Tender notice
The tender notice opens a UK public competition. What it contains, where it is published under the 2026 thresholds, and how to read one in two minutes.
Updated on September 5, 2026
The tender notice is the notice by which a contracting authority announces that it is running a competition and invites suppliers to participate. Under the Procurement Act 2023 it is notice type UK4, and it is the formal starting point of the procurement and the document suppliers watch to spot opportunities.
How it works
The Act sets what the notice must contain and where it goes. It identifies the authority, describes the subject matter with its CPV codes, states the procedure to be used, the division into lots, the term, the conditions of participation, the award criteria and their weightings, and the submission deadline. It points to where the tender documents can be downloaded free of charge, usually the authority's e-tendering portal.
Publication is centralised. Every notice under the Act goes on the central digital platform, the enhanced Find a Tender service, whatever the value. The thresholds decide which regime applies, not which website: above £135,018 for central government goods and services, £207,720 for other authorities, £415,440 for utilities or £5,193,000 for works, all including VAT (verified 2026-09-05, PPN 023 and SI 2025/1200), the full above-threshold rules apply. Below those values, an authority must still publish a below-threshold tender notice once the contract is worth £12,000 including VAT for central government or £30,000 including VAT for anyone else. In Ireland, notices go on eTenders from €50,000 excluding VAT for goods and services and €200,000 for works, and additionally to TED above the EU thresholds.
What it means for a bidder
A notice is a summary. Its purpose is to let you decide in a couple of minutes whether the contract is worth pursuing. Look, in order, at the subject and CPV codes, the place of performance, the lots, the deadline and the criteria weightings. If it fits, download the tender documents and read the instructions to tenderers, which override the notice where the two conflict.
Two useful habits: register on the portal when you download, so that you receive amendments and the published answers to clarification questions; and remember that no notice does not mean no contract, since small purchases and call-offs under existing frameworks are not separately advertised.
Example
A borough council publishes a tender notice for re-roofing three sports halls, valued at about £1.4 million including VAT. That is above the £30,000 below-threshold trigger but well under the £5,193,000 works threshold, so the notice goes on Find a Tender under the below-threshold rules, with no TED involvement. A fifteen-employee roofing contractor spots it through the CPV code for roof works and bids for the lot covering its area.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a tender notice and a notice generally?
Notice is the generic term for everything published across the life of a contract. The tender notice is the one that opens the competition.
Is every contract advertised?
No. Below the £12,000 and £30,000 triggers there is no duty to publish, and direct awards on a permitted ground are announced by a transparency notice instead.
How do I get the notices that concern me?
By monitoring Find a Tender, the devolved portals and eTenders, or by using a tool such as Scoutee, which alerts you to notices matching your CPV codes and your area.