Find out about public sector contracts in Northern Ireland
Find Northern Ireland public sector tenders by checking online platforms and the local authorities' websites.
Public sector contracts range from small local contracts (under 拢30k) to multi-million-pound projects. The public sector is made up of organisations such as departments, their executive agencies and district councils.
When the public sector needs something, they advertise a tender and then award a contract to the winning supplier.
The central government purchasing body for supplies and services in Northern Ireland the
Northern Ireland government contracts under 拢30,000 in value
Public sector bodies in Northern Ireland often need to buy a product, service or work that is under 拢30,000 in value. The usual process is to seek quotes from several suppliers. Then, compare them to get the best value for money.
Information on below threshold contracts over 拢12,000 including VAT (or 拢30,000 outside central government) is available from and .
Some organisations also use to find suppliers. They will contact them for quotes, based on their chosen categories. Other organisations, particularly local councils, may have 'select lists' of contractors they use regularly. Contact your local council if you wish to be added to a list.
Alternatively, if a low-value product is needed, the organisation may search online for a supplier or visit a local retailer. If you wish to do business with the public sector for low-value contracts, be prepared to offer a competitive written quotation.
Northern Ireland government contracts over 拢30,000 in value
Public sector contracts worth over 拢30,000 are advertised online. Suppliers can submit tenders to compete for them.
eTendersNI is the central website for advertising and responding to public sector tenders in Northern Ireland. With eTendersNI, you can personalise your supplier profile and select categories of goods, services, or works your organisation can provide. Then, eTendersNI will email you when a relevant tender is published.
Various other websites exist for public sector tenders and for .
In addition to the CPD, there are seven other that focus on specific sectors of central government procurement: education, health supplies, housing, roads, transport and water.
Local government tenders
Each local council handles its own procurements at the local government level. Find your local council in Northern Ireland.
Local councils use eTendersNI to advertise their tenders and award contracts above 拢30,000. For a below threshold contract, check their websites:
Procurement pipelines - Northern Ireland
Early visibility of government projects is helpful for suppliers interested in selling to the government. Before opportunities are posted on eTendersNI, public sector organisations are already preparing to deliver large projects and services. This can be done months or even years in advance.
Procurement pipeline information is available to help suppliers prepare for major tenders.
You can view procurement pipeline information for:
Organisations offering access to procurement opportunities
Some organisations charge a small fee to access a wide range of public sector tendering portals and search for contracts on your behalf.
Invest Northern Ireland's offers businesses access to thousands of public sector tender opportunities, with contract values starting from 拢30,000, for a subscription fee.
Local and specialist press
Tenders are mostly advertised online, but it is worth keeping an eye on local newspapers, trade magazines and websites. Sometimes contractors working on large public sector contracts use these to advertise sub-contracting opportunities.