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Every page on KimonBids, organised by section.

Product

Bid writing software

Draft, review and reuse bid content in one place.

See the platform in action.

How KimonBids compares with the other tender platforms.

Matching, bid drafting, go or no-go scoring and more.

Government contracts for SMEs

How smaller suppliers win public sector work.

Find, score and win UK public sector contracts.

Free, Pro, Growth and Scale plans.

Procurement Act 2023

What the new regime changes for suppliers.

Work out the time and revenue impact for your team.

Tender management

Track every opportunity from discovery through to submission.

Sector guides

Public sector tendering, sector by sector.

Catering and Food Services

Find government catering and food service contracts across UK public sector. School meals, NHS catering, workplace hospitality, and vending tenders.

Cleaning Services

Find UK public sector cleaning contracts and tenders. Covers office and school cleaning, NHS domestic services, and specialist decontamination.

Find active government construction tenders across UK public sector.

Consulting and Professional Services

Find government consulting and professional services tenders. Management consulting, strategy, transformation, and advisory contracts across UK...

Engineering and Technical Services

Find UK public sector engineering and technical services tenders. Civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering contracts.

Facilities Management

Find public sector facilities management tenders across UK. Hard FM, soft FM, TFM, and specialist estates contracts for facilities management...

Finance and Accounting

Find government finance and accounting tenders. Audit, accountancy, financial advisory, and payroll contracts across UK public sector for finance...

Healthcare and NHS

Find NHS and healthcare tenders across the UK public sector. Search live contracts for clinical services, health tech, and social care.

HR and Recruitment

Find UK public sector HR and recruitment tenders. Covers managed service providers, temporary staffing, and workforce development.

IT and Digital Services

Find UK government IT tenders and digital services contracts across the public sector. Covers G-Cloud, DOS, and direct awards.

Find UK public sector legal services tenders. Covers solicitor panels, legal advice frameworks, and specialist procurement for law firms.

Marketing and PR

Find UK public sector marketing and PR contracts. Covers communications campaigns, media buying, and public affairs work for agencies.

Security Services

Find government security contracts across UK public sector. Manned guarding, CCTV, access control, and cybersecurity tenders for security SMEs.

Training and Education

Find UK public sector training and education tenders. Covers leadership development, apprenticeships, and e-learning procurement.

Transport and Logistics

Find government transport and logistics tenders. Passenger transport, fleet management, freight, and specialist transport contracts across UK public...

Regions

Public sector contracts by UK nation and region.

Find public sector contracts across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, including ESPO framework...

East of England

Find public sector contracts across Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

Find active public sector contracts and government tenders across England.

Find active government and public sector contracts across London.

North East England

Find government tenders and contracts across the North East. Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham, and Tees Valley public sector procurement opportunities.

North West England

Find government tenders and public sector contracts across the North West. Manchester, Liverpool, Lancashire, and Cumbria procurement opportunities.

Northern Ireland

Find public sector contracts and tenders across Northern Ireland.

Find public sector contracts and tenders across Scotland. Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, councils, and Public Contracts Scotland procurement...

South East England

Find government tenders across the South East. Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, and Thames Valley public sector procurement opportunities.

South West England

Find government tenders across the South West. Bristol, Devon, Cornwall, and regional council procurement opportunities across the South West...

Find government tenders across the Midlands. West Midlands, East Midlands, Birmingham, and regional council procurement opportunities.

UK-Wide and National

Find national framework and UK-wide public sector contracts from central government departments, Crown Commercial Service, ESPO, YPO and national...

Find public sector contracts and tenders across Wales. Welsh Government, NHS Wales and council procurement opportunities for Welsh suppliers, now...

Find public sector contracts across Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, the Black Country, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Herefordshire.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Find government tenders across Yorkshire and the Humber. Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Hull, and regional council procurement opportunities.

Buyers

The public bodies that publish contract opportunities.

Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges, the shared procurement body that establishes framework agreements for every Scottish university...

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

The largest integrated health and social care trust in Northern Ireland, running the Royal Victoria Hospital and buying clinical, catering and...

BSO Procurement and Logistics Service

The regional buying and distribution service for health and social care in Northern Ireland, supplying every trust from a single shared procurement...

Central government tenders, frameworks, and awards published by the Cabinet Office of His Majesty's Government.

Caerphilly County Borough Council

A south Wales valleys authority with a large council housing stock, buying construction, schools, housing maintenance and materials through Find a...

Cardiff University

A Russell Group Welsh university buying professional services, campus facilities, research computing and estate work, and publishing through Find a...

City and County of Swansea

The second largest Welsh city authority, buying construction, waste, fleet and social care, and a partner in the Swansea Bay City Deal regeneration...

City of Edinburgh Council

Scotland capital city council, buying social care, city infrastructure, schools and cultural services for a resident population of around half a...

Crown Commercial Service

The UK government agency that builds and runs the framework agreements most public bodies buy through, and the single largest publisher of award...

Department for Education

The English education department, buying curriculum and assessment delivery, school estate programmes and the framework agreements academy trusts buy...

Devon County Council

A large rural English county council buying social care, community services and highways across one of the longest road networks of any authority in...

A public sector buying organisation owned by six local authorities and constituted within Leicestershire County Council, supplying goods and...

One of Scotland largest local authorities by population, buying heavily in construction, roads, transport and school estate across a mixed urban and...

Glasgow City Council

Scotland largest city council, buying social care, construction, cleansing and catering, and delivering much of it through arm length companies that...

