Where to Find Public Software RFPs: EU, UK, Nordics, Netherlands and US

3 Nov 2026 · 7 min read

Public-sector organisations buy a great deal of software and IT services, and most of their larger contracts must be advertised openly. For a small agency, that is unusual: a published, dated, scoped request with a clear process. The hard part isn't access, which is free. It's knowing which portal to check and how to filter thousands of notices down to the handful that fit you.

The portals below were checked on 3 November 2026. Procurement rules and platforms change, so always confirm on the official site.

First, learn the filters that work everywhere

CPV codes (EU, EEA, UK). The Common Procurement Vocabulary classifies what is being bought. Useful codes for software agencies include:

CPV	Meaning
72000000	IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
72200000	Software programming and consultancy services
72212000	Programming services of application software
72230000	Custom software development services
72262000	Software development services
72220000	Systems and technical consultancy services
72260000	Software-related services

Filter on codes first, then keywords. Notices are often in the buyer's language, so a keyword search for "software development" can miss a Dutch "maatwerksoftware" or Swedish "systemutveckling" notice that carries the right CPV code.

NAICS codes (US). US federal opportunities use NAICS codes. The one most relevant to custom development is 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services), with neighbours such as 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services).

Notice types. Look at more than open competitions:

Contract notices are live competitions with a deadline.
Prior information notices (PINs) and market consultations say a buyer is planning something, sometimes months ahead. This is a good time to understand the need.
Contract award notices show who won what. They're useful for spotting incumbents and when contracts will come up for renewal.

European Union: TED (Tenders Electronic Daily)

URL: ted.europa.eu

TED is the online supplement to the Official Journal of the EU. It publishes procurement notices above EU thresholds from EU member states and from other countries that use it, including EEA notices. For Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, TED is the single best place to start. Many Norwegian notices also appear there.

Useful features:

Search by CPV, buyer country, notice type and publication date.
RSS feeds for saved searches.
A public search API (api.ted.europa.eu) for programmatic queries.
A standard notice layout. Once you know where the buyer, CPV, place of performance (NUTS code), lots, selection criteria and deadline sit, you can triage a notice in a few minutes.

Procurement documents are usually hosted on a separate e-tendering platform linked from the notice. Examples include national systems and commercial platforms such as Mercell. You often need to register there to download documents or submit a bid.

Example to practise on: TED notice 265079-2026 is a Lithuanian contract notice for developing an electronic services portal (CPV 72262000, estimated value EUR 410,000 excluding VAT, documents in Lithuanian). It has now closed, but it shows typical structure and a typical barrier, the documents' language.

Denmark: udbud.dk

URL: udbud.dk

udbud.dk is the Danish national announcement portal. Danish above-threshold notices go to TED. Under Danish rules, certain contracts below EU thresholds that have a clear cross-border interest must also be announced nationally, and udbud.dk has been the designated place for this. Current thresholds and guidance are published by the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen, kfst.dk). Expect most notices in Danish. Many Danish buyers run the actual tender on commercial e-tendering platforms linked from the notice.

Search tips: use both TED (filter buyer country = Denmark) and udbud.dk. Search Danish terms such as it-system, softwareudvikling and digital løsning.

Norway: Doffin

URL: doffin.no

Doffin ("database for offentlige innkjøp") is Norway's national procurement notice database, run by the Norwegian Agency for Public and Financial Management (DFØ). It carries both national notices and those above EEA thresholds, which are forwarded to TED. Doffin includes smaller contracts that you won't find on TED.

Search tips: filter by CPV and county. Useful Norwegian terms include systemutvikling, programvare and konsulenttjenester IT.

Sweden: registered advertising databases plus TED

Sweden has no single national portal. Since 2020, Swedish contracting authorities must advertise their procurements in registered advertising databases (registrerade annonsdatabaser). These are commercial or public platforms approved under the Public Procurement Statistics Act (2019:668). The Swedish Competition Authority (Konkurrensverket) keeps the register of approved databases. Above-threshold notices also appear on TED.

Search tips: start with TED (buyer country = Sweden) for larger contracts. For smaller contracts, check Konkurrensverket's list of registered databases and set up free searches or alerts on the ones most used in your target regions. Useful Swedish terms include systemutveckling, IT-konsulter and webbutveckling.

Netherlands: TenderNed

URL: tenderned.nl

TenderNed is the Dutch government's central e-procurement platform. It combines an announcement platform with an application for running tenders electronically. Dutch contracting authorities publish their national and European tenders there, and European notices flow to TED. Registration requires eHerkenning (a Dutch business login, level 2 or higher), and the application is in Dutch. Business.gov.nl has English guidance for foreign suppliers.

Search tips: CPV filters work well. Dutch terms include maatwerksoftware, applicatieontwikkeling, softwareontwikkeling and zaaksysteem (case-management systems, common in municipal IT). Some Dutch buyers also use commercial tender platforms such as Negometrix (now part of Mercell) for the procurement itself.

United Kingdom: Find a Tender (and Contracts Finder)

URLs: find-tender.service.gov.uk · contractsfinder.service.gov.uk

The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025. Under it, Find a Tender became the Central Digital Platform for public procurement notices. Government guidance says procurements started on or after that date publish their notices on Find a Tender, whether above or below threshold. Contracts Finder remains online and holds notices from procurements started under the previous rules. Some buyers may still post there, but new opportunities should appear on Find a Tender.

Suppliers must register on the platform to take part in procurements under the new Act. Searching is free and you should never pay to see public-sector opportunities. Scotland runs Public Contracts Scotland for devolved Scottish procurement.

Search tips: use Find a Tender's CPV filter, set alerts, and look at pipeline and preliminary market engagement notices. These are the UK equivalent of an early warning.

United States: SAM.gov

URL: sam.gov → Contract Opportunities

SAM.gov is the official source for US federal contract opportunities. Federal agencies are generally required to post opportunities above $25,000 there. You can search without logging in, but you need an active SAM registration (with a Unique Entity ID) to bid.

Search tips:

Filter by NAICS 541511 and related codes, notice type (solicitation, sources sought, presolicitation) and set-asides if you qualify as a small business.
Keyword search is literal, so try variants: "software development", "application modernization", "agile development", "custom application".
Sources sought notices are market research. Responding is free and puts you on the buyer's radar early.
Free help with registration is available from APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs).

State and local governments run their own portals, which are separate from SAM.gov. Check the procurement pages of the states and cities you want to serve.

Making it manageable

Pick at most three portals to start: usually TED plus your home market's national portal, and SAM.gov or Find a Tender if you serve the US or UK.
Build saved searches for your CPV or NAICS codes and set daily or weekly alerts.
Triage each notice in 10 minutes: service fit, deadline, selection criteria (turnover, references, certifications), language, and lots you could bid on alone.
Track decisions, including passes, so you learn which buyers and notice types suit you.
Consider partnering on larger tenders. Many small agencies win public work as subcontractors or consortium members first.

If you'd rather not run these searches by hand, Dealglint pulls EU TED notices automatically, scores each against your agency's services and links back to the official notice. Either way, the official portals above are the source of truth.