Source: https://tendernation.io/guides

# Guides to winning public sector work

Plain-English guides for small and growing businesses selling to the UK public sector. No jargon, no fluff, just what you need to find the right tenders and bid with confidence.

- [Updated 3 Oct 2026Procurement Act 2023: what SMEs need to knowWhat actually changed when the new rules went live in February 2025, and how small suppliers can use them to win more public work.Read the guide](https://tendernation.io/guides/procurement-act-2023-smes)
- [Updated 3 Oct 2026How to find UK government tenders (2026 guide)Where UK public contracts are actually published, which portals matter, and how to build a search that catches the right tenders without drowning you.Read the guide](https://tendernation.io/guides/how-to-find-uk-government-tenders)
- [Updated 3 Oct 2026How to win your first public sector contractA practical, step-by-step plan for small businesses going after their first government contract, from picking the right tender to using the feedback.Read the guide](https://tendernation.io/guides/how-to-win-your-first-public-sector-contract)
- [Updated 3 Oct 2026Contracts Finder vs Find a Tender: what's the difference?The UK's two official tender portals explained: what each one covers, how the Procurement Act changed them, and why you probably need both.Read the guide](https://tendernation.io/guides/contracts-finder-vs-find-a-tender)
- [Updated 14 Oct 2026How to write a tender: a step-by-step guide for UK SMEsA practical method for writing UK public sector tender responses that score well, with a before-and-after example, a social value section and a pre-submission checklist.Read the guide](https://tendernation.io/guides/how-to-write-a-tender)
- [Updated 14 Oct 2026Procurement Act notice types: UK1 to UK17 explained for suppliersA supplier's guide to all 17 Procurement Act notices, grouped by stage, with what each one tells you and which ones an SME should act on.Read the guide](https://tendernation.io/guides/procurement-act-notice-types)
- [Updated 14 Oct 2026Free vs paid tender alerts in the UK: do you need to pay?The government tender portals are free and send email alerts. For some suppliers that's enough. Here's what they do, what they don't, and when paying makes sense.Read the guide](https://tendernation.io/guides/free-vs-paid-tender-alerts)
- [Updated 14 Oct 2026How to bid for council contractsCouncils buy in value bands set by their own contract rules. Learn which band you are bidding in, where each is advertised, and what the council scores.Read the guide](https://tendernation.io/guides/how-to-bid-for-council-contracts)
- [Updated 14 Oct 2026How to get on a council approved supplier listWhat "approved supplier list" means in 2026: frameworks, dynamic markets, minor works lists and accreditations like Constructionline, and how to join each one.Read the guide](https://tendernation.io/guides/council-approved-supplier-lists)
- [Updated 14 Oct 2026Why you keep losing tenders, and how to fix itHow to get the feedback you are entitled to under the Procurement Act, read your scores against the winner's, and find what really keeps costing you contracts.Read the guide](https://tendernation.io/guides/why-you-lose-tenders)
- [Updated 14 Oct 2026Can UK companies bid for EU tenders after Brexit?What the WTO Government Procurement Agreement and the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement give UK suppliers, which EU contracts they cover, and how to find and bid for them on TED.Read the guide](https://tendernation.io/guides/eu-tenders-for-uk-companies)

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