Access closed government tenders on Contracts Finder

Open data feed for government contracts and tenders

All the information used by Contracts Finder is held in a database. Some of this data - the detailed contract information - can be accessed directly as a machine-readable XML document.

This type of information is also referred to as notice information, or metadata. It includes data such as the name of the buying organisation, the contract value, and the codes used to describe the type of work.

You can access all current contract information as an XML document on the Contracts Finder website - Opens in a new window.

You should note that only the contract information can be accessed this way. You can't directly access the tender or contract documents as an XML data source.

Using and re-using the data

Potential applications of the contract information include adding a news feed to your own website or intranet site, or developing your own software applications that manipulate the data. See examples of how government data is being used by businesses and individuals on the data.gov.uk website - Opens in a new window.

You can freely re-use the data, provided that it is for legitimate purposes and you comply with the standard terms and conditions. Read the Open Government Licence terms and conditions on the National Archives website - Opens in a new window.

You can also download and use the tender and contract documents, as long as you meet the terms and conditions of the department, agency or organisation that published the metadata. This will often be based on crown copyright. Read our help topic on reusing content and copyright.

Other data published by government

A number of other government data and information sets are being published as part of the wider government transparency agenda. The government's data.gov.uk website has details of what data is available, and how you can access it.

You can find out about free re-use of national and local data on the data.gov.uk website - Opens in a new window.

For more information about the transparency commitment, see our guide on transparency in government procurement and contracting.

Changes from April 2011

From April 2011 Contracts Finder will publish open, lower-value opportunities across government. When this happens, the structure of the XML document will change to accommodate the wider range of data and the increased volume of information.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Types of closed tender and contract documents available on Contracts Finder
• Where to find open contract opportunities with government
• Searching for tenders and setting up email alerts on Contracts Finder
• Open data feed for government contracts and tenders
• Benefits of registering as a supplier on Contracts Finder
• Live opportunities and other future developments on Contracts Finder
• Online help for businesses and the public when using Contracts Finder

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