UK Public Sector Contracts — Over £5,000,000
Strategic UK public sector contracts and programmes — long-cycle competitions, full Find a Tender Service treatment, often consortium bidding.
For: Primes and consortia bidding for strategic UK public sector programmes.
Above £5m sits in the strategic-contract band — long-cycle competitions (often 4-6 months end-to-end), full Find a Tender Service treatment, mandatory carbon reduction plans (PPN 06/21), substantive social value, and increasingly consortium bidding for the largest awards. Bid budgets routinely run into the £30k-£100k+ range, and win-rates favour incumbents and named-team partnerships.
4-6 months
Typical evaluation
Typically 70-80%
Quality weighting
Required (PPN 06/21)
Carbon reduction plan
3-8 (often consortium)
Typical bidders
Live UK contracts over £5,000,000
Milk and Milk Products
Purchase of Standard and Specialist Vehicles (PSSV)
DoJ – NIPS - Supply and Delivery of General ‘Food to Go’, Sundry Items and Tobacco Items for Tuck Shop 2026
Insurance Brokerage Services for Global Commercial Services Group Ltd and Subsidiary Legal Entities
Cleaning Partners 2026- Tender
Marketing Services
Marketing Services
Pre-Market Engagement – Provision and Implementation of Business Systems
LSL/DC/0223 - Physical Training Equipment Service & Repair
Rail Replacement Service - Bus and Coach Operators
The Meads - Cleaning and Security Services
PR BHFT 0796 - Supply of Dose Banded Compounded Chemotherapy
HCC & TPPL Fleet Management Services and Supplies Framework
School Nursing for Children and Young People Aged 5–19 (up to 25 for SEND)
Oldham Green New Deal Partnership
How to win contracts over £5,000,000
Consortium or prime
Many >£5m contracts are won by consortia. Decide early whether you can credibly lead as prime or whether you should be a named partner on a stronger team.
Carbon reduction plan
PPN 06/21 requires a published Carbon Reduction Plan for any central government contract over £5m. Have one ready before you bid — it's a compliance, not optional, item.
Pre-engage the buyer
For strategic contracts, market engagement events and pre-procurement consultations are normal. Attending them shifts your win-rate materially — often more than the bid response itself.
FAQs
What is the carbon reduction plan threshold?
PPN 06/21 requires bidders for central government contracts above £5m per annum to publish a Carbon Reduction Plan. It must be on the company website and reaffirmed annually.
Are over-£5m contracts always on FTS?
Yes — all major UK public sector contracts above the relevant procurement thresholds (which £5m clearly exceeds) must be published on Find a Tender Service.
How long do strategic UK procurements take?
Typically 4-6 months end-to-end: notice → selection → ITT → evaluation → standstill → award. Major programmes sometimes run 9-12 months including pre-procurement engagement.
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 …
£250k–£1m
Mid-market suppliers with established public sector bidding …
£1m–£5m
Established suppliers and primes with dedicated bid function…
See also: all live contracts, our closing this week page, or browse by sector.