Government Commercial Agency

The employer of the senior commercial profession across Whitehall, and a contracting authority in its own right for cross departmental commercial...

Leeds City Council

A metropolitan district council holding the full range of local government duties for one of England largest cities, with a substantial retained...

Manchester City Council

Live and historic public procurement opportunities published by Manchester City Council.

Ministry of Defence

The UK defence department, buying equipment, training, estate maintenance and support services under a procurement regime with its own rules and its...

National NHS commissioning, frameworks, and recent awards published by NHS England.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

The largest territorial health board in Scotland, buying clinical services, hospital estate works and facilities support for a population of well...

NHS National Services Scotland

The national procurement body for NHS Scotland, buying medical supplies, clinical equipment and digital services for every Scottish health board.

NHS Supply Chain

The national buying and logistics operation for NHS trusts in England, run by Supply Chain Coordination Limited, covering everything from gloves to...

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership

The single procurement service for NHS Wales, hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust, buying on behalf of every Welsh health board and trust.

The centre of procurement expertise for Scottish local government, establishing national framework agreements that all thirty two councils buy...

Scottish Government

The devolved administration in Edinburgh, buying research, policy delivery and corporate services, and publishing almost everything through Public...

Staffordshire County Council

An English two tier county council buying adult and children social care, highways and school transport, with district councils buying separately...

University of Edinburgh

A research intensive Scottish university buying laboratory and scientific equipment, research computing and estate services on a scale few UK...

Welsh Government

Llywodraeth Cymru, the devolved administration in Cardiff, buying policy delivery, infrastructure and economic development, and publishing through...

Frameworks

Framework agreements and how call-off competitions work.

RM6168 G-Cloud 13

Crown Commercial Service G-Cloud 13 framework, the immediate predecessor of G-Cloud 14, still carrying live call-offs and supplier obligations.

RM6195 G-Cloud 14

Crown Commercial Service G-Cloud 14 framework for cloud hosting, cloud software, and cloud support services across the UK public sector.

Tenders by category

CPV 09 Petroleum and energy

Energy supply, fuel, and renewable generation tender activity under CPV division 09 across the UK public sector.

CPV 30 Office and computing equipment

IT hardware, office machinery, and print equipment tender activity under CPV division 30 across the UK public sector.

CPV 31 Electrical equipment

Electrical machinery, cabling, lighting, and power equipment tender activity under CPV division 31 across the UK public sector.

CPV 33 Medical equipment

Medical device, diagnostic, and pharmaceutical tender activity under CPV division 33 across the UK public sector.

CPV 33-1 Medical equipment instruments

Diagnostic, surgical, and clinical instrument tender activity under CPV group 33-1 across the UK public sector.

CPV 34 Transport equipment

Vehicle, fleet, and transport equipment tender activity under CPV division 34 across the UK public sector.

CPV 35 Security and emergency equipment

Defence, policing, and emergency services equipment tender activity under CPV division 35 across the UK public sector.

CPV 37 Musical instruments sport goods and supplies

Sports equipment, play provision, musical instruments, and recreation supply tender activity under CPV division 37 across the UK public sector.

CPV 38 Laboratory and scientific instruments

Laboratory equipment, scientific instruments, and research apparatus tender activity under CPV division 38 across the UK public sector.

CPV 39 Furniture and furnishings

Furniture, furnishings, appliances, and cleaning product tender activity under CPV division 39 across the UK public sector.

CPV 42 Industrial machinery

Industrial plant, machinery, and specialist equipment tender activity under CPV division 42 across the UK public sector.

CPV 44 Structures and construction materials

Building materials, structural products, and construction supply tender activity under CPV division 44 across the UK public sector.

CPV 45 Construction works

Construction-related tenders, awards, and contract patterns under CPV division 45 across UK public procurement.

CPV 45-1 Site preparation work

Demolition, groundworks, remediation, and enabling works tender activity under CPV group 45-1 across the UK public sector.

CPV 45-2 Construction works for buildings

New build, extension, and refurbishment tender activity under CPV group 45-2 across the UK public sector.

CPV 45-3 Building installation work

Mechanical, electrical, and building services installation tender activity under CPV group 45-3 across the UK public sector.

CPV 48 Software packages and information systems

Software, SaaS, and information system tenders, awards, and frameworks under CPV division 48 across UK public procurement.

CPV 48-1 Software packages

Licensed software, business applications, and platform tender activity under CPV group 48-1 across the UK public sector.

CPV 50 Repair and maintenance services

Building maintenance, plant servicing, and fleet repair tender activity under CPV division 50 across the UK public sector.

CPV 51 Installation services

Equipment installation and commissioning tender activity under CPV division 51 across the UK public sector.

CPV 55 Hotel and catering services

Catering, hospitality, and accommodation tender activity under CPV division 55 across the UK public sector.

CPV 60 Transport services

Passenger transport, home-to-school travel, and logistics tender activity under CPV division 60 across the UK public sector.

CPV 60-1 Road transport services

Home-to-school, community, and passenger road transport tender activity under CPV group 60-1 across the UK public sector.

CPV 63 Supporting transport services

Logistics, freight forwarding, travel management, and transport support tender activity under CPV division 63 across the UK public sector.

CPV 64 Postal and telecommunications services

Telecoms, connectivity, mobile, and postal service tender activity under CPV division 64 across the UK public sector.

CPV 66 Financial and insurance services

Insurance, banking, treasury, and financial advisory tender activity under CPV division 66 across the UK public sector.

