FTS
Acronym for Find a Tender Service; the UK post-Brexit portal for above-threshold public procurement notices.
Definition
FTS is the acronym for Find a Tender Service, the UK's post-Brexit replacement for the OJEU journal. FTS is the central portal for higher-value UK public sector procurement opportunities above the relevant thresholds set by PCR 2015 / PA 2023. Publication on FTS is mandatory for contracts above threshold. The portal is operated by Cabinet Office and is the UK equivalent of TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) on the EU side.
How it works in practice
See the detailed Find a Tender glossary entry for substantive coverage. The short version: FTS publishes contract notices, award notices, and historical procurement data for high-value UK public sector work. The data model is OCDS-compatible. Thresholds vary by contract type: roughly £139,000 for central government goods and services, £214,000 for sub-central government, £5.3 million for works contracts (current values published by Cabinet Office). Notices above threshold are typically cross-posted on Contracts Finder so suppliers monitoring either portal see the opportunity, but the formal legal advertisement is on FTS. Under PA 2023 FTS is being absorbed into a new central digital platform with a unified notice structure; the published location remains the same domain in the interim. For suppliers monitoring opportunities at scale, polling FTS directly via API is the only reliable way to see new notices within minutes of publication. KimonBids polls FTS alongside the other UK portals.
For systematic monitoring of UK above-threshold opportunities, polling FTS directly via its OCDS-compatible API is the only reliable way to see notices within minutes of publication. The public search UI works for spot checks but lags by hours and lacks the saved-alert mechanism needed for at-scale monitoring. KimonBids polls FTS alongside Contracts Finder, Sell2Wales, and Public Contracts Scotland on a short cadence.
Common questions
When did FTS replace OJEU?
1 January 2021, the day the UK formally left the EU public procurement regime. UK contract notices above threshold from that date are published on FTS rather than OJEU. EU-side opportunities continue on TED.
What is the FTS threshold value?
Thresholds depend on contract type and buyer: roughly £139,000 for central government goods and services, £214,000 for sub-central, £5.3 million for works contracts. Cabinet Office publishes the current thresholds; they are reviewed every two years.
Is FTS the same as Contracts Finder?
No. FTS handles above-threshold (high-value) opportunities mandated by PCR / PA 2023. Contracts Finder handles sub-threshold and many other public sector opportunities. Above-threshold opportunities are commonly cross-posted on both portals.