The UK public sector spent £461 billion on procurement in 2025/26, a 5% increase on the previous year and the largest figure on record. That spending generated 268,469 tracked contract notices with a combined published value of £1.5 trillion.

The UK public sector spent £461 billion on procurement in 2025/26, a 5% increase on the previous year and the largest figure on record. That spending generated 268,469 tracked contract notices with a combined published value of £1.5 trillion.

All of it is technically public. The challenge is that UK procurement data is not a single dataset. It is a collection of notices, payment records, framework registers, board papers, and transparency returns published by thousands of separate organisations across four nations, in formats ranging from structured XML to PDF documents designed to be read, not processed.

All of it is technically public. The challenge is that UK procurement data is not a single dataset. It is a collection of notices, payment records, framework registers, board papers, and transparency returns published by thousands of separate organisations across four nations, in formats ranging from structured XML to PDF documents designed to be read, not processed.

This guide maps the full landscape of UK procurement data: what exists, where it sits, and what each source is actually useful for.

This guide maps the full landscape of UK procurement data: what exists, where it sits, and what each source is actually useful for.

What types of UK procurement data are available?

UK procurement data falls into four broad categories, each published through different channels and useful for different purposes.

UK procurement data falls into four broad categories, each published through different channels and useful for different purposes.

Procurement notices

Procurement notices

The formal publications that record planned and live procurement activity. Pipeline notices, preliminary market engagement notices, tender notices, and award notices all fall here. These are the notices that tender alert services monitor and that Find a Tender publishes.

The formal publications that record planned and live procurement activity. Pipeline notices, preliminary market engagement notices, tender notices, and award notices all fall here. These are the notices that tender alert services monitor and that Find a Tender publishes.

Contract award records

Contract award records

The formal record of what has been contracted. Supplier name, contract value, start and end dates, and procurement route. Published on Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, and Sell2Wales depending on geography and threshold.

The formal record of what has been contracted. Supplier name, contract value, start and end dates, and procurement route. Published on Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, and Sell2Wales depending on geography and threshold.

Transparency spend data

Transparency spend data

Invoice-level payment records showing what public bodies have actually paid to suppliers. Published separately by individual organisations, usually monthly. More granular than contract data and shows actual payments rather than contracted values.

Invoice-level payment records showing what public bodies have actually paid to suppliers. Published separately by individual organisations, usually monthly. More granular than contract data and shows actual payments rather than contracted values.

Framework and catalogue data

Framework and catalogue data

The register of established frameworks, approved supplier lists, and dynamic markets through which a significant proportion of public sector spend flows without generating visible tender notices.

The register of established frameworks, approved supplier lists, and dynamic markets through which a significant proportion of public sector spend flows without generating visible tender notices.

Where to find procurement data in England

Find a Tender is the primary source for above-threshold procurement notices in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. All contracts above approximately £214,000 for goods and services must be published here under the Procurement Act 2023. Find a Tender carries 17 UK notice types covering the full procurement lifecycle, from pipeline planning to contract termination. It is free to search at find-tender.service.gov.uk. For a guide to using it effectively, see our article on how to use Find a Tender.

Find a Tender is the primary source for above-threshold procurement notices in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. All contracts above approximately £214,000 for goods and services must be published here under the Procurement Act 2023. Find a Tender carries 17 UK notice types covering the full procurement lifecycle, from pipeline planning to contract termination. It is free to search at find-tender.service.gov.uk. For a guide to using it effectively, see our article on how to use Find a Tender.

Contracts Finder publishes below-threshold contract awards and opportunities from English public bodies above £25,000. Coverage is variable but it is the primary source for sub-threshold procurement data in England, including NHS trust and local authority below-threshold activity.

Contracts Finder publishes below-threshold contract awards and opportunities from English public bodies above £25,000. Coverage is variable but it is the primary source for sub-threshold procurement data in England, including NHS trust and local authority below-threshold activity.

NHS transparency spend data is published by individual NHS trusts, ICBs, and arm's-length bodies on their own websites. Every NHS organisation in England publishes monthly spend data for payments above £25,000. This data is not published on a central platform. The coverage is comprehensive. Over 200 NHS trusts and 26 ICBs publish monthly, but aggregating it requires accessing each organisation's website separately.

NHS transparency spend data is published by individual NHS trusts, ICBs, and arm's-length bodies on their own websites. Every NHS organisation in England publishes monthly spend data for payments above £25,000. This data is not published on a central platform. The coverage is comprehensive. Over 200 NHS trusts and 26 ICBs publish monthly, but aggregating it requires accessing each organisation's website separately.

Local authority transparency spend data is published by English councils for payments above £500, typically monthly. Publication thresholds, formats, and schedules vary. Some publish in machine-readable CSV formats. Others publish PDFs. The data.gov.uk platform aggregates some of this but coverage is incomplete. For more on the challenge of using this data systematically, see our article on why public sector data is still fragmented.

Local authority transparency spend data is published by English councils for payments above £500, typically monthly. Publication thresholds, formats, and schedules vary. Some publish in machine-readable CSV formats. Others publish PDFs. The data.gov.uk platform aggregates some of this but coverage is incomplete. For more on the challenge of using this data systematically, see our article on why public sector data is still fragmented.

