Procurement glossary · Notices and finding work
Procurement thresholds
The contract values at which the full public procurement regime applies. Above threshold, a procurement must be advertised and run under the statutory rules. Below it, lighter requirements apply. Thresholds differ by contract type and by authority type, and they are revised periodically.
Also called Financial thresholds.
What it means in practice
Thresholds decide which rulebook applies, and therefore how a procurement will look, how long it will take, and where it will be advertised.
Above threshold means published notices on Find a Tender, prescribed minimum timescales, and the full remedies regime including standstill. Below threshold means faster, lighter processes, often a simple quotation exercise, and far less formality.
The values change and they differ between works, services, supplies and light touch contracts, and between central government and other authorities. Do not carry a remembered figure into a decision: check the current published thresholds before relying on one.
For a supplier the practical use is calibration. If you are chasing work below threshold, the game is being known to the buyer and being easy to buy from. Above threshold it is formal bid capability. Most suppliers need both and treat only the second as real.
Where suppliers get caught
Assuming below threshold means no process. Authorities still have their own standing orders and spending rules, and many run genuine competitions well below the statutory thresholds. The rules are lighter, not absent.
Common questions
What are the current UK procurement thresholds?
They vary by contract type and authority type and are revised periodically, so check the current published figures rather than working from a remembered number. What matters practically is that above threshold brings full advertising, timescales and remedies, and below threshold does not.
Where is below threshold work advertised?
Frequently on Contracts Finder, on the authority's own portal, or through a local or regional buying arrangement. It is less visible than above-threshold work, which is exactly why there is less competition for it.
Related terms
If a tender in front of you turns on this, send us the documents and the deadline and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth bidding. Call 020 3668 5488, or read the rest of the UK procurement glossary.