Contracts Finder API

Search UK public sector contract notices, tenders and awards from Contracts Finder as clean JSON.

The API.SH Contracts Finder API returns UK public sector contract notices from the government's Contracts Finder service as structured JSON. Search by keyword, stage (planning, tender, award), publication dates, contract value, CPV codes and delivery region, then open a notice for its buyer contact, value range, deadlines, SME and VCSE suitability and awards with supplier Companies House numbers.

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2 endpoints
from $1 / 1,000 calls
1,000 free credits / month
failed calls free

UK public contract search (Contracts Finder)

GET https://api.api.sh/contracts-finder/v1/search

{ "success": true }

1 credit · $1 per 1,000 calls

What you can build with the Contracts Finder API

Tender alerts for suppliers

Search new tender-stage notices by keyword, CPV code and region and send matches to your bid team.

/search

Bid qualification

Open a notice for its value range, deadline, procedure, SME suitability and buyer contact before you decide to bid.

/notice

Competitor award tracking

Pull award notices to see which suppliers win which contracts, with values and Companies House numbers.

/search /notice

Public spending research

Collect notices by value band and region to analyze what UK public bodies buy and from whom.

/search

Contracts Finder data you get

Field names from real responses. Numbers come parsed, URLs absolute, dates in ISO 8601.

Contracts Finder API endpoints and prices

Every Contracts Finder endpoint costs 1 credit per call: credits are $1 per 1,000 on a monthly plan, $2 pay-as-you-go. Pricing

Search and discovery1

UK public contract search (Contracts Finder)

/contracts-finder/v1/search

$1 · $2 PAYG

1 credit

More data1

UK public contract notice

/contracts-finder/v1/notice

$1 · $2 PAYG

1 credit

Call the Contracts Finder API

UK public contract search (Contracts Finder): GET https://api.api.sh/contracts-finder/v1/search

curl "https://api.api.sh/contracts-finder/v1/search?q=software" \
  -H "x-api-key: $APISH_KEY"

import os, requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.api.sh/contracts-finder/v1/search",
    params={"q": "software"},
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["APISH_KEY"]},
    timeout=120,
)
res.raise_for_status()
data = res.json()

const url = new URL("https://api.api.sh/contracts-finder/v1/search");
url.searchParams.set("q", "software");

const res = await fetch(url, { headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.APISH_KEY } });
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${await res.text()}`);
const data = await res.json();

# Google Sheets (API.SH add-on)
=APISH("/contracts-finder/v1/search", "q", "software")

# Zapier, Make, n8n (verified node): pick the API.SH app,
# choose "Contracts Finder" and "UK public contract search (Contracts Finder)".

# AI agents (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor): add the
# API.SH MCP server https://api.sh/mcp

Create a free accountConfirm your email and get 1,000 free credits every month. No card needed.
Create an API keyOne key works for all 483 platforms.
Send the requestJSON back in one call. Add output=csv or output=ndjson for files.

Why API.SH for Contracts Finder data

Public data only: no Contracts Finder login, cookies or account needed
One key and one response shape for Contracts Finder and 482 other platforms
Built and maintained by API.SH, not third-party publishers
Pay per call; errors on our side cost nothing
Live status for every endpoint

API.SH vs the official Contracts Finder API

Yes, Contracts Finder has an official, free API (version 2) for searching and reading notices in JSON or XML, with searches sent as POST requests. API.SH wraps the same public notices in simple GET routes with cursor paging and the same JSON conventions as its other data sources, under one key.

Apify actors and tender alert services such as Tenders Direct also use this data; API.SH gives you search and notice routes with one key and a fixed price per call, next to other government and company data.

Contracts Finder API questions

What Contracts Finder data can I get?+

Notice search by keyword, stage, dates, value, CPV and region, with title, status, value, deadlines, buyer and awards (/contracts-finder/v1/search), and one notice with buyer contact, CPV codes, dates, SME and VCSE suitability and awards (/contracts-finder/v1/notice).

How much does the Contracts Finder API cost?+

Every Contracts Finder endpoint costs 1 credit per call. On a monthly plan 1,000 credits cost $1 (Starter is $50/month for 50,000 credits). Pay-as-you-go is $2 per 1,000 credits, with top-ups from $15 that never expire.

Is there a free trial?+

Yes. Every account gets 1,000 free credits every month. That is 1,000 calls to /contracts-finder/v1/notice at 1 credit each.

Is there an official Contracts Finder API?+

Yes. The government publishes a free Contracts Finder API, and Find a Tender has its own for higher-value notices. Use it directly if you only need this one source; API.SH is useful when you want GET calls, cursor paging and one key across many data sources.

Do I need a Contracts Finder account or login?+

No. Notices on Contracts Finder are public, and API.SH needs only your API.SH key.

Is Contracts Finder the same as Find a Tender?+

No. Contracts Finder lists lower-value contracts and notices from public bodies in England and non-devolved authorities, while Find a Tender carries higher-value tenders. This API covers Contracts Finder.

How do I find government contracts to bid on?+

Search /contracts-finder/v1/search with stage set to tender, your keywords or CPV codes, and a region, then open each notice for the deadline and buyer contact.

How do I get started?+

1. Sign up at api.sh. 2. Copy your API key. 3. Call /contracts-finder/v1/search with q and stage. Request examples and every parameter are in the docs at https://api.sh/docs. You can also use the JS or Python SDK, Google Sheets, Zapier, Make, n8n or the MCP server at https://api.sh/mcp.