Public Sector Market Audit and Planning

Overview

Unlock public sector opportunities with our expert audit and planning services. Identify bids, frameworks, and routes to market tailored for your business.

Public Sector Market Audit and Bid Planning

Know which public sector contracts to chase, and how to win them.

Our public sector market audit gives UK suppliers a clear view of their market and a plan for what to do next. We show you which contracts your competitors have won, which frameworks and routes to market suit you, and which opportunities are coming up. For a cyber security IT reseller, our framework strategy led to three successful framework awards. Book a consultation to start your audit.

Book a consultation

Why businesses fail to win public sector work

The biggest reason businesses fail to win public sector work is simple: they do not have a plan.

Our audit and planning service is designed to change that. Whether you are new to public sector procurement or want to grow your presence, we give you a clear, strategic view of your market and the steps to take next.

We help you understand what your competitors are doing, where the right opportunities are and what it will take to win them. The service brings structure, insight and direction to what can otherwise feel like a complex and confusing market.

What's included in our public sector market audit

Competitor intelligence

Understand who is already winning in your space: - Contracts awarded to your competitors. - Which routes they used (frameworks, direct awards, open tenders). - When those opportunities are likely to come up again.

Market access review

We assess your current market position and identify: - The most suitable procurement routes for your offer. - The frameworks, dynamic purchasing systems (dynamic markets under the Procurement Act 2023) and other routes open to you. - Application requirements and realistic timelines.

For help applying, see our framework registration service.

Live and upcoming opportunities

Get clarity on what is available now and what is coming soon: - Active tenders you could respond to. - Recently awarded contracts that are likely to come up again. - Opportunities where early engagement with the buyer is possible.

Strategic action plan

We bring all our findings together into a public sector bid planning roadmap built for your business. It sets out: - Which opportunities to prioritise. - What groundwork is needed, such as compliance and registrations. - How to build momentum over the next 3 to 6 months.

Want to see who is winning in your market? Book a consultation to start your audit.

How we work

Our public sector procurement planning process follows five steps. Each step has a clear output.

Understand your offer. We review your services, track record, accreditations and goals for the public sector. Output: summary of your offer and target buyers.
Research the market. We analyse contracts awarded to your competitors, the routes they used and when contracts are likely to be re-let. Output: competitor intelligence report.
Review your routes to market. We map the frameworks, dynamic purchasing systems and other routes that fit your offer, with their requirements and timelines. Output: market access review.
Find the opportunities. We identify live tenders, contracts likely to re-open and buyers you can engage early. Output: opportunity pipeline.
Build the plan. We prioritise the opportunities and set out the groundwork and actions for the next 3 to 6 months. Output: strategic action plan.

Why this matters

Reduce wasted time by focusing only on realistic, winnable opportunities.
Increase your chances by understanding how others are succeeding.
Make informed decisions about bidding, partnerships and investment.
Build a sustainable pipeline of future opportunities.

Proof: results from our public sector bid planning work

Three framework awards delivered for a cyber security IT reseller

A cyber security IT reseller wanted a real presence in the public sector but had limited experience of public procurement. We built a framework strategy that identified and prioritised the most commercially valuable frameworks for their offer, then drafted and managed every application. - Result: three successful framework awards, giving access to central government, local authority and defence buyers. - Read the cyber security IT reseller case study

£50m in public sector contracts enabled for Connect Fibre

Connect Fibre had no experience of public sector contracts or bidding. Over 18 months we carried out pre-bid engagement with Building Digital UK (BDUK), built internal bid plans and used public domain information to prepare responses before the main bidding process opened. We also completed a complex DPS registration where competitors had failed. - Result: two bid awards of £33.4m and £16.5m. - Read the Connect Fibre case study

More public sector planning results

G-Cloud success and framework strategy for Indigo IT, including a report on additional frameworks to pursue.
Three framework registrations for Dig X, based on a capability assessment and framework mapping exercise.
Two framework awards for Unsung Ltd, following strategic framework mapping.

Our own framework credentials

We bid for public sector work ourselves, so we know the process from the inside. - G-Cloud 14 – Athena secures a place on G-Cloud 14 - DOS 7 (Digital Outcomes and Specialists), Lots 1 and 3 – Athena awarded a place on DOS 7

Sectors we support

Defence

Defence buyers often buy through specific frameworks and prime contractors. We map which routes your competitors use and where you can enter, directly or through a prime's supply chain. Our team holds Security Check (SC) clearance.

NHS and health

NHS buying runs through many national and regional frameworks. We identify the ones that fit your offer and the compliance you need first. We secured two NHS framework registrations for My Heart Care.

Construction

Construction contracts are often let through large frameworks on long cycles. We show you when they re-open and what you need in place to apply. Read about construction procurement frameworks for 2026.

Technology

Technology buyers rely on G-Cloud, DOS and other frameworks. We help IT and cyber security suppliers choose the right ones and plan around their timelines. Read about technology procurement frameworks for 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you help with framework applications after the audit?

Yes. If the plan recommends joining a framework or dynamic purchasing system, our framework registration service can manage the application. We have secured framework places for technology, cyber security, construction and healthcare suppliers. We draft the responses, check compliance and manage the submission for you.

How is this different from public sector bidding support?

The audit comes first. It tells you where to compete and what to prepare. Public sector bidding support then helps you win the specific tenders and frameworks the plan identifies. Many clients start with the audit and move on to bid support for their priority opportunities.

What do we get at the end?

You get a strategic action plan. It sets out which opportunities to prioritise, the groundwork you need, such as compliance and framework registrations, and how to build momentum over the next 3 to 6 months. It is backed by the competitor, market access and opportunity findings.

How do you find out which contracts competitors have won?

Public bodies must publish many contract notices and awards. We search these public records to find contracts awarded to your competitors, the routes they used, the contract values and the end dates. This shows when similar contracts are likely to come up again.

Who is the audit for?

It is for businesses that are new to public sector procurement and need to know where to start, and for suppliers already in the market who want to grow. It suits SMEs that want to focus limited bid resources on realistic, winnable opportunities.

What is a public sector market audit?

A public sector market audit is a review of your position in the public sector market. It shows which contracts your competitors have won and how, which frameworks and routes to market suit you, and which opportunities are live or coming up. It ends with an action plan for the next 3 to 6 months.

Public Sector Planning