Find a Tender · January to July 2026

Single-bid tenders in the UK

10.8% of the 12,598 competed lots awarded through Find a Tender received one bid and no other. The median lot drew 5. The United Kingdom is missing from the European count because it stopped publishing to Brussels; this reads the register it publishes to now, on the same definition.

10.8%
of competed lots drew a single bid
5
bids on the median lot
12,598
competed lots with a readable count
6,271
lots excluded as not a competition

Buyers whose tenders draw the fewest bids

The 65 buyers that awarded at least 30 competed lots with a readable count. Find a Tender names its buyers, so no lookup is needed and none is guessed.

#BuyerSingle bidLots
1Bristol City Councilmedian 183.7%49
2NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)median 156.0%50
3London Borough of Mertonmedian 153.1%64
4NORTHERN IRELAND WATER LIMITEDmedian 247.6%42
5Tees Valley Combined Authoritymedian 244.1%34
6LONDON BUS SERVICES LIMITEDmedian 234.9%43
7Derry City and Strabane District Councilmedian 332.2%59
8Ministry of Defencemedian 229.1%55
9Cyngor Gwyneddmedian 225.7%35
10City of Bradford Metropolitan District Councilmedian 525.6%39
11Hertfordshire County Councilmedian 523.7%38
12UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)median 421.1%38
13Gloucestershire County Councilmedian 5.520.6%34
14the Education Authoritymedian 320.5%39
15Wrexham County Borough Councilmedian 318.4%38
16Angus Councilmedian 317.9%56
17Derbyshire County Councilmedian 816.1%31
18City & County of Swanseamedian 413.5%37
19Yorkshire Purchasing Organisationmedian 513.0%69
20Sheffield City Councilmedian 512.9%31
21Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Governmentmedian 312.5%32
22Wolverhampton City Councilmedian 412.5%32
23Cumberland Councilmedian 212.1%33
24Nottingham City Councilmedian 311.4%44
25Belfast Health and Social Care Trustmedian 410.5%38
26Manchester City Councilmedian 510.0%30
27NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)median 59.4%32
28NHS Englandmedian 69.3%43
29Neath Port Talbot County Borough Councilmedian 48.1%37
30Northern Ireland Housing Executivemedian 66.8%44
31Leicester City Councilmedian 86.7%30
32Government Commercial Agencymedian 326.7%30
33Hampshire County Councilmedian 55.6%36
34The Common Services Agency (more commonly known as NHS National Services Scotland) (NSS)median 74.8%167
35Norfolk County Councilmedian 73.6%55
36Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Servicemedian 53.2%62
37Crown Commercial Servicemedian 22.5%40
38Devon County Councilmedian 122.0%199
39Beyond Housing Limitedmedian 101.6%63
40NHS Englandmedian 701.5%133
41Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive T/A Nexusmedian 41.5%198
42Surrey County Councilmedian 111.3%232
43Sutton, Achieving for Children and Kingstonmedian 150.8%128
44Essex County Councilmedian 50.0%34
45Pembrokeshire County Councilmedian 10.50.0%44
46Staffordshire County Councilmedian 50.0%37
47Coventry City Councilmedian 30.0%49
48Leicestershire County Council, trading as ESPOmedian 320.0%164
49The North Yorkshire Councilmedian 130.0%40
50Aberdeenshire Councilmedian 50.0%31
51Forestry and Land Scotlandmedian 8.50.0%68
52Regional Business Services Organisation, Procurement and Logistics Servicemedian 570.0%79
53SUPPLY CHAIN COORDINATION LIMITEDmedian 100.0%46
54Carmarthenshire County Councilmedian 9.50.0%34
55Surrey County Councilmedian 480.0%165
56The Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of Londonmedian 70.0%31
57Leeds City Councilmedian 40.0%35
58Manchester City Councilmedian 2910.0%40
59Educomedian 30.0%30
60London Borough of Enfieldmedian 360.0%32
61Surrey County Councilmedian 660.0%41
62Forestry Commissionmedian 70.0%44
63London Borough of Haringeymedian 660.0%44
64Crescent Purchasing Consortium Limitedmedian 80.0%53
65The Common Services Agency (more commonly known as Public Services Delivery Scotland ) (PSDS)median 170.0%32

By CPV division

The 39 divisions carrying at least 30 competed lots.

