United Kingdom government bids, October 2026 (to date)
What public buyers in the United Kingdom posted in October 2026 to date (through Oct 22): bids posted, how many are still open, the largest categories, the busiest weeks, how long suppliers had to respond and how that compares with the month before.
Facts checked
Key findings
- BidRover recorded 2,957 new public bids in the United Kingdom in October 2026 through Oct 22, up 1315% from the same days of September 2026 (209).
- General procurement was the largest category, with 686 bids, or 23% of the month's notices.
- The median bid gave suppliers 22 days from posting to deadline, and 30% allowed less than two weeks.
- The busiest week was Oct 5–11, with 2,206 new bids.
- Tenders made up 99% of the notices whose type BidRover could identify.
The month in numbers
This month is still in progress: figures cover Oct 1 to Oct 22 and change as new bids arrive.
Top categories
| Category | Bids | Share |
|---|---|---|
| General procurement | 686 | 23% |
| Construction & facilities | 629 | 21% |
| Software & digital services | 203 | 7% |
| Education & training | 177 | 6% |
| Healthcare | 169 | 6% |
| Environmental & energy | 154 | 5% |
| Goods & supplies | 135 | 5% |
| Transportation & logistics | 118 | 4% |
| Architecture & engineering | 110 | 4% |
| Professional services | 90 | 3% |
Busiest weeks
The single busiest day was Oct 6, with 566 new bids. Weeks run Monday to Sunday and are cut at the month's edges.
| Week | Bids |
|---|---|
| Oct 1–4 | 19 |
| Oct 5–11 | 2,206 |
| Oct 12–18 | 564 |
| Oct 19–22 | 168 |
Time to respond
2,613 of the month's 2,957 bids state a deadline. Half of those gave suppliers 22 days or less from posting. 30% allowed under 14 days; 21% allowed 30 days or more.
Notice types
1,619 bids name their type in the notice type or title; 1,338 do not and are left out of the shares below.
| Type | Bids | Share of typed bids |
|---|---|---|
| Tender | 1,597 | 99% |
| Expression of interest or qualifications | 11 | 1% |
| Request for information | 6 | 0% |
| Grant or funding opportunity | 4 | 0% |
| Request for quotes | 1 | 0% |
Month over month
| Month | Bids posted | Change |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,487 | – |
| September 2026 | 259 | -83% |
| October 2026 (to date) | 2,957 | – |
How these numbers are counted
"Posted" counts are notices BidRover first recorded in the month, from the official procurement and grant sources it reads. They measure what BidRover saw, not every bid every buyer issued; a newly added source adds its open backlog in the month it was connected.
Bids withdrawn by the source, document-only records and Colombian direct awards are excluded. Closed bids still count in the month they were posted.
Days to deadline run from the day BidRover recorded a bid to its stated deadline; bids without a deadline, or with an impossible one, are left out of that figure. Notice types are read from the notice type or title (RFP, RFQ, invitation to bid and so on); bids that name no type are counted separately.
A place-month gets a report only when at least 30 bids were posted. Figures are recomputed every six hours.
Related
Questions
How many government bids were posted in the United Kingdom in October 2026?
BidRover recorded 2,957 new public bids in the United Kingdom in October 2026 to date (through Oct 22), up 1315% from the same days of September 2026 (209). 703 of them were still open on Oct 22, 2026.
What did the United Kingdom buy most in October 2026?
The largest categories were General procurement (686), Construction & facilities (629), Software & digital services (203).
How long do suppliers get to respond to bids in the United Kingdom?
For bids posted in October 2026 to date (through Oct 22), the median time from posting to deadline was 22 days; 30% allowed less than 14 days and 21% allowed 30 days or more. Always check the deadline and its time zone in the official notice.
Where do these numbers come from?
They are counts of notices BidRover first recorded from the official public sources it reads, grouped by the month they were recorded. They reflect BidRover's coverage, not an official government total.