Frequently Asked Tendering Questions

The UK government spends around £300bn a year on procuring goods, works, and services from external suppliers like you – making the public sector marketplace a great source of new business opportunities.

If you have never tendered for public sector contracts, you are likely going to have some questions. Below you will find the questions we are asked most frequently, along with links to other posts you may find interesting.

Why should I bid for public sector contracts?

With transparent tendering processes and 30-day payment periods – your public sector customers could be your best! This article provides details about the wide range of benefits having public sector customers offers you, and this infographic offers a side-by-side comparison of the private vs public sector.

How likely am I to win a public sector contract?

If you can deliver what the buyer is looking for, you have a fair chance of securing the work – procurement decisions are made without bias, and award criteria are always shared with suppliers. The UK government has the target of giving 33% of all contracts to SMEs, and to help smaller businesses enter the market, additional policies were introduced which allows buyers to reserve contracts specifically for SMEs.

Are there tendering opportunities for my business?

The public sector marketplace can offer businesses of any size an alternative revenue stream, or even act as their only source of income. While the sector sources goods and services from every industry, it is beneficial to know how much demand there is for what you can offer. We can provide you with a complimentary and personalised overview of the market – it includes the number of tender opportunities published for your industry, the search categories we recommend using, and links to all the contracts published in the last year.

How do I find public sector contracts?

You could use a search engine or check the websites of public sector buyers, but as there are over 900 portals used to publish contracts – the time and effort involved make it an impossible task to manage effectively. Tenders Direct makes accessing the market easy. We collate every tender from the UK, Republic of Ireland and Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) in one place, and send email alerts whenever we find relevant opportunities for your business. Try our Free Trial to see how accurate our tender alerts are, while also getting access to our range of tendering solutions.