Tender Watch UK Find a Tender vs Contracts Finder: where UK tenders are published in 2026
An independent guide: every rule below is quoted or taken from the GOV.UK pages listed under Sources, read on 7 Nov 2026. Tender Watch UK is not affiliated with the UK government.
Short answer. The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025. Since then, GOV.UK says, "Any procurements whether above or below threshold commenced from 24 February 2025 only require notices to be published on FTS" (Find a Tender), and "the Procurement Act 2023 does not require publication of notices on Contracts Finder". Contracts Finder still carries notices for procurements that started before that date under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Sources
In our own data: of 164 open tender notices we hold for digital, IT, marketing, creative, video and events work, 156 are on Find a Tender and 8 on Contracts Finder (read ).
Which notices go where
| Procurement | Find a Tender | Contracts Finder |
|---|---|---|
| Started on or after 24 February 2025 (Procurement Act 2023) | All notices, above and below threshold. A below-threshold tender notice "must be published on the central digital platform before being published elsewhere". | Not required by the Act. |
| Started before 24 February 2025 (Public Contracts Regulations 2015) | Most above-threshold opportunities. | The same above-threshold opportunities "and also on Contracts Finder", plus below-threshold opportunities from £12,000 (central government) or £30,000 (other authorities), including VAT. |
Sources: PPN 019: Guidance on the transparency requirements for publishing on Contracts Finder (GOV.UK, updated 31 March 2025); Guidance: Below-threshold contracts (GOV.UK, Procurement Act 2023 guidance, updated 13 July 2026). Read 7 Nov 2026.
Below-threshold notices under the Act
A buyer that advertises a notifiable below-threshold contract publishes a below-threshold tender notice on the central digital platform. The limits are £12,000 for central government authorities and £30,000 for all other contracting authorities, including VAT.
Source: Guidance: Below-threshold contracts (GOV.UK, Procurement Act 2023 guidance, updated 13 July 2026), read 7 Nov 2026.
Thresholds from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 (including VAT)
Above these values a contract is a public contract under the full Act. They apply to procurements that started on or after 1 January 2026.
| Contract | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Goods and services bought by a central government authority | £135,018 |
| Goods and services bought by any other (sub-central) authority, such as an NHS trust or a council | £207,720 |
| Works contracts | £5,193,000 |
| Light touch contracts | £663,540 |
Sources: PPN 023: 2026 Threshold amounts (Cabinet Office, issued November 2025) (Annex A); Guidance: Thresholds (GOV.UK, Procurement Act 2023 guidance, updated 13 July 2026). Read 7 Nov 2026.
What it means if you sell digital, IT, marketing or creative work
Search Find a Tender for anything new. Keep an eye on Contracts Finder for procurements that started under the old rules. Or let one free weekly email read both for you: Tender Watch UK sends the top 10 new notices for agency work every Monday, each dated and linked to the official notice.
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Questions
Do I still need Contracts Finder?
For new work, Find a Tender is where notices under the Procurement Act 2023 are published, above and below threshold. Contracts Finder still carries notices for procurements that started before 24 February 2025 under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, so while those run you may find opportunities on either.
Are both services free?
Yes. Searching Find a Tender and Contracts Finder is free and both offer their own email alerts. Tender Watch UK is an independent, free weekly email that reads both for digital, IT, marketing, creative, video and events suppliers.
Are the thresholds with or without VAT?
With VAT. GOV.UK lists the Procurement Act thresholds for 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 as including VAT, and the below-threshold notice limits (£12,000 central government, £30,000 other authorities) include VAT too.
Sources (read 7 Nov 2026)
- Transforming Public Procurement (GOV.UK collection, updated 11 February 2026)
- PPN 019: Guidance on the transparency requirements for publishing on Contracts Finder (GOV.UK, updated 31 March 2025)
- Guidance: Below-threshold contracts (GOV.UK, Procurement Act 2023 guidance, updated 13 July 2026)
- Guidance: Thresholds (GOV.UK, Procurement Act 2023 guidance, updated 13 July 2026)
- PPN 023: 2026 Threshold amounts (Cabinet Office, issued November 2025)
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (the licence). Sources: Find a Tender and Contracts Finder (Cabinet Office). Bids are made on the official notice, never here. Tender Watch UK is run by Bikoosh, an independent tracker. Independent, not affiliated with the UK government. Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, filtered to you · All open UK tenders for agencies