CPV 71 Architectural and engineering services

Design, surveying, project management, and technical consultancy tender activity under CPV division 71 across the UK public sector.

CPV 71-2 Engineering services

Engineering consultancy, project management, and technical supervision tender activity under CPV group 71-2 across the UK public sector.

CPV 71-3 Engineering design services

Engineering design, technical consultancy, and specialist advisory tender activity under CPV group 71-3 across the UK public sector.

CPV 72 IT services

Software development, IT consultancy, hosting, and digital service tender activity under CPV division 72 across the UK public sector.

CPV 72-2 Software development services

Bespoke software development, systems integration, and digital delivery tender activity under CPV group 72-2 across the UK public sector.

CPV 75 Public administration services

Administrative, statutory, and public programme delivery tender activity under CPV division 75 across the UK public sector.

CPV 77 Agricultural forestry horticultural services

Grounds maintenance, tree works, forestry, and land management tender activity under CPV division 77 across the UK public sector.

CPV 79 Business services

Consultancy, legal, recruitment, marketing, and security services tender activity under CPV division 79 across the UK public sector.

CPV 79-7 Investigation and security services

Manned guarding, security services, and investigation tender activity under CPV group 79-7 across the UK public sector.

CPV 80 Education and training services

Training delivery, education services, and workforce development tender activity under CPV division 80 across the UK public sector.

CPV 80-5 Training services

Workforce training, professional development, and specialist instruction tender activity under CPV group 80-5 across the UK public sector.

CPV 85 Health and social work services

Healthcare, adult social care, and children's services tender activity under CPV division 85 across the UK public sector.

CPV 85-1 Health services

Clinical, community health, and diagnostic service tender activity under CPV group 85-1 across the UK public sector.

CPV 85-3 Social work services

Adult social care, children's services, and community support tender activity under CPV group 85-3 across the UK public sector.

CPV 90 Sewage and refuse services

Waste collection, recycling, street cleansing, and environmental services tender activity under CPV division 90 across the UK public sector.

CPV 90-5 Waste collection services

Household and commercial waste collection, recycling, and disposal tender activity under CPV group 90-5 across the UK public sector.

Compare KimonBids

KimonBids vs Stotles

A Stotles alternative for UK SMEs: AI bid writing, PA2023 compliance tools and social value generation from a free tier and £79/month.

KimonBids vs Tenders Direct

A Tenders Direct alternative adding AI matching, AI bid writing and go/no-go scoring on top of four-portal tender discovery.

KimonBids vs Tracker Intelligence

A Tracker Intelligence alternative with transparent public pricing, AI bid writing and profile-based matching. No quote-only sales process.

KimonBids vs Tussell

A Tussell alternative covering the full bid lifecycle: discovery, AI matching and AI bid writing, not just spending intelligence.

Case studies

A research and innovation consultancy bidding across the UK nations

383 opportunities scored, 35 strong matches, best score 88

A South East and London professional services firm

11 strong matches open for bidding at the time of writing

A UK-wide construction and infrastructure contractor

29 strong matches across 28 buyers, 10 still open when measured

A UK-wide education and training provider

The highest single match score recorded in this set, at 93 out of 100

A UK-wide IT and digital services SME

37 strong matches across 35 different public sector buyers

All case studies

Anonymised results from live KimonBids accounts.

Journal

A Plain English Guide to BAFO for SME Bidders

A practical explainer of Best and Final Offer stages for SMEs bidding on UK public contracts, with worked examples and a simple BAFO checklist.

A Plain English Guide to Business Continuity Management for SME Bidders

A practical explainer on business continuity management for SMEs bidding on UK public contracts, with worked examples and a simple checklist.

A Practical SME Guide to the Electrical Machinery Tender Market

Demand for electrical machinery tenders is broadening. Learn what is driving CPV division 31 and how SMEs can position to win this public sector work.

The former blog address. It now redirects to the Journal.

Building a Reusable Bid Content Library That Saves Time

How UK SMEs can build a reusable bid content library, keep it current and adapt answers to each buyer without lowering quality or making costly reuse...

Go / No-Go Decisions: How to Stop Wasting Time on Tenders You Will Not Win

Bid teams spend thousands of hours on tenders they were never going to win. A simple go/no-go framework can cut that waste by more than half.

How Award Notice Works in UK Public Procurement

A practical guide for SMEs on how the contract award notice works under UK procurement rules, with worked examples and what to check after you bid.

How Suppliers Can Expand Beyond Their Home Region in Public Sector

Practical guidance for SMEs on using lots, dynamic purchasing systems and remote delivery to win public sector work across the UK without new offices.

How the Alcatel Period Works in UK Public Procurement

A practical SME guide to the Alcatel period, now the standstill period, with worked examples of the clock, debrief requests and challenge windows.

How to Find Government Contracts as a UK SME

The UK public sector spends over 300 billion pounds a year. Here is how small businesses access that pipeline without a bid team.

How to Size Your Market in UK Public Procurement Using Award Data

Use published award notices and contract values to estimate your addressable public sector market and set realistic bidding targets.

How to Spot Contract Re-Procurements Before They Are Advertised

Public contracts follow predictable cycles. How end dates and award histories forecast renewals 12 to 24 months ahead, and what SMEs should do.

How Win and Loss Reviews Help You Learn From Every Bid

A practical guide for SMEs on running structured win and loss reviews, using buyer debriefs, and tracking patterns across your bidding history to win...

How Work Really Flows Through UK Framework Call Offs

A place on a framework is access, not work. Learn how call-off competitions and direct awards distribute UK public sector work, and how SMEs keep...

