Guide
Contracts Finder alternative: what changes when the pack matters
An honest comparison for suppliers using free public portals: what Contracts Finder does well, what changed after February 2025, and where TenderReader fits.
Contracts Finder is useful and free
Contracts Finder is an official UK government service for searching public-sector opportunities. GOV.UK says suppliers can use it to search contract opportunities, see what is coming up, and look up previous tenders and contracts. GOV.UK also says you can create an account for email updates and saved searches, but can still search and apply without an account. That is useful infrastructure, and TenderReader should not pretend otherwise.
The right comparison is not 'free portal bad, paid product good'. The free portal is where many suppliers should start. It is searchable, public, and broad. If your job is simply to know whether a contract exists, official services are the source of truth. TenderReader's role starts after discovery: narrowing fit, reading packs, pulling deadline and evidence facts into one decision brief, and helping a small team avoid reading every opportunity by hand.
What changed after 24 February 2025
Find a Tender states that from 24 February 2025, both above-threshold and below-threshold notices about new UK procurements are published on Find a Tender, except below-threshold in Scotland. Its notice-types page also says Procurement Act 2023 notice sequences apply to procurement processes starting on or after 24 February 2025, with exceptions for Scottish rules, Northern Ireland below-threshold contracts, and older frameworks or systems.
That matters because old mental maps can now mislead suppliers. Contracts Finder remains useful, but the visibility centre of gravity for new Procurement Act notices has shifted toward Find a Tender and the central digital platform. A supplier checking only one portal can miss context, especially when buyer packs, historical awards, devolved portals, and older-regime opportunities sit in different places.
Where TenderReader fits
TenderReader is not a replacement for the official record. It is a reading and decision layer on top of public notices and uploaded tender packs. It is built for the moment after a supplier asks: 'Is this worth my time?' The product looks for deadlines, eligibility, values, lots, criteria, and source evidence, then labels the output as decision support rather than professional advice.
A small supplier may still use Contracts Finder and Find a Tender for free search. TenderReader helps when the issue is comprehension: which notices fit your profile, what the pack asks for, where the red flags are, and whether the bid/no-bid decision should be bid, no-bid, or clarify-first.
What not to expect
- TenderReader does not guarantee you will find every opportunity or win any tender.
- TenderReader does not replace the official notice, buyer portal, or legal review.
- TenderReader does not read private buyer portals unless a user uploads the pack.
- TenderReader currently focuses on UK and French public-source workflows, not a complete global procurement database.
FAQ
Is Contracts Finder free?
Yes. GOV.UK describes Contracts Finder as a service where suppliers can search and apply without an account, with optional accounts for saved searches and email updates.
Does TenderReader replace Contracts Finder?
No. TenderReader is a decision-support layer for matching and reading packs; official services remain the source of record.
Do below-threshold notices now appear on Find a Tender?
Find a Tender says that from 24 February 2025, new UK above- and below-threshold notices are published there, except below-threshold in Scotland.