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Procurement Act 2023

Central Digital Platform registration: a guide for suppliers

How to register your business on the Central Digital Platform (Find a Tender), the supplier information you need, share codes and the April 2026 rules.

3 min readUpdated 4 October 2026By the West Gate bid team
In shortThe Central Digital Platform is the enhanced Find a Tender service launched on 24 February 2025 under the Procurement Act 2023. Suppliers register once, enter their core supplier information and share it with buyers using a share code. Since 1 April 2026, suppliers awarded notifiable below-threshold contracts also need to register so the buyer can publish their unique identifier. Registration is free.

What the Central Digital Platform is

The Central Digital Platform is the enhanced Find a Tender service. Buyers publish notices on it, suppliers search for opportunities and set alerts, and suppliers store the core business information that every procurement under the Act needs, so it doesn't have to be re-entered for each bid.

Who needs to register

  • Suppliers bidding for above-threshold contracts under the Procurement Act 2023. Part 1 of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire asks you to confirm your information is up to date and share it.
  • Suppliers awarded notifiable below-threshold contracts from 1 April 2026: contracts worth at least £12,000 including VAT for central government (including NHS bodies) or £30,000 for other contracting authorities, such as councils. Only a short basic registration is needed to get a unique identifier, which the buyer publishes in its contract details notice.
  • The below-threshold rule does not apply to procurements regulated by the Welsh Ministers. Scottish authorities use their own systems.
  • If you already registered (for example for an earlier tender), you keep the same identifier and don't need to register again.

What you need before you start

  • A GOV.UK One Login for the person who will be your first administrator: a work email address and a phone or authenticator app for security codes.
  • Your Companies House number, or an equivalent such as a Charity Commission number. If you have none, the platform generates a unique identifier (a Public Procurement Organisation Number, or PPON).
  • Your registered address and a shared organisation email that colleagues can access.
  • For full supplier information: basic information, connected persons, qualifications, trade assurances, exclusions and financial information.

How to register, step by step

  • Go to Find a Tender and sign in with, or create, your GOV.UK One Login.
  • Agree to the platform's privacy policy and enter your name.
  • Choose "Register an organisation", select Supplier and enter your Companies House number (or equivalent).
  • Check your organisation name, email and registered address, then save.
  • Select "Complete Supplier Information" and work through each section.
  • Read and agree the declaration, then choose "Share my information" to create a share code or download your information file for the buyer.
  • When anything changes, update it and create a new share code before your next bid.

Connected persons and exclusions: take care with these

Connected persons are people or organisations with significant influence or control over your business, or over which you have it, such as directors, majority shareholders and parent or subsidiary companies. You also self-declare whether any exclusion grounds apply and, if so, what has been done to stop it happening again. Buyers rely on these answers, so keep them accurate and current. Our Procurement Act 2023 guide for SMEs explains the exclusion regime.

After you register: get bid-ready

Registration is only the first step. Check which policies your sector and buyer will ask for with our free tender readiness checker, then work through the tender policy checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Is Central Digital Platform registration free?

Yes. Registering and sharing your supplier information on Find a Tender costs nothing.

Is the Central Digital Platform the same as Find a Tender?

Yes. The enhanced Find a Tender service, launched on 24 February 2025, is the central digital platform for public procurement under the Act.

What is a PPON?

A Public Procurement Organisation Number: a unique identifier the platform generates for organisations that don't have a Companies House or other registry number. Buyers can look suppliers up by it.

Do I need to register to bid for small contracts?

Not always to bid, but from 1 April 2026 you must register and give the buyer your identifier if you are awarded a notifiable below-threshold contract. Government guidance expects suppliers to register during the procurement, before award, to avoid delays.

How do I share my information with a buyer?

Choose "Share my information" and create a share code to enter in the buyer's tender portal, or download the file and attach it, as the buyer asks.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Always follow the tender documents and take legal advice where needed.

Keep reading

Related guides

Selection stageProcurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) explained for suppliers

What the Procurement Specific Questionnaire asks under the Procurement Act 2023, how it replaced the PQQ and SQ, and the evidence to prepare.

Procurement Act 2023Procurement Act 2023: what suppliers and SMEs need to know

Plain-English guide to the Procurement Act 2023 for suppliers and SMEs: Central Digital Platform, PSQ, exclusions, 30-day payment and 2026 changes.

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