Source: https://tendernation.io/glossary/contracts-finder Glossary # Contracts Finder The UK government website, launched in 2015, for lower-value contract opportunities and awards in England, now mainly for older procurements. Updated 14 Oct 2026 Contracts Finder is a government website where public bodies in England published lower-value contract opportunities and awards. Since the Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, its legal role has shrunk to procurements started under the old rules, though it remains a valuable archive. ## What it means Under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, central government buyers had to publish opportunities and awards on Contracts Finder above £12,000 including VAT, and most other public bodies above £30,000. [PPN 019 and its guidance on publishing on Contracts Finder](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ppn-019-requirements-to-publish-on-contracts-finder/guidance-on-the-transparency-requirements-for-publishing-on-contracts-finder) explain the position now. The Contracts Finder requirements continue only for procurements that started under the 2015 Regulations before 24 February 2025, including call-offs from frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems set up under those rules. New procurements under the Act publish their notices on the [Central Digital Platform](/glossary/central-digital-platform), through [Find a Tender](/glossary/find-a-tender). ## Why it matters for SMEs Contracts Finder is where many SMEs found their first public contract, because it focused on the lower-value work small firms are best placed to win. Today it matters in two ways: - **Legacy opportunities.** Call-offs under older frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems still appear there, and those arrangements can run for years. - **History.** Its archive of past awards shows who has been winning what, at what price, going back to 2015. ## Practical tip Do not rely on Contracts Finder alone for new opportunities. Search both sites, or use a tool that combines them. Use Contracts Finder's award history to research a buyer before you bid. Our guide to [Contracts Finder vs Find a Tender](/guides/contracts-finder-vs-find-a-tender) explains the differences in more detail. Find tenders that fit your business Search UK, EU and World Bank tenders in one place, get AI summaries and a fit score for each one, and track bids in a pipeline. Professional comes with a 14-day free trial, no card needed. [Browse live tenders](/opportunities)[Start free trial ](/register) 14-day free trial, no card required Browse by sector - [Construction work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/construction-work)397 - [Architecture, engineering & surveying](https://tendernation.io/sectors/architecture-engineering-surveying)143 - [IT services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/it-services)58 - [Business services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/business-services)188 - [Health and social work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/health-social-work)304 - [Sewage, refuse, cleaning & environmental](https://tendernation.io/sectors/sewage-refuse-cleaning-environmental)81 [All sectors ](/sectors) ## Nearby terms [Conflicts of interestA situation where someone involved in a procurement has an interest that could, or could appear to, affect a fair decision.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/conflicts-of-interest)[Contract award noticeA public notice that a buyer intends to enter into a contract with a named supplier, published before the contract is signed.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/contract-award-notice)[Contract details noticeA notice a buyer publishes after signing a public contract, confirming the supplier, value, dates and other key details.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/contract-details-notice)[CPV codeA Common Procurement Vocabulary code, a standard numeric label that describes the goods, services or works a public contract is for.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/cpv-code)[Direct awardAwarding a public contract to a supplier without a competitive tender, allowed only where a justification in the Procurement Act 2023 applies.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/direct-award)[Dynamic marketA list of pre-qualified suppliers, open to new members throughout its life, from which buyers run competitions for individual contracts.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/dynamic-market) [Read our procurement guides ](/guides)