Using Contracts Finder to find care contracts
Contracts Finder is the UK Government's free website for lower-value public contracts and opportunities in England. Public bodies must publish contracts above roughly 12,000 pounds for central government and around 30,000 pounds for the wider public sector, including councils. For care providers it is a good place to spot smaller domiciliary, supported living and spot-purchase opportunities that may not appear on the higher-value Find a Tender service.
What Contracts Finder is for
Contracts Finder is the England service for below threshold and lower value public opportunities, sitting underneath the Find a Tender service that carries higher value contracts. It exists so that smaller contracts, which still matter enormously to a growing care provider, are visible in one searchable place. Under the Procurement Act 2023 it continues in this role. Many council care contracts, framework call-offs and pilot schemes appear here first, which is why it deserves a place in your weekly routine even though the headline contracts sit elsewhere.
What you will find there
Contracts Finder carries below threshold opportunities, awarded contract notices and some pipeline information about work a buyer expects to bring to market. For care this means spot purchase packages, smaller home care and supported living lots, reablement pilots and short call-offs. You can search by keyword, location and sector, and set up email alerts so new care opportunities reach you automatically rather than relying on you remembering to log in.
How to search it well for care
Search broad terms such as domiciliary care, supported living, home care, extra care, reablement and supported accommodation, then filter by your region and radius. Care work is described inconsistently between councils, so cast a wide net and refine rather than searching one narrow phrase. Save several searches with different keyword sets and let the alerts do the watching. Reviewing the same tight keyword every day misses opportunities a buyer happened to title differently.
Using award notices for intelligence
The awards section is quietly one of the most useful parts of Contracts Finder. Recent awards tell you who is winning local work, roughly what it is worth, and how long contracts run, which signals when re tenders are due. If a three year home care contract was awarded in your area two years ago, you know roughly when the next opportunity lands and can prepare early. This is free competitive intelligence that most providers never look at.
Contracts Finder versus Find a Tender
Use both sites together rather than choosing one. Contracts Finder carries the lower value work and Find a Tender carries the higher value frameworks and larger contracts above the formal thresholds. A single care opportunity can appear on either depending on its size, and a large framework may be advertised on Find a Tender while smaller related call-offs surface on Contracts Finder. Checking only one leaves a visible gap in what you see.
Where Contracts Finder stops and portals begin
Contracts Finder advertises opportunities, but you usually submit your bid somewhere else. A council care tender listed on Contracts Finder will normally link out to a portal such as ProContract, In-Tend or Jaggaer, where you express interest and complete the documents. Treat Contracts Finder as a radar that points you to where the work lives, then register on the relevant portal in good time so you are not setting up an account against the clock near the deadline.
Where care opportunities are published
Care work spreads across several systems. Use this to decide where to look for what.
| System | Typical value | Good for finding |
|---|---|---|
| Contracts Finder | Lower value, roughly 12k to 30k and up | Spot purchase, smaller call-offs, pilots, award intelligence |
| Find a Tender service | Higher value, above the thresholds | Large frameworks, DPS, major home care and supported living |
| ProContract / Due North | Any value | Many council care tenders and submissions |
| Atamis | Any value | NHS funded continuing healthcare and complex care |
| In-Tend / Jaggaer | Any value | Council and NHS tenders where the buyer uses that portal |
Not sure if you qualify for a tender? We check it for free, before you pay anything, and we only take bids we believe you can win. Text TENDER to get started.
Common questions
Is Contracts Finder free to use?
Yes. Searching, viewing opportunities and setting up alerts on Contracts Finder is free. You do not need an account to browse, though registering lets you save searches and alerts.
What is the difference between Contracts Finder and Find a Tender?
Contracts Finder carries lower value contracts in England, roughly above 12,000 to 30,000 pounds. Find a Tender carries higher value contracts above the formal thresholds. Care opportunities appear on both depending on size.
Do all council care contracts appear on Contracts Finder?
Most above the publishing thresholds do, but councils also run tenders on portals such as ProContract and In-Tend. Check Contracts Finder alongside the relevant portals for your area.
Can I see who won past care contracts?
Yes. The awards section lists recent awarded contracts, often with the value and term. This tells you who is winning local work and roughly when re tenders are likely to come around.
Do I submit my bid on Contracts Finder?
Usually no. Contracts Finder advertises the opportunity and links out to the buyer's portal, where you express interest, complete the documents and submit. Register on that portal early.
How do I avoid missing care opportunities?
Set up several saved searches with broad care keywords and a regional filter, and rely on email alerts. Searching one narrow phrase misses opportunities a council titled differently.
Keep reading
Browse all care tender guides, or see care tender writing by service.
Got a tender to check?
Text TENDER to +44 7822 030677and we'll tell you free whether you'd qualify, before you spend a penny.