Mapping Buyer and Supplier Relationships in Government Contracting

Learn how UK award histories reveal incumbency, partnership patterns and genuine openings for new entrants, and how SMEs can read them to find...

Pipeline Notices Under PA2023: How to Find Future Contracts Before They Drop

Pipeline notices give SMEs 12 to 18 months of forward visibility into UK public sector contracts.

Procurement Act 2023: What Changes for SME Bidders in 2026

A practical guide for UK SMEs to what the Procurement Act 2023 changed, why 2026 is the year it really starts to bite, and what to do about it.

Reading Public Sector Buying Signals Before the Tender Lands

Learn how SMEs can read pipeline notices, market engagement and prior information notices to engage buyers months before a tender appears.

Guides and analysis on public sector tendering.

The New Central Digital Platform (CDP): What SMEs Need to Know

The CDP is the new single home for UK supplier information and procurement notices under PA2023. Here is what SMEs should do about it in 2026.

Understanding Achilles UVDB before your next tender

A practical guide for SMEs to Achilles UVDB, the utilities prequalification system, with worked examples, buyer expectations and 2029 transition...

Understanding Approved Supplier Lists Before Your Next Tender

A practical SME guide to Approved Supplier Lists in UK public procurement, with worked examples, eligibility tips and how to stay listed.

Understanding Atamis Before Your Next Tender

A practical guide for SMEs to the Atamis e-procurement platform, with worked examples, preparation tips and common mistakes to avoid before you bid.

Understanding Award Criteria before your next tender

A practical SME guide to award criteria in UK public procurement, with worked examples, scoring insight and evaluator expectations under the...

Understanding Reverse Auction Before Your Next Tender

A practical explainer on reverse auctions for SMEs bidding on UK public contracts, with worked examples, preparation tips and common risks to avoid.

What Is a CPV Code and How Do You Use One?

Common Procurement Vocabulary codes determine which tenders you see and which buyers find you. Most SMEs ignore them.

What Public Sector Spend Data Tells You That Tender Notices Do Not

Learn how UK spend over threshold publications reveal who buyers actually pay, helping SMEs find active buyers already purchasing services like...

What Recent Construction Work Tender Numbers Mean for Bidders

Construction work tenders have surged in the last 90 days. Here is what is driving demand in CPV division 45 and how SMEs can position to win the...

Help centre

AI Review Explained

How the AI review tools work, from evaluator lens assessment and red team analysis to the compliance matrix and RAG indicators.

How to get set up and get the most from your account.

Managing Compliance Documents

Manage your compliance document library, including Cyber Essentials, Carbon Reduction Plans and Modern Slavery Statements, with expiry tracking.

Managing Your Subscription

How to manage your KimonBids subscription -- plan comparison, upgrading, billing portal access, and understanding feature access by tier.

Setting Up Your Profile

How to set up your company profile on KimonBids, including sectors, CPV codes, certifications, and company description to improve tender match...

Using Tender Intelligence

Find relevant opportunities, understand match scores, save searches, set up alerts and research buyers with Tender Intelligence.

Using the Bid Workspace

A complete guide to the KimonBids Bid Workspace -- creating bids, working with sections, generating AI drafts, and managing word limits.

Welcome to KimonBids

An introduction to KimonBids -- what it does, who it is for, and how to get started winning government contracts.

Company

About KimonBids

Who we are and why the company exists.

Get in touch or book a demo.

The author behind the glossary, the Journal and the guides.

Data protection, UK GDPR and infrastructure.

This page: every page on the site in one list.

What customers say, and what we can evidence.

Legal

How we use cookies and tracking.

How we collect and use your data.

Terms of Service

Your agreement with Kimon Services.

Tendering glossary

The dominant pre-qualification database for the UK utilities sector; consolidates PQQ data across utilities buyers.

The mandatory 10-day standstill between an award decision and contract signing in UK public procurement, allowing legal challenge.

Approved Supplier List (ASL)

A pre-vetted register of suppliers a buyer has cleared to provide specific goods or services without a full open tender.

eProcurement platform used by NHS England and many other UK public sector bodies; particularly strong in NHS procurement.

The factors a contracting authority uses to evaluate bids and decide who wins, stated in the tender documents before submission.

The formal notification of a contract award, sent to all bidders and (above threshold) published on Find a Tender / Contracts Finder.

BAFO (Best and Final Offer)

A final-round bid request asking shortlisted suppliers to submit their best price and improved offer.

BCM (Business Continuity Management)

Acronym for Business Continuity Management; the discipline of maintaining critical service during disruption.

Best Value Test

The Procurement Act 2023 replacement for MEAT; the statutory framing for evaluating which bid offers best overall value.

A curated repository of reusable bid content (capability copy, case studies, CVs, policies) that speeds up future tender responses.

The lead role coordinating bid response: planning, contributor management, quality assurance, submission, and lessons-learned.

A specialist writer producing bid response content; either internal to the supplier or external consultant.

A supplier submitting a bid in a procurement; commonly used label, equivalent to Tenderer in formal procurement law.

Bloom (Bloom Procurement)

A UK eProcurement platform focused on professional services procurement, particularly consulting and project work.

Bribery Act 2010

UK statute creating corporate offences for bribery in domestic and overseas business; affects procurement exclusion grounds and compliance.

Business Continuity

Planning and capability to maintain service during disruption: site loss, system failure, key staff absence, supply chain breaks.