Section 70 payment data is a new, structured form of transparency data introduced under the Procurement Act 2023, published quarterly on the central digital platform for payments above £30,000 including VAT, for contracts where procurement commenced on or after 1 April 2026. It adds a consistent, platform-based payment transparency layer to the existing spend publication requirements rather than replacing them.

Section 70 payment data is a new, structured form of transparency data introduced under the Procurement Act 2023, published quarterly on the central digital platform for payments above £30,000 including VAT, for contracts where procurement commenced on or after 1 April 2026. It adds a consistent, platform-based payment transparency layer to the existing spend publication requirements rather than replacing them.

Where to find procurement data in Scotland

Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) is the primary publication platform for Scottish procurement data. Both above and below-threshold contracts are published here, making it a more comprehensive single source than the equivalent English split between Find a Tender and Contracts Finder.

Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) is the primary publication platform for Scottish procurement data. Both above and below-threshold contracts are published here, making it a more comprehensive single source than the equivalent English split between Find a Tender and Contracts Finder.

Above-threshold Scottish notices also appear on Find a Tender. For suppliers monitoring UK-wide procurement data, Find a Tender covers above-threshold Scottish activity. For below-threshold Scottish procurement, Public Contracts Scotland is essential.

Above-threshold Scottish notices also appear on Find a Tender. For suppliers monitoring UK-wide procurement data, Find a Tender covers above-threshold Scottish activity. For below-threshold Scottish procurement, Public Contracts Scotland is essential.

Scottish public body transparency data is published on individual body websites, following similar obligations to England. NHS Scotland has its own publication requirements and organisational structure.

Scottish public body transparency data is published on individual body websites, following similar obligations to England. NHS Scotland has its own publication requirements and organisational structure.

Where to find procurement data in Wales

Sell2Wales is the Welsh Government's procurement platform, covering both tender opportunities and contract award records for Welsh public bodies. Above-threshold Welsh notices appear on Find a Tender. Below-threshold and all Welsh-specific notices are on Sell2Wales.

Sell2Wales is the Welsh Government's procurement platform, covering both tender opportunities and contract award records for Welsh public bodies. Above-threshold Welsh notices appear on Find a Tender. Below-threshold and all Welsh-specific notices are on Sell2Wales.

Welsh public body transparency data follows similar publication obligations to England. The Welsh Government publishes procurement statistics and spending data separately from the UK-wide figures.

Welsh public body transparency data follows similar publication obligations to England. The Welsh Government publishes procurement statistics and spending data separately from the UK-wide figures.

Where to find procurement data in Northern Ireland

eSourcing NI covers Northern Ireland public procurement. Above-threshold notices appear on Find a Tender. eSourcing NI handles the local portal and below-threshold activity. For suppliers targeting Northern Ireland public sector buyers, eSourcing NI is the primary local source.

eSourcing NI covers Northern Ireland public procurement. Above-threshold notices appear on Find a Tender. eSourcing NI handles the local portal and below-threshold activity. For suppliers targeting Northern Ireland public sector buyers, eSourcing NI is the primary local source.

Republic of Ireland: Arcamus also covers Republic of Ireland public sector buyers through eTenders, the Irish Government's procurement portal. This distinguishes Arcamus from most UK-only platforms and is particularly relevant for suppliers operating across the island of Ireland.

Republic of Ireland: Arcamus also covers Republic of Ireland public sector buyers through eTenders, the Irish Government's procurement portal. This distinguishes Arcamus from most UK-only platforms and is particularly relevant for suppliers operating across the island of Ireland.

How procurement data is used commercially

The commercial value of UK procurement data comes from combining sources rather than relying on any single one. Contract award notices on Find a Tender tell you what has been formally contracted. Transparency spend data tells you what has actually been paid. Framework data tells you what is being called off without a competitive process.

The commercial value of UK procurement data comes from combining sources rather than relying on any single one. Contract award notices on Find a Tender tell you what has been formally contracted. Transparency spend data tells you what has actually been paid. Framework data tells you what is being called off without a competitive process.

A supplier who searches only Find a Tender for tender notices sees one layer of the market. A supplier who adds contract award data, spend transparency, framework call-off data, and pipeline notices sees a materially more complete picture, arriving at opportunities significantly earlier.

A supplier who searches only Find a Tender for tender notices sees one layer of the market. A supplier who adds contract award data, spend transparency, framework call-off data, and pipeline notices sees a materially more complete picture, arriving at opportunities significantly earlier.

For a guide to the tools that bring these sources together, see our article on what public sector market intelligence platforms actually cost and do you need a procurement intelligence platform or a tender alert service.

For a guide to the tools that bring these sources together, see our article on what public sector market intelligence platforms actually cost and do you need a procurement intelligence platform or a tender alert service.

Arcamus aggregates UK procurement data across Find a Tender, NHS transparency spend returns, framework registers, and pipeline signals, structured by buyer, supplier, and category across every public sector organisation in the UK and Ireland. The data exists. We make it usable. See what it shows for your market.

Arcamus aggregates UK procurement data across Find a Tender, NHS transparency spend returns, framework registers, and pipeline signals, structured by buyer, supplier, and category across every public sector organisation in the UK and Ireland. The data exists. We make it usable. See what it shows for your market.