ProContract and Due North: a guide for care providers
ProContract is an e-tendering portal run by Proactis, often still called Due North after the company that built it. A large number of UK councils run their procurement on it, so many local authority care tenders are published and submitted here. You register once with a free supplier account, set your category and region preferences, then express interest in opportunities to access the documents and submit your bid.
What ProContract and Due North are
ProContract is the e-tendering platform now owned by Proactis, and Due North is the original supplier name that stuck. They refer to the same system, so do not be confused by documents that use one term and a portal login that uses the other. It is one of the most widely used council procurement portals in the UK, which means that if you supply care to local authorities you will almost certainly bid through it at some point. Learning it well pays off across many councils.
How registration works
Create a free supplier account on the relevant ProContract portal and complete your organisation profile, including CQC or Ofsted details, insurances and key contacts. Some councils share one ProContract instance through a regional hub, so a single account can cover several authorities at once. Set your business categories carefully so care opportunities trigger email alerts. A rushed or incomplete profile is a common reason providers either miss alerts or stumble when a tender asks the portal to pull profile data into the response.
Finding and expressing interest in care work
Search the opportunities list by keyword and region, then express interest to open the full tender pack and the question set. Expressing interest is what unlocks the documents and adds the opportunity to your account, so do it as soon as you spot something relevant rather than waiting until you have decided to bid. Use broad care terms, because councils title work inconsistently, and check the messaging area for clarifications, since buyer answers there can change how you should write a response.
Completing and submitting your bid
From your expressed interest you complete the selection questionnaire and method statements inside the portal and upload any required documents. Save your work often and watch character or word limits, which the portal enforces strictly. Submit a day or two early, because the upload step can be slow under load near a deadline and a late submission is almost always rejected automatically. Confirm the submission has gone through and download the receipt the portal provides as your proof.
Regional hubs and one account for many councils
A real advantage of ProContract is that several councils often share a single regional instance, so one supplier account and profile can cover a whole group of authorities. This means an alert you set once can surface care opportunities across several neighbouring councils. It also means your profile is doing more work than you might realise, so keep it current. The flip side is that a different council on a different ProContract instance still needs its own registration.
Keeping your profile current
Out of date registration details are one of the most common avoidable problems on ProContract. If your CQC rating, insurance certificates, accounts or named contacts have changed, update the profile before a live bid rather than during one. Expired insurance or a lapsed certificate can trip a compliance check even when your written answers are strong. A short profile review every quarter, and again before any submission, keeps alerts flowing and stops your evidence undermining an otherwise solid bid.
ProContract bidding steps for care providers
The path from finding an opportunity to a confirmed submission.
| Step | What you do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Register | Create a free supplier account and complete your profile | Unlocks alerts and supplies compliance data to bids |
| Set categories | Choose care categories and regions | Care opportunities reach you by email automatically |
| Express interest | Click express interest on an opportunity | Opens the full pack and question set |
| Complete | Answer the questionnaire and method statements in the portal | Watch limits and save often; the portal enforces them |
| Submit early | Upload and confirm a day or two before the deadline | Avoids slow uploads and automatic late rejection |
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 ProContract the same as Due North?
Yes. Due North was the original supplier of the platform, now owned by Proactis. Many people still call the portal Due North, but the system is ProContract.
Does it cost anything to register on ProContract?
No. A supplier account is free. You register, set your categories and regions, and then express interest in the care opportunities you want to bid for.
How do I find care tenders on ProContract?
Search the opportunities by keyword and location, set category alerts for care, and express interest to open the documents. Many councils use the same regional hub, so one account can cover a wide area.
Can one account cover several councils?
Often yes. Councils frequently share a regional ProContract instance, so one supplier account and profile cover several authorities. A council on a separate instance still needs its own registration.
What does expressing interest do?
It unlocks the full tender pack and question set and adds the opportunity to your account. Do it as soon as you spot a relevant tender, not only once you have decided to bid.
Why do providers miss ProContract alerts?
Usually because the profile is incomplete or out of date, or the wrong categories are set. Keep your CQC rating, insurances and categories current so relevant care opportunities reach you.
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.