PPN 019: Requirements to publish on Contracts Finder · first published 10 March 2025
PPN 019 refreshes guidance on when public-sector buyers must post procurement information on Contracts Finder — the free government portal where small businesses find contract opportunities and award results. Crucially, it only covers procurements that were started under the old Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCRs); any brand-new procurement launched after 24 February 2025 follows the Procurement Act 2023 rules instead. Buyers must publish awarded opportunity notices on Contracts Finder when they issue a contract award notice on Find a Tender (FTS), when they award off a PCR framework agreement, or when they award a below-threshold contract under the PCRs. Below-threshold publication thresholds remain £12,000 (inc VAT) for central government and £30,000 (inc VAT) for NHS trusts and other sub-central bodies. For small businesses, this means contract award data for in-flight PCR procurements will continue to appear on Contracts Finder — a useful intelligence source when researching who holds incumbent contracts.
WHO THIS APPLIES TO
THE ENKII VIEW
For SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), the practical opportunity here is intelligence, not compliance: Contracts Finder will continue to be populated with award data from PCR-era procurements, giving you visibility of incumbent suppliers, contract values, and renewal windows even as the market transitions to the Procurement Act. The document confirms no new PCR procurements will be launched after 24 February 2025, so any live tender you see on Contracts Finder under the PCRs is a legacy process — worth tracking for future rebid opportunities rather than immediate entry. SMEs should now familiarise themselves with the parallel Procurement Act publication routes (Find a Tender, contract details notices) for genuinely new opportunities.
1. Keep monitoring Contracts Finder for contract award notices on PCR-era procurements — these reveal incumbent suppliers, contract values and likely rebid dates even though no new PCR tenders will be launched after 24 February 2025.
All SMEs researching public-sector markets — Buyers must still publish award notices for all PCR-commenced procurements (including framework call-offs and below-threshold awards) on Contracts Finder, creating a live intelligence stream on contracts coming up for renewal under the Procurement Act.
2. Switch your opportunity-hunting to Find a Tender and the Procurement Act guidance routes (competitive tendering procedures, contract details notices, below-threshold guidance) — Contracts Finder under PPN 019 only covers legacy PCR work.
SMEs bidding for new public-sector work (post-February 2025) — The document explicitly states 'any new below threshold opportunities must be advertised on Find a Tender in accordance with the Procurement Act' and directs readers to separate Procurement Act guidance for new procurements.
3. Expect buyers to publish award notices on Contracts Finder for every call-off made under a PCR framework or DPS — use this to track competitor wins and pricing intelligence on your frameworks.
SMEs holding or pursuing PCR framework agreements or dynamic purchasing system (DPS) call-offs — The PPN specifically requires publication 'when an award is made in accordance with a framework agreement established under the PCRs' and 'procurements let under existing dynamic purchasing systems'.
4. Set Contracts Finder alerts from £30,000 (inc VAT) upwards for sub-central and NHS buyers, as this is the minimum value at which they must publish below-threshold PCR awards.
SMEs targeting sub-central buyers (local authorities, NHS trusts) for smaller contracts — The PPN sets the below-threshold publication floor at '£30,000 (inc VAT)' for 'sub-central contracting authorities, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts' — awards below this will not appear.
5. Set Contracts Finder alerts from £12,000 (inc VAT) upwards for central government buyers, as this is the minimum value at which they must publish below-threshold PCR awards.
SMEs targeting central government for smaller contracts — The PPN sets the below-threshold publication floor at '£12,000 (inc VAT)' for 'central government authorities' — awards below this will not appear on Contracts Finder.
Every rule below quotes the official document verbatim.
This PPN and its transparency requirements apply only to procurements commenced under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCRs), not to new Procurement Act 2023 procurements. (All in-scope contracting authorities, PCR-commenced procurements only)
“This PPN and its associated guidance on the transparency requirements for publishing on Contracts Finder only applies to procurements that were commenced under the PCRs.”
No new procurements will be conducted under the PCRs after 24 February 2025. (All contracting authorities)
“no new procurements will be conducted under the PCRs after 24 February 2025”
The PPN does not apply to contracting authorities whose functions are wholly or mainly Scottish, Northern Ireland or Welsh devolved functions, NHS healthcare services under the 2013 Regulations, or maintained schools, academies and sixth-form college corporations. (Excluded contracting authorities)
“this PPN does not apply to: contracting authorities whose functions are wholly or mainly Scottish, Northern Ireland or Welsh devolved functions ... the procurement of health care services for the purposes of the NHS within the meaning and scope of the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No. 2) Regulations 2013 ... maintained schools, academies and sixth form college corporations”
For below-threshold procurements, central government authorities must publish on Contracts Finder where the contract value is at least £12,000 (inc VAT). (Central government authorities, below-threshold PCR contracts)
“central government authorities, where the contract value is at least £12,000 (inc VAT)”
For below-threshold procurements, sub-central contracting authorities, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts must publish on Contracts Finder where the contract value is at least £30,000 (inc VAT). (Sub-central contracting authorities, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts, below-threshold PCR contracts)
“sub-central contracting authorities, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts, where the contract value is at least £30,000 (inc VAT)”
Buyers must publish awarded opportunity notices on Contracts Finder when: a contract award notice is published on FTS (Find a Tender Service) under the PCRs (including dynamic purchasing systems); an award is made under a PCR framework agreement; or a below-threshold contract is awarded under the PCRs. (All in-scope contracting authorities, PCR-commenced procurements)
“In-scope organisations should publish awarded opportunity notices on Contracts Finder in the following circumstances: When a contract award notice is published on FTS under the PCRs, including procurements let under existing dynamic purchasing systems. When an award is made in accordance with a framework agreement established under the PCRs. When a below threshold contract is awarded under the PCRs.”
In-scope organisations should apply the provisions of this PPN with immediate effect from publication in March 2025. (All in-scope contracting authorities)
“In-scope organisation should apply the provisions of this PPN with immediate effect.”
This PPN replaces PPN 01/23 (previously issued January 2023). (All in-scope contracting authorities)
“This PPN and associated guidance replaces PPN 01/23.”
This briefing is enkii's interpretation of the official document — the official text always governs.
Source document © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0 via the GOV.UK Content API. enkii tracks every Procurement Policy Note and briefs changes the day they land — see all briefings.