← Kindling

How to find who holds a public contract now

Before you bid for a contract that's been tendered before, it helps to know who does the work today, since when, and for how much. Most of it is public. Here's where to look.

The short version: search the old award notice first. If that fails, try the buyer's contract register, then its spending data. If all else fails, ask the buyer, formally if you need to. Our contracts ending soon page does the first step for over 10,000 contracts.

1. The award notice

When a public contract is awarded, the buyer publishes a notice naming the supplier, usually with the value and the start and end dates. Search Contracts Finder (filter to awarded contracts) and Find a Tender for the buyer's name and the type of work. Contracts tend to run three to five years, so look back that far. Under the Procurement Act 2023, which applies to procurements started from 24 February 2025, buyers also publish a contract details notice once the contract is signed.

The new tender notice often gives clues too: "re-procurement of the existing service", an existing contract end date, or staff who may transfer (TUPE). A TUPE section means someone is doing the work now.

2. The buyer's contract register

Councils in England must publish details of contracts worth over £5,000, including the supplier, under the Local Government Transparency Code. Search the council's website for "contract register" or "contracts over £5,000". Many NHS bodies, housing associations and universities publish similar registers.

3. Spending data

English councils also publish every payment over £500, with the supplier's name and what it was for. Regular payments to one firm under a heading like "grounds maintenance" or "cleaning" usually point to the current contract holder, and the totals show roughly what the work costs each year.

4. Ask

If the buyer runs a market engagement event or answers clarification questions, you can ask who delivers the service now. They don't always say, but it costs nothing to ask. Failing that, a Freedom of Information request to a public body for the current supplier, contract value and end date usually gets an answer within 20 working days. Some details may be withheld as commercially sensitive, but the supplier's name rarely is.

Why it matters

Price: the old award value is the best guide to the budget. See how to price a tender.
Staff: if the holder's staff would transfer to you under TUPE, you take on their pay and terms. Ask for the TUPE information early.
The bar to clear: a holder doing a good job is hard to beat on quality alone. A holder that's had complaints, or a service that's changing, gives a newcomer a real chance.
If it's you: if you hold a contract that's coming round again, read how to keep it.

Want me to look one up? Send me the tender link. Within one working day I'll reply with who holds the contract now (where the award records show it), what it was worth, when it ends and my honest view on whether it's worth bidding. It's free.

Email [email protected] · Contracts ending soon · How to find tenders

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules on transparency data differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.