How do I find out who won a government tender?

Most public buyers must say who they awarded a contract to, at least above a threshold. A contract award notice usually gives the supplier's name, the value and often the contract length.

Where to look

• Canada: award notices on CanadaBuys, and federal proactive disclosure of contracts over $10,000 on the open government portal. Provinces publish their own.
• US: award notices on SAM.gov, and USAspending.gov for federal spending in detail. States and cities publish on their own portals or council agendas.
• UK: Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, which publish award and contract details.
• EU: contract award notices on TED.
• Australia: AusTender, which reports contracts over $10,000.

Award notices can take weeks to appear after the decision, and some low-value awards aren't published at all.

If you bid

Ask for a debrief in writing as soon as you hear the result. Many buyers will tell you the winner's scores alongside yours. In the UK, the Procurement Act 2023 requires assessment summaries for bidders on many contracts. For more than the notice shows, a freedom of information or access to information request can release some details, though commercially sensitive parts are usually withheld.

Award data is also sales intelligence: note each contract's end date, because that's when the work comes back. See using contract award data.