OpenOpps
A platform aggregating UK and global public procurement opportunities through OCDS feeds; both free and commercial tiers.
Definition
OpenOpps is a platform aggregating UK and global public procurement opportunities through OCDS (Open Contracting Data Standard) feeds. The platform consolidates data from many UK public sector portals (Contracts Finder, FTS, Sell2Wales, PCS, others) alongside international procurement feeds, providing aggregated search and alerting. OpenOpps offers both free and commercial tiers; the free tier provides basic access while commercial tiers add features like advanced alerting, API access, and analytical capability.
How it works in practice
OpenOpps targets a broader use case than supplier alerting alone: the platform serves journalists, researchers, civil society organisations, and policy analysts alongside suppliers monitoring opportunities. The OCDS data model standardisation lets the platform integrate UK and international feeds in a single search experience. For suppliers operating cross-border (UK plus EU or global markets) OpenOpps is valuable as a single search environment; for UK-only suppliers the value is more marginal because the UK-specific portals (Contracts Finder, FTS) provide direct access to the same data. The platform exposes its aggregated feed through API access (on commercial tiers) for third-party tooling integration. KimonBids ingests UK public sector OCDS feeds directly from source portals (Contracts Finder, FTS, Sell2Wales, PCS) rather than via OpenOpps aggregation, ensuring the freshest data and minimal latency. OpenOpps is more relevant where the supplier needs cross-border aggregation that source-portal direct ingestion does not provide.
For UK SME suppliers without substantive cross-border activity the value of OpenOpps over direct UK portal monitoring is limited. For suppliers operating across UK and EU public sector or international development markets OpenOpps cross-border aggregation provides genuine value. The platform also serves journalists, researchers, and policy analysts beyond supplier alerting.
Common questions
Is OpenOpps free?
Basic access is free; advanced features (alerting, API access, analytical capability) are commercial. For occasional opportunity browsing the free tier may be sufficient; for systematic supplier monitoring commercial subscription or alternatives like KimonBids are typical.
Does OpenOpps cover international opportunities?
Yes, that is one of its distinctive features. The platform aggregates UK and international public procurement feeds through OCDS data model. For suppliers operating cross-border this is valuable; for UK-only suppliers the direct UK portals provide the same source data.
How is OpenOpps different from KimonBids?
OpenOpps is a procurement transparency platform serving journalists, researchers, and suppliers with aggregated cross-portal access. KimonBids is a UK-focused supplier-facing platform specifically designed for SMEs winning more UK public sector work, with matching, bid management, and contract management capability beyond aggregated opportunity search.