How to get council contracts in the UK
To get council contracts in the UK, find out where your councils advertise, then register there. Search each council's website for "procurement" to find its tendering portal and sign up for its free alerts. Then register on Find a Tender, where councils must post a notice before they advertise a contract worth £30,000 or more, including VAT. Smaller jobs often go to quotes or local supplier lists, so ask how your council buys them.
Last updated 5 min read Reviewed by Craig
Search Find a TenderWhat you need to get started
Have these ready to choose the right portal and prepare for an opportunity:
- A list of the councils you want to work for.
- A work email address you check every day, for portal accounts and tender alerts.
- Public liability and employer's liability insurance details, plus professional indemnity if the council asks for it.
- Your health and safety, equality and diversity, environmental and data protection policies.
- Details of similar work you have done, and of any subcontractors you use.
Get started
Learn how councils buy at each contract value
How a council buys depends mostly on what the contract is worth. For smaller jobs, a council may ask a few chosen suppliers for quotes or use a local supplier list. Its own contract procedure rules set how.
If a council advertises a contract worth £30,000 or more, including VAT, it must post a notice on Find a Tender first. It does not have to if it only invites suppliers it has already picked, for example from a framework. The biggest contracts follow the full Procurement Act 2023 process.
Find where your councils advertise
Search each council's website for "procurement". Most have a selling to the council or doing business with the council page that names the portal they use. For example, Camden uses Proactis, Cambridgeshire uses ProContract, and Newcastle and Redcar and Cleveland use Open.
Also check Find a Tender. Since 24 February 2025, notices about new UK procurements go there, except smaller contracts in Scotland. Older procurements may still be on Contracts Finder. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, also check Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eSourcing NI.
Register and get on the council's tender lists
Register free on each council's portal and pick the categories you sell in. Redcar and Cleveland and Newcastle both say registered suppliers get alerts for new opportunities in their category. Create a supplier account on Find a Tender too.
Some councils also keep a list of local firms for smaller jobs. Bury's Based Supplier List is open all year to firms based in Bury, though being on it does not guarantee work. Search your council's website for "supplier list" and look out for supplier days.
Get your compliance pack ready
Councils ask for many of the same things: public liability and employer's liability insurance, health and safety, equality and diversity, environmental and data protection policies, and details of any subcontractors. Camden and Essex both list these.
Councils also want to know about social value, meaning how your work helps the local area, such as local jobs. Each tender's own documents decide what you must send, so read them first.
Look at lots, frameworks and subcontracting
Big tenders are often split into smaller parts called lots, so bid for the lot that fits your size. Getting a place on a framework or dynamic market can also make it easier for councils to buy from you. Find a Tender lists these under Commercial tools.
You can also ask the main contractor on a large contract about subcontracting, or team up with other firms for bigger work. Councils buy through shared buying groups such as ESPO, NEPO and YPO too.
Track your councils by name
TenderNudge matches a notice when your word or phrase appears in its title, description or buyer name. So the name of your council works as a keyword, alongside your trade, such as cleaning, grounds maintenance or construction.
It does not add synonyms for you, so add the variations yourself. You can try up to 10 keywords on the TenderNudge home page with Try your keywords, with no signup. You always apply through the buyer's portal.
Common problems
Why can't I find small council jobs online?
Below £30,000, including VAT, a council does not have to post a notice and may ask chosen suppliers for quotes instead. Ask the council how it buys smaller jobs and whether it keeps a local supplier list.
Why do I need another account after finding a tender on Find a Tender?
The notice may be on Find a Tender while the council runs the bid on its own portal. Follow the link in the original notice and register on the portal it names.
Which rules apply to my council?
Each council publishes its own contract procedure rules, usually in its constitution. Redcar and Cleveland, for example, says every contract must follow them and the Procurement Act 2023.
Frequently asked questions
Do councils have to advertise contracts?
Not always. If a council advertises a contract worth £30,000 or more, including VAT, it must first post a notice on Find a Tender. For smaller jobs, or when it only invites suppliers it has picked, it does not have to post a notice.
How do I get on a council's approved supplier list?
Register on the council's tendering portal and pick your categories, so you get its alerts. Then check its website for a local supplier list. Bury's list, for example, is open all year to firms based in Bury.
Can a sole trader get council contracts?
Yes. Many councils say they want to work with small firms. Bury says it will not discriminate unreasonably against new or smaller suppliers. Smaller jobs, lots and local supplier lists are good places to start.
How do I find council tenders near me?
Search your council's website for "procurement" to find its portal, then register and switch on alerts. Find a Tender also lists council notices from across the UK, so check it too.
How do I win council contracts?
Answer every question the council asks, send the documents it requests and submit before the deadline. Show the social value your work brings to the area, as the LGA suggests. It also helps to start with smaller jobs and lots that fit your size.
Is council work only for big companies?
No. Newcastle says SMEs got 52% of its spend on contracts for goods and services in 2025 to 2026. Lots, local lists and subcontracting all help smaller firms get started.
Official links and help
- Find a Tender
- Procurement Act 2023, section 87
- GOV.UK: guidance on below-threshold contracts
- LGA: how to do business with local government
- Essex County Council: SME public sector guidance
- Camden Council: find and bid on a contract
- Newcastle City Council: doing business with the council
- Redcar and Cleveland Council: how to bid for council business
- Cambridgeshire County Council: supplying to the council
- Bury Council: procedure for contract applications
- Bury Based Supplier List notice
- Contracts Finder
- Public Contracts Scotland
- Sell2Wales