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Central government buyers scoreboard

How central government buyers have bought over the last 12 months: how long they give suppliers to bid, how many bids they get, how often they advertise openly and how much goes to small firms.

Time to bid
31 days
Typical buyer. All buyers: 30 days
Bids per contract
4
Typical buyer. All buyers: 5
Advertised openly
25%
Typical buyer. All buyers: 36%
Won by small firms
48%
Typical buyer. All buyers: 59%

"Typical" is the middle buyer. Only buyers with at least 10 notices behind a figure are counted. How we score

Time to bid

Typical days between the tender notice and the deadline. Across all UK notices: 30 days.

How 50 central government buyers spread
Show as a table
RangeBuyers
0–5 days0
5–10 days0
10–15 days0
15–20 days0
20–25 days4
25–30 days17
30–35 days21
35–40 days4
40–45 days4
45–50 days0
50–55 days0
55–60 days0
60+ days0

Most time to bid

  1. Low Pay Commission45 days
    10 advertised tenders
  2. Crown Commercial Service43 days
    19 advertised tenders
  3. Food Standards Agency41 days
    18 advertised tenders
  4. Defence Equipment and Support41 days
    22 advertised tenders
  5. Leidos Supply, Limited40 days
    34 advertised tenders
  6. Department for Energy Security & Net Zero40 days
    21 advertised tenders
  7. Network Rail Infrastructure Limited37 days
    13 advertised tenders
  8. Met Office35 days
    10 advertised tenders
  9. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency35 days
    13 advertised tenders
  10. Natural History Museum35 days
    14 advertised tenders

Typical buyer: 31 days

Least time to bid

  1. Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA)21 days
    64 advertised tenders
  2. Natural England22 days
    148 advertised tenders
  3. Office of Rail and Road22 days
    24 advertised tenders
  4. Trinity House22 days
    13 advertised tenders
  5. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science25 days
    24 advertised tenders
  6. JNCC Support Co26 days
    15 advertised tenders
  7. Science Museum Group26 days
    68 advertised tenders
  8. Home Office27 days
    28 advertised tenders
  9. Historic England27 days
    63 advertised tenders
  10. Betsi Cadwaladr27 days
    13 advertised tenders

Typical buyer: 31 days

Bids per contract

Typical number of bids received for a competed contract. Across all UK notices: 5.

How 52 central government buyers spread
Show as a table
RangeBuyers
0–2 bids1
2–4 bids22
4–6 bids20
6–8 bids1
8–10 bids5
10–12 bids1
12–14 bids0
14–16 bids1
16–18 bids1
18–20 bids0
20+ bids0

Most bids per contract

  1. Crown Commercial Service16.5
    126 awards
  2. British Business Bank14
    14 awards
  3. The Crown Estate10
    32 awards
  4. Natural History Museum9.5
    14 awards
  5. Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs - Forest Service9
    25 awards
  6. Department for Science, Innovation & Technology8
    41 awards
  7. Met Office8
    34 awards
  8. Imperial War Museums8
    28 awards
  9. Science Museum Group6
    20 awards
  10. National Gallery5.5
    18 awards

Typical buyer: 4

Fewest bids per contract

  1. Food Standards Agency1
    13 awards
  2. Ministry of Defence2
    157 awards
  3. Environment Agency2
    31 awards
  4. Mhra2
    29 awards
  5. Trinity House2
    16 awards
  6. Post Office Limited2
    15 awards
  7. Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI)2
    15 awards
  8. Betsi Cadwaladr2
    13 awards
  9. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency2
    10 awards
  10. Defence Equipment and Support2.5
    16 awards

Typical buyer: 4

Advertised openly

Share of procurements open to any supplier, rather than a framework call-off, invited quotes or a direct award. Across all UK notices: 36%.

How 119 central government buyers spread
Show as a table
RangeBuyers
0–10%25
10–20%23
20–30%18
30–40%8
40–50%8
50–60%10
60–70%5
70–80%8
80–90%5
90–100%9

Most openly advertised

  1. Translink100%
    46 procurements
  2. National Gallery100%
    15 procurements
  3. Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI)100%
    13 procurements
  4. Low Pay Commission100%
    10 procurements
  5. Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA)98%
    65 procurements
  6. Science Museum Group97%
    89 procurements
  7. Office of Rail and Road96%
    28 procurements
  8. Department of Finance94%
    17 procurements
  9. Diamond Light Source Limited92%
    24 procurements
  10. DfI Transport and Road Asset Management (TRAM)85%
    20 procurements

Typical buyer: 25%

Least openly advertised

  1. Wilton Park0%
    83 procurements
  2. QE Facilities Ltd0%
    44 procurements
  3. Office for National Statistics0%
    37 procurements
  4. Alder Hey0%
    24 procurements
  5. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs0%
    23 procurements
  6. Valuation Office Agency0%
    18 procurements
  7. Companies House0%
    15 procurements
  8. Government Property Agency3%
    37 procurements
  9. UK Export Finance3%
    35 procurements
  10. Department for Business & Trade3%
    173 procurements

Typical buyer: 25%

Won by small firms

Share of winning suppliers that the notices describe as small or medium-sized. Across all UK notices: 61%.

How 117 central government buyers spread
Show as a table
RangeBuyers
0–10%2
10–20%3
20–30%10
30–40%18
40–50%30
50–60%21
60–70%18
70–80%6
80–90%5
90–100%4

Most contracts to small firms

  1. Diamond Light Source Limited100%
    24 winning suppliers
  2. Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA)97%
    36 winning suppliers
  3. National Museum of the Royal Navy95%
    44 winning suppliers
  4. Quality Trusted Solutions LLP91%
    32 winning suppliers
  5. Natural History Museum85%
    26 winning suppliers
  6. National Lottery Heritage Fund84%
    19 winning suppliers
  7. British Library82%
    74 winning suppliers
  8. Northern Lighthouse Board82%
    33 winning suppliers
  9. Crown Commercial Service81%
    7542 winning suppliers
  10. Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs - Forest Service78%
    27 winning suppliers

Typical buyer: 48%

Fewest contracts to small firms

  1. The Common Services Agency The Common Services Agency (more commonly known as Public Services Delivery Scotland) (PSD Scotland)0%
    17 winning suppliers
  2. Atomic Weapons Establishment0%
    10 winning suppliers
  3. Valuation Office Agency12%
    17 winning suppliers
  4. Government Property Agency13%
    30 winning suppliers
  5. British Tourist Authority t/a VisitBritain/VisitEngland18%
    17 winning suppliers
  6. National Audit Office20%
    30 winning suppliers
  7. Food Standards Agency22%
    50 winning suppliers
  8. Office for Nuclear Regulation23%
    13 winning suppliers
  9. National Highways23%
    371 winning suppliers
  10. Intellectual Property Office24%
    21 winning suppliers

Typical buyer: 48%