Official UK tender portals
Find the buyer’s original notice and response route across the UK procurement portals.
Read the guide : Official UK tender portals↗The agency bid desk
Tender guides. Working templates. Clearer decisions.
Practical answers for small UK creative and digital agencies, organised around the decisions you need to make. Follow the stages below or jump to your current question. These guides are reference material, not a live opportunity feed.
1. Find a real opportunity
Where should we search, and is there an open response route?
UK procurement notice types
Distinguish advance information, engagement, tender opportunities and award records before acting.
Read the guide : UK procurement notice types↗2. Decide whether the brief fits
Can we deliver the scope, support it with evidence and make the budget work?
Website tender scope checklist: cost the work beyond the pages
A website tender scope checklist for small UK agencies: check content migration, integrations, accessibility evidence, hosting, support and buyer dependencies before pricing.
Read the guide : Website tender scope checklist: cost the work beyond the pages↗Tender case studies: prove the whole brief, not just the headline
Build a tender case-study evidence matrix: map required work to your agency’s actual role, deliverables and outcomes, and expose partner or capability gaps early.
Read the guide : Tender case studies: prove the whole brief, not just the headline↗Marketing tender budget worksheet
Separate agency delivery fees, media and production costs before deciding whether a campaign is viable.
Read the guide : Marketing tender budget worksheet↗Free bid / no-bid checklist
Bring scope, eligibility, evidence, capacity and commercial checks into one decision.
Read the guide : Free bid / no-bid checklist↗3. Resolve questions and approve bid effort
What needs clarification, and how much will the response cost us?
What clarification questions should an agency ask before bidding?
Practical tender clarification examples for UK creative agencies: resolve scope, budget and deadline ambiguity, use the stated channel and track the effect of each answer.
Read the guide : What clarification questions should an agency ask before bidding?↗How much does it cost an agency to prepare a tender bid?
Estimate an agency’s tender bid preparation cost using staff hours, external expenses and review time. Includes a worked example and a practical spending gate.
Read the guide : How much does it cost an agency to prepare a tender bid?↗4. Prepare the final submission
Who approves the response, and how do we confirm it was submitted?
Tender submission checklist: what to check before the deadline
Plan an agency tender submission: distinguish question and response deadlines, assign reviews, check files and portal access, and retain confirmation of submission.
Read the guide : Tender submission checklist: what to check before the deadline↗A shortlist with a reason
Spend your time on the right briefs.
Request the free NoticeSift pilot for opportunities matched to your agency’s services and demonstrable experience. We check the official notice, deadline, budget basis and essential work before sharing a match. No payment or subscription during the pilot.
Request a pilot placeAssessing a campaign budget? Separate agency fees from media spend with the budget worksheet.