The Tender Process Explained – Find Tender Opportunities

Winning larger contracts can be an important step for growing organisations, especially when you’re moving from ad-hoc sales to more formal procurement.

Tendering is one route buyers use to source goods and services. It’s a structured way for an organisation to invite suppliers to compete for a contract, setting out requirements and explaining how submissions will be evaluated.

In the UK, tendering is especially common in the public sector. HM Treasury’s Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) shows gross spending on public sector procurement was £434 billion in 2024/25 (including procurement between public sector bodies).

Transparency and fairness are central to how contracts are awarded, and while that can mean more documentation for suppliers, it also means clearer rules.

This guide explains how the UK tender process typically works in both the public and private sectors, where opportunities are published, and what information buyers commonly request.

A tender is a competitive process where a buyer publishes a requirement – for example, a service, product, or works contract – and invites suppliers to submit bids. The buyer will usually set out:

• The scope and specification
• The contract terms
• The evaluation criteria (for example, quality and price weightings)
• Deadlines, submission rules, and any mandatory requirements

The goal for suppliers is to provide clear evidence that they can deliver the requirement reliably, safely, and consistently – not just that they can offer a lower price. Usually, tender evaluations allocate a percentage weighting to each award criterion, for example, quality and price, so the buyer can compare bids objectively and choose the supplier that offers the best overall value.

Tender processes vary, but most fall into two broad categories:

Public sector tenders

These are usually highly standardised and follow published procedures. Depending on the contract and route to market, buyers may use:

• A selection/qualification stage first (often using a Standard Selection Questionnaire or equivalent) to confirm eligibility, financial standing, and basic compliance. This is sometimes called a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ).
• An Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage for shortlisted suppliers, where detailed responses and pricing are submitted.

For lower-risk or lower-value requirements, a buyer may run a single-stage process where suppliers submit all information at once.

Public sector tendering is designed to be fair and transparent, which often means more documentation and clearly stated rules.

Private sector tenders

Private tenders are not restricted to the same extent. Expect a much more flexible tendering process and room to demonstrate business flair and personality.

Buyers may use their own formats, timelines, and evaluation approaches. But the core principle remains the same: suppliers are asked to demonstrate how they will meet the buyer’s requirements.

You may also hear buyers refer to procurement routes such as:

• Framework agreements, where suppliers compete to be appointed to a framework and then bid for ‘call-off’ work.
• Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS), which are typically open to new suppliers joining over time (as long as they meet the entry criteria).

These routes can sit alongside (or lead into) individual tender opportunities.

Depending on the buyer and the risk involved, tenders may include requirements relating to quality, environmental management, health and safety, or information security. In some cases, buyers may ask for evidence of alignment with, or certification to, relevant ISO management system standards, or other recognised certifications and assurance schemes such as Cyber Essentials.

How you find tenders depends on whether you’re targeting private or public sector work.

With private sector contracts, your business will usually be invited to take part in the tendering process, or you may come across business opportunities through business clubs and networking. These can often be considered in the same light as sales opportunities.

Alternatively, you can approach commercial companies to put you forward for the tenders in your chosen sectors.

For public sector tendering, you will need to know where tender opportunities are published. Local authorities have portals where you can register to be invited to tender for smaller contracts. Some public sector organisations have a preferred supplier list (PSL), and you may need to be on it to be invited to tender.

Here are some of the most widely used online portals for public sector tenders:

• Find a Tender (FTS): The UK government service where public sector buyers publish notices about procurements and contracts.
• Contracts Finder: Enables you to search for information about contracts with the government and its agencies (including many lower-value opportunities).
• Crown Commercial Service (CCS): Many public sector organisations buy through CCS agreements and frameworks, as it provides supplier guidance and publishes opportunities through its systems.

You may also need to check devolved administration portals, depending on where the contracting authority is based:

• Public Contracts Scotland: Opportunities with public sector bodies in Scotland
• Sell2Wales: Opportunities with public sector bodies in Wales
• eTendersNI: Opportunities with Northern Ireland government departments, agencies, and arms-length bodies

If you supply digital or cloud services to the public sector, you may also come across the Digital Marketplace and G-Cloud 15 as a purchasing route.

Learn more in our guide to G-Cloud 15: what it is and what certification means for suppliers.