Generic term for the public sector body or procurement function buying goods or services; equivalent to contracting authority in formal terminology.

Cabinet Office Procurement Policy

The UK central department setting procurement policy direction including PPNs and PA 2023 implementation guidance.

Call-Off Contract

A contract placed under an existing framework or DPS to procure specific goods or services without running a new full procurement.

Capability Statement

A short structured document summarising your organisation's experience, qualifications, and ability to deliver a specific type of contract.

Carbon Reduction Plan

Required document under PPN 06 committing to net zero by 2050 with interim targets; mandatory for central government contracts above £5M.

Category Manager

A buyer-side procurement role with strategic responsibility for a defined spend category; develops category strategy and supplier relationships.

Category Strategy

A buyer-side strategic plan for how a defined spend category will be procured over a multi-year horizon.

Central Digital Platform

The PA 2023 unified portal for publishing UK procurement notices; absorbs Find a Tender into a wider notice ecosystem.

Central Government Departmental Portals

Individual central government department procurement portals supplementing Find a Tender and Contracts Finder.

Contract mechanism for managing changes to scope, timeline, or commercial terms during contract delivery.

CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply)

The professional body for procurement and supply chain in the UK; provides qualifications, ethics framework, and industry guidance.

A tender open only to invited or pre-qualified suppliers; the term used in some jurisdictions for what UK PCR calls Restricted procedure.

Commercial Confidentiality

Contract provisions protecting commercially sensitive information; balanced against transparency and FOI obligations.

Commercial Director

Senior supplier-side role leading commercial strategy, bid economics, and contract negotiation; often the senior bid sign-off.

Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS)

Standard, ready-to-deploy products available on the open market, contrasted with bespoke or custom-built solutions.

Buyer-side role specifying what is being procured and (often) leading evaluation against the requirement.

Community Benefit Clauses

Scottish equivalent of social value: contract clauses requiring suppliers to deliver wider community benefits.

Competitive Dialogue

A procurement procedure for complex contracts where buyers conduct dialogue with bidders to develop the specification before final bids.

Competitive Flexible Procedure

The new PA 2023 procurement procedure absorbing Restricted, Competitive Dialogue, Competitive Procedure with Negotiation, and Innovation Partnership.

Competitive Procedure with Negotiation

A PCR 2015 procurement procedure allowing negotiation with shortlisted bidders after initial tender submission; replaced by Competitive Flexible...

Concession Contracts Regulations 2016

UK regulations governing concession contracts where the supplier bears demand risk rather than receiving a fixed contract price.

Consortium Lead

The named lead party in a consortium bid; coordinates the consortium response and is the buyer's primary contact.

Constructionline

A UK pre-qualification scheme for construction, FM, and built-environment suppliers, with Gold and Platinum membership tiers.

Contract Management

The post-award process of managing supplier delivery against contractual obligations including KPIs, change requests, and dispute resolution.

Contract Manager

Buyer-side or supplier-side role responsible for ongoing contract performance, change control, and dispute resolution.

Contract Notice

The formal advertisement of a procurement opportunity, published on Find a Tender, Contracts Finder or PCS.

Contract Performance Notice

A PA 2023 notice published when significant performance issues arise during contract delivery; feeds the public supplier conduct record.

Contracting Authority

The UK public sector body running a procurement and entering into the resulting contract; e.g. NHS trust, council, central department.

Contracts Finder

The UK government portal for publishing public sector procurement opportunities above £12,000 and award notices for the same.

Acronym for Common Procurement Vocabulary; the 8-digit classification used across UK and EU public procurement notices.

Common Procurement Vocabulary code: an 8-digit classification used to categorise UK and EU public procurement opportunities.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS)

The UK central commercial agency operating cross-government frameworks; one of the largest framework operators in UK public sector.

CRP (Carbon Reduction Plan)

Acronym for Carbon Reduction Plan; the net-zero commitment document required under PPN 06 for central government suppliers above £5M.

Cyber Essentials

UK government-backed cybersecurity certification covering five baseline controls; mandatory for many NHS and central government contracts.

Data Processing Agreement (DPA)

Contract schedule specifying how a data processor (typically supplier) will handle personal data on behalf of the data controller.

Data Protection Act 2018

UK legislation implementing GDPR domestically; covers data protection rights, controller and processor obligations, and ICO powers.

Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

UK GDPR requirement to assess data protection risks before high-risk personal data processing begins.

Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011

UK regulations governing defence and sensitive security procurement; allow specific carve-outs for national security.

Delta eSourcing

eProcurement platform used by various UK public sector bodies including some central government departments and major utilities.

Digital Marketplace

The CCS public-facing portal for G-Cloud and Digital Outcomes services; buyers search and select services for direct award or mini-competition.

Digital Outcomes

The CCS framework for digital project capability; buyers publish briefs and suppliers respond with proposals via mini-competition.

A call-off placed under a framework without further competition; permitted where framework evaluation identifies the best supplier.

Acronym for Dynamic Purchasing System; an electronic procurement open to new suppliers throughout its lifetime.

Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)

A fully electronic procurement open to new suppliers throughout its lifetime; new entrants can join at any time during the term.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

Standardised electronic exchange of business documents (orders, invoices) between trading partners; common in public sector supply chains.

Employment Rights Act 1996

The principal UK statute on employment rights, including unfair dismissal, redundancy and continuity of employment.

Equality Act 2010

UK statute defining protected characteristics and the equality framework; affects procurement design and supplier evaluation.

