Find a Tender Service (FTS)
The UK's platform for above-threshold public contract notices — what it replaced and how to use it.
What Is Find a Tender?
The Find a Tender Service (FTS) is the UK government's platform for publishing above-threshold public contract notices. It launched on 1 January 2021 as part of the UK's departure from the EU, replacing the requirement for UK authorities to publish in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) via the Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) database.
Key Fact
FTS is mandatory for all UK public sector contracts above the GPA thresholds. Contracting authorities must publish contract notices, award notices, and other statutory notices here.
What Gets Published
FTS publishes several types of notice for above-threshold contracts:
- Prior Information Notices (PINs) — early signals that a buyer is planning a procurement
- Contract Notices — formal invitations to tender for live opportunities
- Contract Award Notices — details of who won the contract and the awarded value
- Modification Notices — changes to existing contracts
How to Use FTS Effectively
The Find a Tender website allows free searches, but has limitations — no saved searches, basic filtering, and no cross-referencing with Contracts Finder. Tips for getting the most out of it:
- Use CPV codes rather than keywords for consistent results
- Check Prior Information Notices to get early visibility of upcoming procurements
- Review award notices to understand who wins contracts in your sector and at what price
FTS on TenderTracker
TenderTracker syncs FTS data multiple times daily. You can filter search results to show only Find a Tender contracts, set up email alerts, and see buyer profiles with their full procurement history across both FTS and Contracts Finder.
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