Some sectors have their own procurement portals alongside central government ones. For example, some NHS and wider public sector organisations use eTendering platforms such as the Health Family Single eCommercial System (Atamis). The tender notice will usually confirm where you must submit your response, and which system will be used.

Different contracting authorities may also use eTendering platforms to run the process end-to-end. That means you may find the opportunity on one portal, but must submit your responses through another system linked to the notice.

Given the large number of tender portals in the UK, it is important to research where opportunities are published or use a tendering service to source the most relevant contracts for your business.

If you are new to public sector procurement, it may feel overwhelming at first, but it can help to set up saved searches and alerts on the relevant portals. It can also be useful to identify the contracting authorities you want to supply and check which portal they use, and track upcoming opportunities (often listed as ‘pipelines’ or ‘future opportunities’) to give your organisation more preparation time.

Putting together a bid for a tender can take up a large amount of your time and resources, so many organisations only make bids for business that aligns with their existing customer profile. You might also choose to only pursue tenders where you can deliver to a high standard and meet the buyer’s requirements.

It is easy to focus on the headline contract value, but if the opportunities you typically deliver are in the high-five to low-six-figure range, it is worth checking whether your capacity and governance are in place to meet the tender requirements.

Evaluate your suitability and capacity to deliver the contract requirements by considering the following:

• Mandatory requirements: Can you meet every ‘must’ (legal, regulatory, insurance, accreditations if required)?
• Relevant experience: Can you provide credible examples that match the buyer’s scope and risk?
• Capacity: Do you have the operational resource and the cash flow to deliver and mobilise?
• Risk vs. return: Is the potential profit worth the delivery, compliance, and reputational risk?

It is worth noting that competition levels can vary by market. In a National Audit Office review of 235 large contracts recorded on Find a Tender between January 2021 and January 2023, 20% of contracts that used open competition received only one bid.

Specific requirements may vary depending on the tender and buyer, but they may ask for evidence to prove suitability, such as:

• Relevant insurance (for example, public liability and employers’ liability)
• Financial information (to assess stability)
• Policies and procedures covering areas like health & safety, environmental management, and sometimes information security
• Past performance evidence such as case studies and references
• Relevant accreditations or certifications (depending on sector and risk)

Certification does not guarantee contract awards. However, where buyers request it, it can help organisations demonstrate that a management system has been independently audited against a recognised standard.

Certification doesn’t guarantee contract awards. However, where buyers ask for independent assurance, it can help you demonstrate that your management system has been assessed against a recognised standard. Certifications such as ISO 27001 can also streamline your tender response, as you can often upload the certificate as evidence to help you address multiple information security questions, saving time and demonstrating assurance to the buyer.

Across many tenders, buyers want to see evidence of consistency and traceability, for example:

• Documented processes and controls
• Clear responsibilities and competence/training records
• Internal checks, corrective actions, and continuous improvement
• An audit trail you can provide if requested

From a supplier perspective, recognised certification can be a practical way to package that evidence clearly – especially for areas like quality, information security, and environmental management – when the tender requires formal assurance.

Learn about our ISO and industry-associated certifications.

ISO 27001 and ISO 14001 certifications have simplified Registry Trust’s response to tender requests, streamlining processes by enabling them to readily provide verified evidence of their robust security and environmental controls.

Read our Registry Trust case study to learn more.

While the detail varies by buyer, many tenders follow a similar structure:

1. Opportunity published

A notice or invitation sets out the requirement, timelines, and how responses will be evaluated.

2. Selection stage (where used)

Buyers may ask suppliers to confirm eligibility and provide basic evidence of capacity and compliance, sometimes through a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ).

3. Invitation to Tender (ITT)

Shortlisted suppliers respond to the buyer’s specification, pricing, and supporting questions.

4. Clarifications

Buyers may ask questions and provide updates to ensure all suppliers use the same information. Suppliers submitting a bid have the opportunity to seek clarification on information set out in the ITT, if something is not stated clearly.

5. Evaluation and award

Submissions are assessed against the published criteria, and a contract is awarded.

Tendering can be competitive, and not every bid will be successful. Where feedback is available, it can be a useful way to understand how your submission was evaluated against the published criteria.

If you’re looking for practical resources to help you understand tendering in more detail, read about factors that help businesses to win public sector tenders.

Public procurement rules and terminology can change over time. For an overview of what the Procurement Act means for suppliers, read Procurement Act opportunities.

Competing for Public Sector Contracts?