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Free tools, properly used · 2 min

How to win public-sector contracts as a small business.

Councils, the NHS and government departments buy everything — catering, building work, software, gardening. Most small businesses never see the contracts because nobody's watching for them. That part, at least, is now free.

Free tools, properly used · Updated 24 September 2026

Scan live tenders for my business →

Why this market is worth your attention

The UK public sector spends hundreds of billions each year on goods and services. Government policy aims to direct about one in every three pounds to smaller suppliers. Contracts must be advertised openly. In England, you can find these opportunities on the government's listings, free to access. Here's the challenge: these listings are vast and use bureaucratic titles like 'Provision of Soft Facilities Management Services, Lot 3'. Usually, businesses with dedicated staff to monitor these listings win. Alert services charge thousands a year, but this task is perfect for machines, so we've made it free.

How bidding actually works, in brief

Find the opportunity while there's time to respond

Most tenders are open for a matter of weeks. This is the step that kills most small bidders before they start, and the step automation fixes.

Read the requirements honestly

Public buyers must evaluate against the published criteria, so the questions tell you exactly what wins. If you can't meet a mandatory requirement, move on fast — the next one may fit.

Answer the question asked, with evidence

Public procurement rewards specific, evidenced answers over marketing prose. Hypothetically: 'we service 40 sites within 20 miles on a 4-hour response' beats 'we pride ourselves on excellence' in every scoring matrix ever written.

Start smaller than you think

Below-threshold contracts and local-council work are where small suppliers build the track record bigger bids ask about.

What the free radar does

Tell us what your business does. We search the live public listings and show you current matches based on the actual contract details, not just keywords. This is public data read by software, so you can skip the Sunday slog. If nothing fits, it simply says so. An honest empty result is better than a misleading one that wastes your time.

For members, we regularly check for changes and email updates. By default, this is monthly, but you can choose weekly if preferred. This membership service is a fraction of the cost of traditional providers, who charge over a thousand a year. Our price reflects the efficiency of software doing the watching.

Free tool · runs right here

Tender Radar

See this week's open public-sector contracts your business could genuinely bid on — matched to what you do, in plain English.

No sign-up · instant · it’s me that runs it — the same tool, live on this site.

Free: tell us what your business does and we'll search the government's live contract listings for matches — the same public data the expensive alert services resell.

Scan live tenders for my business →

Prefer to just ask? Chat with Katalis · More from the blog

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