# Find a Tender Scraper & Monitor (UK FTS Tenders & Awards) (`kestreldata/find-a-tender-scraper`) Actor

Scrape UK Find a Tender (FTS) notices via the official OCDS API: tenders, awards, pipeline and contract changes under the Procurement Act 2023. CPV, keyword and value filters; monitor mode returns only new and updated notices. OGL v3.0, no key.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/kestreldata/find-a-tender-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Kestrel Data](https://apify.com/kestreldata) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 50.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-usage

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Find a Tender Scraper & Monitor (UK FTS Tenders & Awards)

**Scrape UK public sector tenders and contract awards from Find a Tender (FTS)**, the UK government's central digital procurement platform, through its **official OCDS API**. No key, no login, no browser. Get clean JSON, CSV or Excel. Schedule it and each run returns only **new and updated** notices.

Since the **Procurement Act 2023** went live (24 Feb 2025), Find a Tender carries both above- and below-threshold notices for new UK procurements: tenders, pipeline notices, preliminary market engagement, contract awards, amendments and terminations. That's about 400–500 notices a day.

### Features

- 📋 **Tenders** (open opportunities, plus updates and cancellations), **awards** (supplier, SME flag, awarded value), **pipeline / planning**, **contract changes**
- 🔎 Filters: keywords (title and description), **CPV code prefixes**, min/max value, open deadlines only
- 🔁 **Monitor mode**: remembers what you've seen and returns only `new` and `updated` notices, ideal for daily bid alerts
- 🧩 Clean schema: title, buyer, locality, CPV, value and currency (lot values summed when there's no total), deadline, procedure, NUTS/ITL regions, suppliers, notice URL
- ➕ Optional: add **UK Contracts Finder** and **EU TED** to the same run, in the same schema
- 🔒 No personal data: contact emails and phones are not output, and supplier names appear only when clearly organisations (sole traders are withheld)

### Input example

```json
{
  "sources": ["find-a-tender"],
  "cfStages": ["tender", "award"],
  "keywords": ["software", "digital"],
  "cpvCodes": ["72", "48"],
  "minValue": 100000,
  "lookbackDays": 7,
  "emitMode": "changes",
  "stateName": "uk-it-tenders"
}
```

### Output example

```json
{
  "changeType": "new",
  "source": "find-a-tender",
  "noticeId": "ocds-h6vhtk-078b7c",
  "releaseId": "098828-2026",
  "stage": "tender",
  "title": "IT0043 Flooding Term Commission 2027-2031",
  "buyerName": "Falkirk Council",
  "buyerLocality": "Larbert",
  "cpvCodes": ["71311000"],
  "cpvDescription": "Civil engineering consultancy services",
  "value": 1400000,
  "currency": "GBP",
  "deadline": "2026-11-30T16:00:00Z",
  "publishedAt": "2026-10-20T10:25:55+01:00",
  "procedureType": "open",
  "placeOfPerformance": ["UKM76"],
  "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098828-2026",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Find a Tender, Cabinet Office)."
}
```

### Daily UK bid alerts in 3 steps

1. Set keywords and/or CPV codes and a **State name**.
2. Run once. Everything in the look-back window is output as `new`.
3. Add a daily **Schedule** and connect Slack, email, Google Sheets, Zapier, Make or a webhook. Later runs continue from the previous run with a 1-day overlap.

### Data source & licence

Find a Tender service (UK Cabinet Office), [OCDS release package API](https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/apidocumentation/1.0/GET-ocdsReleasePackages). *Contains public sector information licensed under the [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/)*, which permits commercial reuse with attribution ([FTS data documentation](https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Developer/Documentation), [terms](https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Home/TermsAndConditions)). Every row has an `attribution` field. Departmental logos aren't used. This Actor isn't affiliated with the Cabinet Office.

### FAQ

**Why don't I use the API's `stages` filter directly?** In our tests it returned far fewer notices than exist. This Actor fetches everything updated in the window and filters on release tags, so nothing is missed.
**Scotland?** Scottish below-threshold notices are published on Public Contracts Scotland, not FTS. Above-threshold Scottish notices are included.
**Need EU tenders too?** Add `ted` to Sources, or see our *UK & EU Tenders Monitor*.

*Built by Kestrel Data.*

# Actor input Schema

## `sources` (type: `array`):

Find a Tender is the default. You can add UK Contracts Finder (below-threshold England) or EU TED in the same run.

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

UK sources: matched in title/description. TED: full-text search in all languages.

## `excludeKeywords` (type: `array`):

Drop notices whose title/description contains any of these.

## `cpvCodes` (type: `array`):

e.g. 72 (IT services), 48 (software packages), 45 (construction works), 7200.

## `tedCountries` (type: `array`):

Only used when the TED source is selected. ISO 3166 alpha-3 codes, e.g. DEU, FRA, IRL, NLD. Empty = all.

## `minValue` (type: `integer`):

Minimum estimated/award value in the notice currency. Notices without a value are dropped when set.

## `maxValue` (type: `integer`):

Maximum value in the notice currency.

## `cfStages` (type: `array`):

planning = pipeline / preliminary market engagement, tender = open opportunities (incl. updates & cancellations), award = awarded contracts, contract = amendments/terminations (FTS only).

## `tedFormTypes` (type: `array`):

Only used when the TED source is selected. competition = calls for tender, result = award notices, planning = prior information, change = corrigenda.

## `openOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Drop notices whose submission deadline has passed.

## `lookbackDays` (type: `integer`):

Published-date window for the first run (and every run in 'all' mode). Monitor runs continue from the previous run with a 1-day overlap.

## `emitMode` (type: `string`):

Monitor mode compares with the previous run with the same state name and filters.

## `includeDescription` (type: `boolean`):

Notice description text (emails and phone numbers are redacted).

## `maxResultsPerSource` (type: `integer`):

0 = no limit.

## `stateName` (type: `string`):

Use different names for different monitors.

## `resetState` (type: `boolean`):

Treat everything as new this run.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "sources": [
    "find-a-tender"
  ],
  "keywords": [
    "software"
  ],
  "cfStages": [
    "tender",
    "award"
  ],
  "tedFormTypes": [
    "competition"
  ],
  "openOnly": false,
  "lookbackDays": 7,
  "emitMode": "changes",
  "includeDescription": false,
  "maxResultsPerSource": 0,
  "stateName": "default",
  "resetState": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Notices (new/updated in monitor mode).

## `summary` (type: `string`):

Window, per-source status and counts.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "sources": [
        "find-a-tender"
    ],
    "keywords": [
        "software"
    ],
    "cfStages": [
        "tender",
        "award"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("kestreldata/find-a-tender-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "sources": ["find-a-tender"],
    "keywords": ["software"],
    "cfStages": [
        "tender",
        "award",
    ],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("kestreldata/find-a-tender-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "sources": [
    "find-a-tender"
  ],
  "keywords": [
    "software"
  ],
  "cfStages": [
    "tender",
    "award"
  ]
}' |
apify call kestreldata/find-a-tender-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,kestreldata/find-a-tender-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/g3EuMlDVECporAZxz/builds/4VYLGlhmMbEnwdaKD/openapi.json