CPVDivisionSingle bidLots
14Mining, basic metals and related products36.8%38
38Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)27.0%89
70Real estate services24.3%103
66Financial and insurance services22.9%433
03Agricultural, farming, fishing, forestry and related products21.7%46
75Administration, defence and social security services20.2%104
98Other community, social and personal services19.2%130
92Recreational, cultural and sporting services18.4%76
37Musical instruments, sport goods, games, toys, handicraft, art materials and accessories18.2%55
44Construction structures and materials; auxiliary products to construction (except electric apparatus)17.0%265
80Education and training services16.2%506
63Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services14.8%61
90Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services13.7%677
64Postal and telecommunications services12.9%31
72IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support12.4%283
85Health and social work services12.3%1,663
35Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment12.2%74
77Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services11.5%331
15Food, beverages, tobacco and related products10.6%104
60Transport services (excl. Waste transport)10.4%1,237
09Petroleum products, fuel, electricity and other sources of energy10.1%89
34Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation9.9%382
42Industrial machinery9.9%142
73Research and development services and related consultancy services8.4%107
50Repair and maintenance services8.3%518
32Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment8.3%84
79Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security7.8%1,058
30Office and computing machinery, equipment and supplies except furniture and software packages7.7%130
33Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products7.5%668
31Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting7.5%133
43Machinery for mining, quarrying, construction equipment7.4%54
48Software package and information systems7.2%181
45Construction work7.1%1,431
55Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services6.4%264
71Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services5.5%601
24Chemical products5.1%39
39Furniture (incl. office furniture), furnishings, domestic appliances (excl. lighting) and cleaning products4.1%169
22Printed matter and related products2.9%69
18Clothing, footwear, luggage articles and accessories2.3%88

Code by code

The 67 CPV codes carrying at least 30 competed lots. Each opens its page in the CPV tree.

CodeDescriptionSingle bidLots
60170000Hire of passenger transport vehicles with driver46.7%75
70333000Housing services45.1%51
90510000Refuse disposal and treatment35.5%31
75200000Provision of services to the community31.1%45
38000000Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)29.0%31
90000000Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services28.6%42
79952000Event services27.0%37
98000000Other community, social and personal services24.2%33
45210000Building construction work23.4%107
66510000Insurance services23.4%269
79400000Business and management consultancy and related services23.3%30
80500000Training services22.9%35
90500000Refuse and waste related services22.6%155
60112000Public road transport services21.6%255
85323000Community health services18.9%37
15000000Food, beverages, tobacco and related products16.3%43
33141720Walking aids16.1%31
66000000Financial and insurance services15.6%45
85312000Social work services without accommodation15.2%33
72000000IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support15.1%119
77000000Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services15.0%60
80000000Education and training services13.8%318
60120000Taxi services13.1%61
85300000Social work and related services12.8%86
77314000Grounds maintenance services11.7%111
45211000Construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses11.4%35
79600000Recruitment services11.4%35
85000000Health and social work services10.8%685
79620000Supply services of personnel including temporary staff9.8%41
50700000Repair and maintenance services of building installations9.3%43
60100000Road transport services9.1%66
50750000Lift-maintenance services9.1%33
60172000Hire of buses and coaches with driver8.8%57
34928480Waste and rubbish containers and bins8.6%35
33000000Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products8.2%110
73000000Research and development services and related consultancy services7.7%52
85100000Health services7.6%410
45000000Construction work7.5%495
48000000Software package and information systems6.7%89
33140000Medical consumables6.4%94
50000000Repair and maintenance services6.1%213
33600000Pharmaceutical products5.8%155
79411000General management consultancy services5.4%37
45300000Building installation work5.3%75
34121100Public-service buses4.8%63
77200000Forestry services4.7%43
33141110Dressings4.5%44
34121000Buses and coaches4.5%44
85311000Social work services with accommodation4.3%70
55524000School catering services3.4%147
90900000Cleaning and sanitation services2.9%34
71000000Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services2.6%76
60000000Transport services (excl. Waste transport)2.6%682
55520000Catering services2.6%38
45220000Engineering works and construction works2.6%76
39000000Furniture (incl. office furniture), furnishings, domestic appliances (excl. lighting) and cleaning products2.5%40
79100000Legal services2.1%239
45200000Works for complete or part construction and civil engineering work2.1%47
79000000Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security2.0%49
79340000Advertising and marketing services2.0%50
79710000Security services1.6%64
71530000Construction consultancy services1.2%82
90919300School cleaning services0.0%110
45453100Refurbishment work0.0%36
33192100Beds for medical use0.0%35
90910000Cleaning services0.0%41
80400000Adult and other education services0.0%42

How this is counted

The source is Find a Tender, the service the United Kingdom publishes to since leaving the Union, and the field is bids.statistics with measure "bids", which OCDS carries per lot. Awards made without a call for competition are excluded, 5,298 notices and 6,271 lots of them, because a single bid there is the design of the procedure and not a finding: on a sample those ran at 100% single bid against 3% for the open procedure, and Portugal and France exclude the same thing from their own registers for the same reason. The unit is the lot. A code is attributed exactly for 7,933 lots, where the award item carries both the classification and the lot it belongs to; the other 4,665 take the single code their notice carries for the whole of it, which is the same compromise the EU Official Journal forces everywhere. A division, code or buyer appears only above 30 lots. 86 lots were dropped above 500 bids, the same ceiling the French and European pipelines use. Harvested 2026-09-08.

Read against the other registers this site counts, all on their own competed procedure and the same months: Portugal 13.8%, France 17.5%, the EU Official Journal 36.0% above the European thresholds. Each counts a different universe, and none of them checks the others.

The same question across the EUThe French registerThe Portuguese oneSee what is open under your code