Guide
Where to find government IT tenders, country by country
The official portals where public sector IT, software and cloud tenders are posted in Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland, the EU, Australia and New Zealand, and how to keep up with all of them.
Public sector buyers are generally required to advertise contracts above a set value. The catch is that there is no single place where they do it. A country's national government, its regions and its cities, universities and health bodies can each use different portals. Here is where to look.
Canada
- CanadaBuys: the federal government's portal, for tenders from federal departments and agencies.
- Provincial portals: such as BC Bid, the Ontario Tenders Portal, Alberta Purchasing Connection and SEAO in Quebec.
- Municipal and broader public sector: many cities, school boards, universities and hospitals post on commercial portals such as Bids and Tenders or MERX, or on their own sites.
More in our guide to selling IT to government in Canada.
United States
- SAM.gov: federal contract opportunities above the micro-purchase level are posted here.
- GSA eBuy: requests for quotes sent to holders of GSA Schedules, not visible to the public.
- State portals: each state runs its own, and many counties and cities have their own too. See selling IT to US state governments.
United Kingdom
- Find a Tender: the main notice service for higher-value contracts under the Procurement Act 2023.
- Contracts Finder: lower-value contracts in England.
- Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI for the devolved nations.
- The Digital Marketplace for G-Cloud and other Crown Commercial Service frameworks.
European Union
- TED (Tenders Electronic Daily): every tender above the EU thresholds, from all member states.
- National portals for lower-value work, such as eTenders in Ireland, PLACE in France or TenderNed in the Netherlands.
Australia and New Zealand
- AusTender: Australian federal tenders, plus BuyICT for many digital and ICT purchases.
- State portals such as NSW eTendering, Buying for Victoria and QTenders.
- GETS: New Zealand's Government Electronic Tender Service. See selling IT to government in New Zealand.
How to keep up without checking 40 websites
Checking every portal by hand is a part-time job, and keyword searches miss tenders that describe IT work in unusual words. Your options:
- Pick three to five portals where your buyers post, and check them on a schedule.
- Set up each portal's own alerts, then filter the noise. Our guide to setting up tender alerts that work shows how.
- Use a service that reads them for you. StackBid reads public IT tenders across countries every day and sends you only the ones that fit your firm.
Don't forget the work that is never posted
A lot of public IT spending goes through frameworks and supplier lists, where only listed suppliers see the opportunity, and through low-value purchases that do not have to be advertised. Getting on the right lists matters as much as watching the portals.
Common questions
Are all government tenders posted publicly?
No. Contracts below set thresholds can often be bought with a few quotes, and work under frameworks and standing offers is usually offered only to suppliers already on them.
Do I have to pay to see government tenders?
Official government portals are free to search, though some ask you to register to download documents. Some commercial portals charge for alerts or for documents.
Can I bid on tenders in other countries?
Often, yes. Trade agreements open many contracts to foreign suppliers, but some are reserved for local firms. Each StackBid tender shows whether firms from abroad can bid.