above £30,000. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own portals as well. Some bodies publish award details on Find a Tender even for contracts of £12,000 or more, so there is overlap.

What a seller can read from an award

An award notice names the supplier that won, the buyer, the value, and often the start and end dates. For a seller, each is a reason to call. A supplier that has just won may need staff, equipment or subcontractors. A rival that is near the end of its contract may lose it, and the buyer's other suppliers may be worth a conversation. Our guides on finding companies that won public contracts and finding companies whose public contracts are ending cover the steps.

Searching both in practice

Search by supplier name to see what a company has won, and by end date to see what is coming up for renewal. Note the notice date and the end date separately. Open the notice itself before you call, and use the supplier's Companies House record to confirm you have the right legal entity.

This week, 7 October 2026 to 14 October 2026, Lockley's index recorded 74 public contracts awarded and 14 public contracts ending, from Contracts Finder and Find a Tender. Lockley reads both each night and links each finding to its notice.

Mistakes to avoid

Do not treat the award date as the start of the contract. Read the start and end dates in the notice, since an award may precede delivery by weeks or months. Do not assume the named supplier is the whole story either: framework agreements often list several suppliers, and only some will have work called off.

Take care with value figures. A notice may show the total value over the full term or a maximum under a framework, and neither is the amount the supplier receives in a given year. Use the figure to judge scale, not to quote back to the company.

Finally, check whether the buyer or supplier is a limited company at all. Some suppliers are partnerships, charities or sole traders and will not have a Companies House record, which changes how you research them before the call.

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