Guides
Guides for firms that bid now and then.
Each one is short, written from the GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk pages it links to, and checked on 24 October 2026. Information to help you decide, not advice.
The Procurement Act 2023 for small firms
What the Procurement Act 2023 changed for sole traders and micro firms bidding for UK public contracts: notices, thresholds, insurance, accounts and feedback.
Read the guideThe Central Digital Platform for suppliers
How a small supplier registers on the Central Digital Platform (Find a Tender), what core supplier information it stores, and when you need to share it.
Read the guideBelow-threshold and reserved contracts
The £12,000, £30,000 and £135,018 thresholds, why below-threshold notices can't have a pre-qualification stage, and how reserved competitions work.
Read the guidePQQs and selection questions
What happened to the PQQ and the selection questionnaire under the Procurement Act 2023, and the rules on insurance, accounts and experience a buyer must follow.
Read the guideSocial value for small firms
What social value means in a UK public tender, when central government must weight it, and how a one or two person firm can answer honestly and well.
Read the guideCyber Essentials for public contracts
When UK public buyers ask for Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus, what PPN 014 says, how certification works and how long it lasts.
Read the guideCarbon reduction plans
When a buyer can ask for a carbon reduction plan under PPN 006, what the plan must contain, and why most contracts a micro firm bids for won't need one.
Read the guideHow to read a tender notice
A practical way to read a UK public tender notice: the parts that decide whether to bid, the dates that matter, and the requirements to look for first.
Read the guideWant the notices, not just the rules?
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