Find Private Sector Tenders for FREE

At Naomi Clews Consultancy, we are all about saving money, securing business and developing skills. Many SME's are unaware that access to private and public tenders is FREE, so we created this quick FAQ guide to raise awareness.

Where can I find public tender opportunities?
Public tender opportunities are advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and are known as Notices. In the UK Notices are advertised on the Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) website and the Contracts Finder website. Both websites are free to access, open public registers.  
  
Where can I find private sector tender opportunities? 
There is no legal requirement or central register for the publication of private sector tenders. However, the Government wants to level the playing field and increase the visibility of Government supply chain opportunities to assist SMEs in bidding for work. The Contracts Finder website now includes subcontracting opportunities to suppliers of Government contracts. 
 
Which tender notices should I be looking out for? 
The 3 most common tender notices are: 

• Prior Information Notice (PIN), 
• Contract Notice and 
• Contract Award Notice. 

 
A PIN advises of a future tender opportunity or an opportunity to get involved in the market testing of a tender opportunity.  
 
A Contract Notice advises a competitive tender process is underway and provides key details on where to obtain the documentation and when and how to submit a response. 
 
A Contract Award Notice advises the outcome of a competitive tender process and lists the names and addresses of the successful tenderers.  It does not provide any details relating to unsuccessful tenderers. 
 
A Corrigendum Notice provides additional information to a previously published Notice. 
 
Who advertises public tender notices? 
The responsibility to advertise tender notices falls on the Authority who will sign the contract or an Agent who is authorised to act on the Authority's behalf. There are strict rules governing who can act as an Agent. If in doubt, seek legal advice or contact an Authority named in the Notice to verify the legitimacy of the Agent acting on their behalf. 
      
Can I filter the tender notice alerts I receive? 
Yes, all Notices are categorised using numerical codes known as the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV). Authorities use CPV codes to make it easier for SME's to find tender Notices that relate to their business sector or industry. TED and Contracts Finder both allow you to use the CPV codes to set up electronic tender alerts, emailed to your inbox on a daily basis, for FREE. 
 
I'm busy, where can I find help?
Naomi Clews Consultancy provides professional B2G help and support, find out more at www.naomiclewsconsultancy.com