ESPO (Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation)

A local authority owned purchasing consortium based in the Midlands; operates cross-public-sector frameworks across education, FM, and corporate...

The Northern Ireland public sector procurement portal; hosts opportunities from Northern Ireland departments, NHS, and councils.

Ethics in Procurement

The standards of conduct governing procurement decisions, covering conflicts of interest, bribery, fair dealing and transparency.

Buyer-side panel member scoring bid responses against published evaluation criteria.

Exclusion Grounds

Statutory grounds under PCR 2015 / PA 2023 that bar suppliers from public procurement: corruption, fraud, tax evasion, modern slavery convictions.

Expression of Interest (EOI)

An initial indication of interest in a procurement, often submitted in response to a Prior Information Notice or contract notice.

Fair Work First

Scottish Government framework requiring above-threshold suppliers to evidence Real Living Wage, no zero-hours, gender pay gap action.

Find a Tender (FTS)

The UK post-Brexit replacement for OJEU; the portal for public sector contracts above the FTS threshold.

Acronym for Freedom of Information; the statutory right to request information from UK public bodies including procurement data.

FOI in Procurement

Using the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to obtain procurement evaluation scores, award rationale, and competitor pricing from public bodies.

FPS (Forward Plan Schedule)

A forward schedule of planned procurements published by some authorities for transparency; functionally similar to a pipeline notice.

Framework Aggregation

Multiple buyers running a single procurement together for a shared framework; spreads procurement cost and increases buyer power.

Framework Agreement

An umbrella agreement with one or more suppliers under which buyers can place individual call-off contracts during the framework term.

A published maximum value or volume that a framework can support; once reached the framework can be retendered or extended.

Acronym for Find a Tender Service; the UK post-Brexit portal for above-threshold public procurement notices.

The contract value above which UK public procurement must follow Find a Tender publication rules; updated every two years.

The CCS framework for cloud-based digital services; suppliers publish service descriptions, buyers select directly from the catalogue.

GDPR in Procurement

UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 obligations relating to public sector contracts involving personal data processing.

The greenhouse gas accounting standard defining Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, used as the basis for Carbon Reduction Plans.

Various commercial platforms aggregating international procurement opportunities; useful for UK suppliers selling cross-border.

Go/No-Go Decision

A structured pre-bid assessment of whether to invest resource in responding to a tender opportunity.

Good Work Standard

London-specific employer charter setting expectations around workforce conditions; increasingly required in London public sector procurement.

Head of Procurement

Senior buyer-side procurement leadership role; sets procurement strategy and leads category managers and procurement officers.

UK-based eProcurement platform widely used by local authorities and smaller public sector bodies for tender management.

Incident Management

The process of detecting, triaging, resolving, and reviewing service incidents within agreed SLAs.

Incumbent Supplier

The current supplier delivering a contract being retendered; typically has substantial advantage in retender unless performance is poor.

Innovation Partnership

A procurement procedure combining R&D and subsequent purchase for solutions not yet available on the market.

Innovation Procurement

Procurement designed to drive innovation: pre-commercial procurement, innovation partnerships, and innovation-specific framework mechanisms.

Invitation to Quote (ITQ)

A request for a price from selected suppliers (often via an ASL or framework) for defined goods or services; less formal than an ITT.

Invitation to Tender (ITT)

The formal tender document containing specification, evaluation criteria, contract terms, and submission requirements.

International standard for quality management systems in medical devices; required for NHS medical device procurement.

International standard for environmental management systems; increasingly required for UK public sector contracts under net-zero policy.

International standard for business continuity management systems; required for critical UK public sector contracts under continuity expectations.

International standard for information security management systems; widely required for handling personal or sensitive data in UK public sector...

International standard for quality management systems; widely accepted as evidence of quality assurance in UK public procurement.

Acronym for Invitation to Quote; a request for a price from selected suppliers for defined goods or services.

Acronym for Invitation to Tender; the formal tender document containing specification, evaluation criteria, and contract terms.

Jaggaer (Bravo)

eProcurement platform widely used by UK public sector for tender management; supports portals for many local authorities and NHS bodies.

The defence supplier registration database operated by Hellios; the defence equivalent of Constructionline and Achilles UVDB.

A joint venture partner in a consortium or special-purpose vehicle delivering a major contract.

KCS Procurement (Kent County Supplier)

A South East England local authority procurement consortium operating cross-public-sector frameworks; strong in education and FM.

Acronym for Key Performance Indicator; measurable targets used to monitor contract performance.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

Measurable targets used to monitor contract performance, typically specified at award and tracked monthly or quarterly.

Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998

UK statute setting statutory interest and compensation for late payment of commercial debts; supplements public sector prompt payment expectations.

Lead Contractor

The prime contracting party in a multi-supplier delivery; holds the main contract with the buyer and manages subcontractors.

A Ministry of Defence designation for a contractor site approved to hold UK classified information at SECRET or above.

Local Government Procurement Portals

Individual local authority procurement portals hosting council-specific opportunities and engagement.

A procurement design where related lots are combined for a single award; reduces SME participation but eases buyer integration.

Subdivisions within a framework or contract that group services by category, geography, or value; bidders apply per lot.

MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender)

The historical principle that public sector contracts go to the bid with best overall value, not lowest price; replaced by best-value test under PA...

Medical Devices Regulation

The UK rules governing how medical devices are classified, assessed and placed on the market, central to NHS device procurement.

Method Statement

A written explanation of how a supplier will deliver a specific contract; a core scored element of most ITT responses.

