eSourcing platform
eSourcing platforms
Where you actually build and submit the bid. Each one needs its own supplier account.
This is where the bid actually goes, and it is where the sprawl lives. Buyers choose their own platform, so responding to two contracts can mean two separate supplier accounts, two password policies and two document upload formats. Around 63 named platforms operate roughly 653 buyer-facing sites between them: In-tend alone accounts for about 358, because every buyer gets its own subdomain and its own registration. You cannot pre-register on all of them and there is no point trying. Register when you find work worth bidding for, and leave enough time before the deadline to get through the account approval.
21 portals in this category. Last reviewed 2026-09-14.
All four UK portals in one email
Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland and Sell2Wales, read every weekday and scored against what you do, in one email before 9am. You only register on a buyer's platform when a tender is worth bidding for. 30 days free, no card needed.
eSourcing platforms
Side by side
eSourcing platforms compared
| Platform | Run by | Used in | Cost to suppliers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atamis | Atamis (Salesforce-based) | UK-wide | Free to suppliers |
| capitalEsourcing (London Tenders Portal) | London boroughs consortium | England | Free |
| Coupa | Coupa Software (owned by Thoma Bravo since February 2023) | UK-wide, International | Free for suppliers; optional paid extras (a Verified badge, premium support) are not needed to trade |
| Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) | Ministry of Defence (platform supplied by Jaggaer) | UK-wide | Free to register and bid |
| Delta eSourcing | BiP Solutions | UK-wide | Free supplier registration; paid tiers for enhanced alerts |
| Elcom | Elcom International | UK-wide | Free to suppliers |
| eSourcing NI (Housing Executive) | Northern Ireland Housing Executive (Jaggaer/Bravo platform) | Northern Ireland | Free |
| eTendersNI | Construction and Procurement Delivery, Department of Finance NI | Northern Ireland | Free |
| eTenderwales | Welsh Government (Jaggaer/Bravo platform) | Wales | Free |
| EU-Supply CTM | Mercell | UK-wide, EU | Free to suppliers |
| In-tend | In-tend Ltd | UK-wide | Free to suppliers |
| Jaggaer | Jaggaer | UK-wide, International | Free to suppliers |
| Litmus Tender Management System (LTMS) | The Litmus Partnership | UK-wide | Free to suppliers |
| NHS Health Family (Atamis) | Department of Health and Social Care / NHS England | England | Free |
| Open (NEPO) | North East Procurement Organisation | England | Free |
| PCS-Tender | Scottish Government (Jaggaer platform) | Scotland | Free |
| ProContract (Proactis / Due North) | Proactis (privately owned since a 2021 takeover led by Pollen Street Capital) | UK-wide | Free to suppliers |
| Salesforce Sourcing | Various buyers on Salesforce | UK-wide | Free to suppliers |
| SAP Ariba | SAP | UK-wide, International | Free to register; transaction and subscription fees apply above thresholds |
| The Chest | North West local authorities (on ProContract) | England | Free |
| YORtender | Yorkshire and Humber authorities (on ProContract) | England | Free |
Common questions
Using eSourcing platforms
What is an eSourcing platform?
The system a public buyer uses to run a tender once it is advertised: you register on it, download the documents, ask clarification questions and submit your bid through it. The notice itself is published on Find a Tender, Public Contracts Scotland or Sell2Wales; the eSourcing platform is where the bid goes.
Are eSourcing platforms free for suppliers?
Yes. All 21 platforms in this list are free for suppliers to register on and bid through; the buyer pays for the platform, not you. A few sell optional extras, such as wider alerts, and SAP Ariba can charge fees to suppliers trading above set volumes; the cost column below has the detail for each.
How do I know which eSourcing platform a buyer uses?
The tender notice tells you. Each notice links to where the documents are and where bids go, which is usually the buyer's eSourcing platform. Register there as soon as you decide to bid, because account approval is not always instant.
Do I need a separate account for each buyer?
Sometimes. Some platforms give you one supplier account that works for every buyer using them; others, In-tend in particular, run a separate site and registration for each buyer. Each platform's page in this list says which.
The other categories
Everything else you might meet
You do not need an account on all of them. Tender Radar watches the four statutory sources and tells you which platform sits behind the work worth bidding for. See all 67 portals.
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