What is a UK4 tender notice? (Procurement Act 2023)

In one sentence

A UK4 tender notice is how a public buyer starts a competitive tender under the Procurement Act 2023: it invites suppliers to bid (open procedure) or to ask to take part / submit a first tender (competitive flexible procedure).

Why it matters for SMEs

If you only watch award notices, you are late. A UK4 is the "bid now" signal. On CouncilIQ, open opportunities with a future deadline are the ones you can still respond to, and many of them sit behind a UK4 (or a Contracts Finder tender notice for lower-value work).

Live counts

Counts update hourly from the notice types inside Find a Tender and Contracts Finder releases (as at 7 October 2026 at 07:03). Always confirm on the official notice before bidding.

What a UK4 does (plain English)

Under the Procurement Act 2023 (section 21) and the Procurement Regulations 2024, a tender notice:

• States that the buyer intends to award a public contract through a competitive procedure.
• Invites tenders (open procedure) or requests to participate / first tenders (competitive flexible procedure).
• Gives enough information, including what goods, services or works are needed, for suppliers to decide whether to respond.
• Is published on the central digital platform (Find a Tender). Lower-value opportunities are also advertised on Contracts Finder; the notice says which rules apply.
• Is not used for call-offs under an existing framework, which follow the framework's own process.

Above threshold, the minimum time to respond in an open procedure is usually 25 days when the tender documents are online from the start. Shorter windows are allowed in some cases, so always check the deadline on the notice.

UK4 and the notices around it

UK1 to UK3 notices are not open for bids yet, but they tell you what is coming. See the contract pipeline for upcoming notices with an expected tender date.

Example UK4 notices

1. Play Ground Refurbishment x 2 (Ingoldmells Parish Council) · CouncilIQ page
2. Football Delivery Partner - Redcar and Cleveland College · CouncilIQ page
3. Support for CEC Digital Products · CouncilIQ page

How to use CouncilIQ with UK4s

1. Browse open tenders or filter by region or sector.
2. Open the tender page and check the deadline, value, SME suitability, lots and where to register.
3. Follow the official Find a Tender or Contracts Finder link before you bid.
4. Set up free tender alerts to get new matching notices by email.

Further reading: direct awards tracker · who won past contracts · contracts ending soon.

Official references

• Find a Tender: notice types
• Procurement Act 2023, section 21
• GOV.UK: competitive tendering procedures guidance
• GCA: Procurement Act notices explained