MHRA Compliance

Meeting the requirements of the UK regulator for medicines and medical devices, a precondition for many NHS supply contracts.

Mini-Competition

A further competition among framework or DPS suppliers in a lot; used where direct award would not identify the best supplier.

The transition period between contract award and full service delivery; includes TUPE consultation, team onboarding, and system setup.

Modern Slavery Act 2015

UK statute consolidating modern slavery offences; section 54 requires above-£36M organisations to publish annual statements.

Modern Slavery Statement

Annual statement required of UK organisations above £36M turnover describing steps taken to prevent modern slavery in operations and supply chains.

Most Favoured Customer (MFC)

A contract clause requiring the supplier to offer the buyer pricing at least as good as the supplier's best customer pricing.

Most Favoured Customer Disclosure

A contract clause requiring suppliers to disclose whether they offer better pricing to other customers; alternative to MFC clauses.

MSP (Managed Service Provider)

A supplier providing managed services across one or more service domains; common in IT, FM, security, and outsourcing.

A UK procurement portal aggregating sub-threshold opportunities from local authorities, NHS, and other public bodies.

The National Themes, Outcomes and Measures framework used to measure and price social value in UK public sector bids.

NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)

Contractual agreement to protect confidential information; common in procurement market engagement and supplier discussions.

NEPO (North East Procurement Organisation)

A North East England local authority procurement consortium operating cross-public-sector frameworks.

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS)

NHS framework operator running major framework agreements for goods and services across NHS England, NHS Wales, and many NHS trusts.

Acronym for Official Journal of the European Union; the pre-Brexit publication for above-threshold UK and EU procurement notices.

OJEU was the EU publication for above-threshold tenders; Find a Tender Service (FTS) replaced it for UK contracts post-Brexit.

Open Book Pricing

A commercial structure where the supplier discloses cost components to the buyer who applies an agreed margin formula.

A procurement procedure where any supplier can submit a full bid in response to the contract notice; the simplest and most common procedure.

A platform aggregating UK and global public procurement opportunities through OCDS feeds; both free and commercial tiers.

Output Specification

A specification defining what the supplier must achieve rather than how; gives suppliers freedom to innovate on method.

PCR (Public Contracts Regulations)

The common abbreviation for the Public Contracts Regulations 2015; the predecessor of PA 2023.

Acronym for Prior Information Notice; an early notice signalling intent to procure.

Pipeline Notice

A forward notice signalling a contracting authority's intent to procure goods or services in the next 12-18 months.

PPN 002 (Social Value)

The Cabinet Office PPN requiring central government to apply a minimum 10 percent social value weighting in service contract evaluations.

PPN Cyber Essentials (PPN 09)

The Cabinet Office PPN mandating Cyber Essentials for central government contracts handling personal data at OFFICIAL.

PPN Net Zero (PPN 06)

The Cabinet Office PPN requiring central government suppliers above £5M contract value to publish a Carbon Reduction Plan.

PPN Prompt Payment (PPN 03)

The Cabinet Office PPN requiring central government suppliers to pay 95 percent of supply chain invoices within 30 days.

Acronym for Pre-Qualification Questionnaire; the legacy pre-tender supplier assessment.

Pre-Market Engagement (PME)

Formal supplier consultation before a procurement; used to test specifications and identify market capability.

Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ)

The legacy pre-tender supplier assessment, largely replaced by the standardised Selection Questionnaire for UK central government.

Prior Information Notice (PIN)

An early notice signalling intent to procure; under PA 2023 designated as UK1, with shortened response windows when later used.

Pro-Contract (Proactis)

eProcurement platform from Proactis used by many UK local authorities and housing associations.

Procurement Act 2023 (PA2023)

The primary UK legislation governing public sector procurement in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, in force from February 2025.

Procurement Hub

A UK procurement consortium, part of Places for People, offering frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems across housing and property.

Procurement Officer

A buyer-side procurement professional running specific procurements; the operational counterpart to suppliers during procurement.

Procurement Policy Notes (PPN)

Cabinet Office guidance notes for central government procurement teams on policy areas like social value, prompt payment, and net zero.

Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014

Scottish statute establishing the framework for Scottish public sector procurement; alternative to PA 2023 which does not apply in Scotland.

Procurement Training and Qualifications

The professional development routes for procurement and bid roles, from CIPS qualifications to apprenticeships and buyer schemes.

Prompt Payment Code

A voluntary UK code committing signatories to pay suppliers within defined periods, overseen by the Small Business Commissioner.

PSN (Public Services Network)

The secure network connecting UK public sector organisations; connection requires PSN compliance certification.

Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015)

The primary UK legislation governing public sector procurement before PA 2023; still applies to procurements started before February 2025.

Public Contracts Scotland (PCS)

The national procurement portal for Scotland; used by Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, councils, and other Scottish public bodies.

Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018

UK regulations requiring public sector digital services to meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Equality Act 2010 duty requiring public bodies to consider equality impacts in their decisions including procurement.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

UK statute requiring public bodies to consider social value in service procurement; the legislative basis for current social value frameworks.

Qualification Procedures

The process of confirming whether a supplier meets the minimum standards to participate in a procurement.

Real Living Wage

The voluntary wage rate set by the Living Wage Foundation; higher than the statutory National Living Wage and increasingly required by UK public...

Restricted Procedure

A two-stage procurement: selection questionnaire first, then full tender from a shortlisted pool of qualified suppliers.

Reverse Auction

A procurement format where suppliers submit successively lower bids in real-time competition; rare in UK public sector for substantive procurement.

