Tender alerts
Tender alerts that show only the tenders worth your time
A tender alert tells you a public body has published a contract opportunity matching your keywords. Basic alerts are free from official sources but list everything. Opptix screens each notice against what you sell and shows only the ones that fit, so your alert is a short list, not a pile.
Last updated 22 October 2026
What is a tender alert?
A tender alert is a message, usually an email, that tells you a buyer has published a new opportunity. The buyer is normally a council, NHS body, school, university or government department. The alert gives you the title, the buyer, the deadline and a link to the full notice.
Most alert services work by keyword. You list the words that describe what you sell, and any new notice containing them is sent to you.
Are tender alerts free?
Many public opportunities must be published on official government notice services, and anyone can search those for free. Free alerts from official services are a sound place to start.
Paid services mostly add things the free ones lack: better filtering, sector tagging, saved searches and a tidier inbox. Whether that is worth paying for depends on how much time you lose sorting notices by hand.
Why do keyword alerts fill your inbox with noise?
A keyword matches words, not meaning. A cleaning firm searching for cleaning will also receive notices for software that cleans data and for contracts far too large to win. Every irrelevant alert costs a few minutes, and after a few weeks most people stop reading them.
The fix is not more keywords. It is checking each notice against what you actually do: your sectors, the size of contract you can deliver, where you work and what you can evidence.
What should a good tender alert include?
- The buyer, the title and a one-line summary of what they want.
- The deadline, so you can see at once whether you have time.
- The contract value or range, where it is published.
- The location of delivery.
- A clear indication of how well it fits you, so you can decide quickly whether to read on.
How do you set up tender alerts for a small business?
- Write down what you sell in plain words, including the different names buyers use for it.
- Decide the contract sizes and places you can realistically serve.
- Register with the official notice services and the portals used by the councils you want to sell to.
- Turn on alerts for your keywords, then review the first few weeks and remove words that bring in noise.
- Check each notice's deadline and requirements before you spend time on it.
How Opptix helps
Opptix watches public tenders and early notices for you, and screens each one against your company profile. You see the opportunities that fit, with the reasons, rather than every notice that shares a word with your trade.
It also watches contracts that are about to end, so you can prepare before a tender appears. Updates can arrive in Microsoft Teams, and you pay in credits, with no contract. See how screening works or what Opptix looks at.
Frequently asked questions
Are there free tender alerts for small businesses?
Yes. Official government notice services let you search for free, and many portals offer free email alerts. They tend to be keyword based, so expect to sort through some irrelevant notices.
How often should I check for new tenders?
Alerts mean you do not have to check daily. Review them as they arrive, and check deadlines first, because a good tender with a short deadline needs a quick decision.
What is the difference between a tender alert and a tender screen?
An alert tells you a notice exists. A screen checks the notice against your business and tells you whether it is worth your time.
Can Opptix send tender alerts to Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Opptix can post short updates to a Microsoft Teams channel you connect, so the short list reaches you where your team already works.
Do I need a contract to use Opptix?
No. You start with free credit and pay in credits as you use it. Monthly plans are coming soon but are optional.
See it on your own market
Create a free account, describe what you sell, and use your £20 of free credit.