Councils buy resident surveys, consultation analysis, evaluations and local research. In England and Wales, a council that advertises a contract worth £30,000 or more must publish a notice on Find a Tender first. Scottish councils advertise on Public Contracts Scotland, and Northern Irish councils use portals such as eTendersNI. For smaller work, councils often ask a few chosen suppliers for quotes under their own rules. So being known to the council matters as much as watching the portals.
Terms are explained in our glossary.
Where councils publish
- Find a Tender. Under the Procurement Act 2023, the below-threshold amount for councils is £30,000, including VAT. A council in England or Wales may advertise a contract worth that much or more. If it does, it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice on Find a Tender (Procurement Act 2023, section 87; gov.uk below-threshold guidance). Above £207,720, the full tender rules apply (gov.uk thresholds guidance).
- The council’s own e-tendering portal. Councils may also run tenders on their own portal, with its own alerts. One district council, for example, says registered suppliers can opt in to a free contract alert service on its portal. It also names Contracts Finder (Three Rivers District Council). Some councils share a portal. The Chest, for example, serves over 40 councils in North West England, and registration for suppliers is free (Warrington Borough Council).
- Contracts Finder. It still lists English notices, including procurements started before 24 February 2025 (gov.uk).
- Scotland. Scottish councils must advertise regulated procurements on Public Contracts Scotland (PCS). For goods and services, that means £50,000 and over. Many also use its Quick Quotes for smaller jobs (PCS).
- Wales. Welsh councils use Sell2Wales, including Quick Quotes. Since 24 February 2025, their advertised work from £30,000 also goes on Find a Tender, under section 87. The Procurement (Wales) Regulations 2024 send those notices there through Sell2Wales (Wales regulations). Welsh work under £30,000 needs no Find a Tender notice; when advertised, it is usually on Sell2Wales (Sell2Wales).
- Northern Ireland. The Act’s below-threshold rules do not apply to Northern Irish councils (section 84). So their smaller tenders need no Find a Tender notice (Find a Tender notice types). Some use eTendersNI. Ards and North Down Borough Council, for example, runs all its tenders there, and says registration is free for suppliers (Ards and North Down). Several Northern Irish councils are regular research buyers in our data.
Below-threshold quotes
Much council research sits below the £207,720 threshold, and a lot of it below £30,000. In England and Wales, the Act gives councils room here to choose how they buy.
- Councils set their own bands. Each council has contract procedure rules in its constitution. Three Rivers District Council, for example, asks for three written quotes for work from £2,001 to £25,000, and invites tenders above that (Three Rivers). Check the rules of each council you target.
- Quotes without an advert. A council may ask chosen suppliers for quotes without publishing a tender notice. It must still publish a contract details notice after signing any contract worth £30,000 or more (gov.uk below-threshold guidance). These notices show you who buys what, and when it may come round again.
- No pre-qualification stage in England. When an English council invites tenders for a below-threshold contract, it cannot add a separate suitability stage to cut the number of bidders, such as a pre-qualification questionnaire. Welsh councils are not bound by this rule.
- Barriers for small firms. Before inviting tenders, councils must have regard to the barriers that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may face. This is a duty to consider them, not a preference for small firms (Procurement Act 2023, section 86).
- Local suppliers. Since February 2026, English councils can reserve some below-threshold competitions for suppliers based in their area or in the UK. They can also reserve them for SMEs and for voluntary, community and social enterprises (gov.uk reserving competitions guidance).
What councils buy
Council research is mostly local and practical:
- resident and customer surveys;
- consultation and engagement analysis;
- evaluations of local programmes;
- economic or visitor research.
Some councils also set up supplier lists for this work. Our reports show a Sunderland City Council dynamic purchasing system for behavioural insights, engagement and research. It is open to join until February 2029 (Tenderhooks reports).
Our report pages also show the councils and local government bodies that published four or more research tenders in two years:
| Area | Examples (research tenders in two years) | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| England | Local Government Association (31), Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (23) | £25k–£50k |
| Wales | City and County of Swansea (11), Wrexham (9), Gwynedd (7), Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion (6 each) | £25k–£100k |
| Northern Ireland | Derry City and Strabane (7), Newry, Mourne and Down (5), Lisburn and Castlereagh (4) | £25k–£100k |
In each nation, these typical sizes are below the middle band for all research tenders. Combined authorities are worth watching too. Our home page chart counts the Find a Tender award notices from 22 July to 20 October 2026. In that time, small firms won 9 of 15 research and consulting contracts at Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and 8 of 13 at West Midlands Combined Authority (Tenderhooks).
How to win more council work
- Register where each council tenders, and turn on its alerts. In Scotland and Wales, complete your Supplier Finder profile so buyers can find you for Quick Quotes (PCS user guides; Sell2Wales).
- Read the specification closely. Councils judge tenders on the criteria they publish. One council lists cost, quality, experience, invoicing and payment, and the implementation timetable (Three Rivers).
- Show local knowledge. Name the places, groups and past local data you will use.
- Plan your social value offer. Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 026, the government’s new social value model, is written for central government. Other public bodies may adopt it (PPN 026).
- Track contract details notices to see when similar work is likely to return.
Questions people ask
How do I find council tenders?
In England and Wales, search Find a Tender for advertised work from £30,000. Register on each council’s own portal too. Use PCS in Scotland, Sell2Wales in Wales and eTendersNI in Northern Ireland.
Do councils have to advertise small contracts?
No. They can ask chosen suppliers for quotes. In England and Wales, if they advertise a contract worth £30,000 or more, the notice must go on Find a Tender first.
Can councils favour local firms?
For some below-threshold contracts, yes. Since February 2026, English councils can reserve competitions for local or UK suppliers, and for small firms and social enterprises.
How big are council research contracts?
In our data, the councils that buy research most often in England, Wales and Northern Ireland typically publish tenders worth £25,000 to £100,000.
How Tenderhooks helps
Tenderhooks reads Find a Tender, Contracts Finder and Public Contracts Scotland, where councils publish their advertised work. It picks the research and consulting tenders that fit your firm. Each pick shows the council’s record from award data where there is one, including how often small firms won. Tenderhooks does not read Sell2Wales or eTendersNI yet. So it does not cover Welsh tenders under £30,000, or Northern Irish public bodies’ tenders below the UK-wide thresholds. It cannot see private quote requests or Quick Quotes.
Sources
All checked on 2 November 2026.
- Gov.uk guidance: below-threshold contracts, thresholds, reserving competitions for below-threshold contracts, PPN 026: the social value model, Contracts Finder
- Legislation: Procurement Act 2023, section 84, section 86, section 87, Procurement (Wales) Regulations 2024
- Find a Tender and notice types, PCS about us, PCS user guides, How to use Sell2Wales
- Councils: Three Rivers District Council: selling to the council, Warrington Borough Council: opportunity to tender, Ards and North Down Borough Council: tendering with the council
- Our figures: Tenderhooks free reports and home page chart
This page explains official rules and guidance in plain English, checked on the date above. It is not legal advice. The official sources it links to are what apply.
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