UK Public Sector Contracts — £250,000 – £1,000,000
Larger UK public sector contracts — above-threshold for services, full Find a Tender Service treatment, formal scored evaluation against detailed criteria.
For: Mid-market suppliers with established public sector bidding experience and a substantive bid function.
Contracts in the £250k–£1m band cross the formal Find a Tender Service threshold for services and most goods, which means published OJEU-equivalent notices, structured evaluation criteria, and formal standstill periods before award. This is mid-market territory — established suppliers competing against 5-15 other credible bidders on a substantive scored response.
8-12 weeks
Typical evaluation
Open / restricted procedure
Common procurement
10 working days
Standstill period
6-15
Typical bidders
Live UK contracts £250,000 – £1,000,000
DFE - InterTradeIreland - Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition – Business Plan Markers
UK4 - Tender Notice
UK4 - Tender Notice
Facilities Management Services for British Embassy Tunis
ID 6509258 - DFC - NMNI - Key management system for all museum sites - PRE-MARKET ENGAGEMENT
Education Software
Canvey Lake Dredging
Extension and associated works to 23 Barnett Field
Flat Roof Re-Covering Works
RMCB 059 - Provision of Servicing and Repairs to Lifts
Provision of a New or Low-Hour Ex-Demo 25–30T Articulated Dump Truck and Agricultural Tractor for Plant Operator Training
Provision of youth service
Provision of a New or Low-Hour Ex-Demo 25–30T Articulated Dump Truck and Agricultural Tractor for Plant Operator Training
Collection and Processing of Food Waste
Expert Networks Long Term Provision
How to win contracts £250,000 – £1,000,000
Bid/no-bid before drafting
At this contract size you're committing 40-80 person-hours minimum. Run a structured bid/no-bid first — your win-rate matters more than the number of bids submitted.
Selection vs award stages
Most £250k+ contracts use the restricted procedure: pass selection (SQ) first, then compete on award criteria. Make sure your SQ answers are crisp before investing in the award response.
Get the maths right
At this size, scoring is granular. A 70% Quality / 30% Price split with sub-weighted criteria means small differences swing the result. Cost the bid carefully against the formula.
FAQs
Are contracts £250k+ always published on FTS?
For services and goods above the relevant thresholds, yes — Find a Tender Service publication is mandatory under the Procurement Act 2023.
What is the standstill period?
A mandatory 10 working day pause between award decision and contract signature, during which unsuccessful bidders can challenge the decision. Required for above-threshold procurements.
How long do £250k-£1m bids take to win?
Typically 8-12 weeks from notice publication to award decision, then 10 working days standstill before contract signature.
Browse contracts by value
Under £50k
SMEs, sole traders and first-time bidders looking for access…
£50k–£250k
Established UK SMEs and growing suppliers with 1–3 years of …
£1m–£5m
Established suppliers and primes with dedicated bid function…
Over £5m
Primes and consortia bidding for strategic UK public sector …
See also: all live contracts, our closing this week page, or browse by sector.