Portals and systems
Find a Tender(FTS)
Definition
The UK's e-notification service that replaced the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) for UK procurements after Brexit, used for publishing contract notices above the international procurement thresholds.
Find a Tender (FTS) launched in January 2021, replacing OJEU as the publication platform for UK above-threshold procurements following the UK's exit from the EU. Any UK public sector contract above the international procurement thresholds must be advertised on FTS.
FTS publishes contract notices, prior information notices, award notices, and other procurement-related notices. It covers all public sector bodies in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland for above-threshold procurements. The platform offers more granular search options than Contracts Finder, including CPV code filtering.
For suppliers, FTS is the definitive source for higher-value UK procurement opportunities. The international thresholds (currently £214,904 for goods and services, £5,372,609 for works) mean FTS opportunities tend to be larger and more strategically significant than the below-threshold contracts on Contracts Finder alone.
Why it matters for bidders
FTS carries the highest-value UK procurement opportunities. If you are pursuing contracts above the international thresholds — which represent the majority of public sector spend by value — FTS is where those opportunities are legally required to appear.
How Skim helps
Skim monitors FTS continuously, matching new notices against your capability profile and alerting you to above-threshold opportunities as soon as they are published — with competitive intelligence from award notice data to help you assess each opportunity.
Related terms
Contracts Finder
The UK government's free online portal where public sector buyers must advertise contract opportunities and publish award notices for contracts valued above £12,000 (central government) or £30,000 (sub-central authorities).
Tenders Electronic Daily(TED)
The European Union's online publication platform for public procurement notices, covering all EU member states and EEA countries. Since Brexit, UK procurements appear on Find a Tender instead, but TED remains relevant for UK suppliers bidding into EU markets.
Procurement thresholds
The financial values that determine which procurement rules apply to a public sector contract — below-threshold contracts follow lighter rules, while above-threshold contracts must comply with full procurement regulations including mandatory advertising and specific procedure requirements.
Contract notice
A formal advertisement published on procurement portals announcing that a buyer intends to award a contract, inviting suppliers to express interest or submit tenders.