Key findings
- There are 2,773 IT contracts, with a combined value of nearly £3bn, expiring before the end of 2020, providing opportunities for suppliers of every size.
- There are 42 IT contracts worth £10m or more expiring across 2019 and 2020. These are particularly likely to be broken up as part of the Government’s policy of contract disaggregation, which aims to increase the SME share of the market.
Why expiry dates matter
Award notices published on Contracts Finder and in the Official Journal of the European Union usually include a start date and a contract term, which makes it possible to estimate when an incumbent’s contract will end and when the buyer is likely to return to the market. Suppliers who track these dates can plan their engagement well ahead of the tender instead of reacting to it.
Using the window well
- Track expiry dates for the buyers and categories that match your offer at least 12 to 18 months ahead.
- Take part in early market engagement, supplier days and soft market testing when they are announced.
- Check which framework agreements the buyer has used before, and make sure you are on them when they reopen.
- Where bidding as a prime contractor is unrealistic, talk to likely bidders about subcontracting.
See our guide to winning public sector business for more on preparing to bid, or return to Procurement Insights.