RFI (Request for Information)

Information-gathering exercise where buyers ask suppliers about capability before designing a formal procurement.

RFP (Request for Proposal)

Procurement document inviting suppliers to propose a solution to a defined problem; common in private sector and international procurement.

Risk Management in Procurement

Identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks in procurement design and ongoing contract delivery.

RM6098 Network Services

The CCS framework for network and telecommunications services; covers WAN, LAN, voice, mobile, and unified communications.

RM6263 Big Data and Analytics

The CCS framework for data engineering, analytics, AI/ML, and data platform services; structured into 9 lots by capability and value band.

Selection Questionnaire (SQ)

The standardised pre-tender supplier assessment for UK central government, replacing the legacy PQQ format.

The former national procurement portal for Wales, now merged into Find a Tender, where Welsh public sector notices are published.

A contractual deduction from supplier payment triggered when an agreed service level is missed, used across UK public sector contracts.

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

A formal contract specifying minimum service levels (response times, availability, quality); often used interchangeably with KPI in UK public sector.

Acronym for Service Level Agreement; the formal commitment to specific service levels (response, availability, quality).

SME (Small and Medium Enterprise)

A business with fewer than 250 employees and turnover below £44 million; central to UK procurement policy and CCS spend targets.

SME Spend Target

A government commitment to direct a stated proportion of public sector procurement spend to small and medium enterprises.

The economic, social, and environmental benefits a public contract generates beyond the core deliverable; typically scored 10-20 percent of bid total.

Social Value Portal

Commercial platform supporting social value measurement and reporting; maintains the National TOMs framework.

Sole Source Procurement

A contract awarded without competition because only one supplier can meet the requirement; requires specific justification under PCR / PA 2023.

SoR (Statement of Requirements)

Buyer document describing the requirement; can be either an alternative term for specification or an early-stage document preceding ITT.

The detailed description of goods, services, or works required under a contract; defines what bidders must deliver.

Analytical examination of an organisation's historical procurement spend to inform category strategy and procurement design.

Acronym for Selection Questionnaire; the standardised pre-tender supplier assessment for UK central government.

Standstill Period

The mandatory 10-day waiting period between an award decision and contract signing; allows unsuccessful bidders to challenge.

The former EU regime controlling public subsidies to business, replaced in the UK by the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

A supplier delivering part of a contract under subcontract to a Lead Contractor rather than directly to the buyer.

Subsidy Control Act 2022

UK legislation replacing EU state aid rules; sets the framework for public sector subsidies to businesses post-Brexit.

Generic term for an organisation providing goods or services to the public sector under contract; the broadest market-side label.

Supplier Conduct Record

The public record of supplier performance across UK public sector contracts introduced by the Procurement Act 2023.

Supplier Engagement Day

Buyer-hosted event where potential suppliers learn about an upcoming procurement and provide feedback on scope.

Supply Chain Due Diligence

Process of investigating and managing risks in supplier supply chains; covers modern slavery, financial standing, security, and quality.

Supply Chain Finance

Arrangements allowing suppliers to be paid early against approved invoices, funded by a third party at the buyer credit rating.

TED (Tenders Electronic Daily)

The EU public procurement journal; above-threshold notices from EU member states are published here.

Tender Clarification

A formal question and answer mechanism during a procurement; questions are submitted via the portal and answers shared with all bidders.

A post-award meeting with the contracting authority discussing why your bid won or lost; usually offered to all bidders.

A supplier submitting a bid in response to a contract notice or invitation to tender; the formal label for the bidder side.

Tendering glossary

Every term a bidder runs into, defined plainly.

TEPAS Framework

A construction framework for technical and engineering professional advisory services.

TOM (Target Operating Model)

A high-level description of how a service or organisation will be structured and operated post-transition; common in outsourcing bids.

TOMs (Themes, Outcomes, and Measures)

The social value evaluation framework used in central government procurement under PPN 002; five themes with defined outcomes and measures.

Transparency Data Portal

A public portal exposing procurement data via OCDS-compatible API; supports analytical use of public procurement information.

Transparency Notice

A new PA 2023 notice type publishing contract details, performance data, and significant performance issues for above-threshold contracts.

Acronym for Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment); UK regulations protecting staff when services transfer between providers.

TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings)

UK legislation protecting employees when a service transfers between providers; usually applies when winning a contract from an incumbent.

UK public sector market intelligence platform; analyses procurement data for suppliers, buyers, and investors.

Procurement design dividing requirements into smaller separate lots to support SME participation; the opposite of lot bundling.

Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016

UK regulations governing procurement by utilities operators in water, energy, transport, and postal sectors; thresholds are higher than general PCR.

Value for Money (VFM)

The overarching objective of UK public procurement: the optimum combination of whole-life cost and quality.

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)

International accessibility standards for web and mobile content; WCAG 2.1 AA is the default UK public sector requirement.

Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015

Welsh legislation requiring public sector to consider long-term wellbeing impacts; affects how Welsh public sector evaluates procurement.

Whole Life Cost

The total cost of ownership over the lifetime of goods or services: procurement, operation, maintenance, support, and disposal.

A contract for construction or civil engineering works; higher threshold values and specific PCR/PA rules apply.

YPO (Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation)

A local authority owned purchasing consortium operating cross-public-sector frameworks; strong presence in education, FM, and corporate services.

Zero to One Bid

A bid for a contract in a sector or with a buyer where you have no prior track record; requires strong methodology and adjacent case studies.

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