Recent estimates show total UK public sector procurement spending has risen to approximately £385 billion annually, making up about a third of all public expenditure. Find a Tender and Contracts Finder together publish over 100,000 contract notices per year. NHS organisations publish invoice-level spend data monthly. Local authorities publish contract registers. The data, in volume at least, has never been more available.

Recent estimates show total UK public sector procurement spending has risen to approximately £385 billion annually, making up about a third of all public expenditure. Find a Tender and Contracts Finder together publish over 100,000 contract notices per year. NHS organisations publish invoice-level spend data monthly. Local authorities publish contract registers. The data, in volume at least, has never been more available.

The problem is not the volume. It is the structure. Those 100,000+ notices are published by tens of thousands of separate contracting authorities (central government departments, NHS trusts, local councils, police forces, universities, housing associations) each operating on different schedules, in different formats, using different classification systems.

The problem is not the volume. It is the structure. Those 100,000+ notices are published by tens of thousands of separate contracting authorities (central government departments, NHS trusts, local councils, police forces, universities, housing associations) each operating on different schedules, in different formats, using different classification systems.

Combining these sources into a coherent picture of the market (who is spending what, with which suppliers, through which procurement routes) is a significant undertaking that most commercial teams cannot absorb. Understanding why this remains the case, despite years of transparency initiatives, explains a great deal about what market intelligence platforms are actually solving.

Combining these sources into a coherent picture of the market (who is spending what, with which suppliers, through which procurement routes) is a significant undertaking that most commercial teams cannot absorb. Understanding why this remains the case, despite years of transparency initiatives, explains a great deal about what market intelligence platforms are actually solving.

Why public sector data is still fragmented: the structural causes

Public sector data fragmentation reflects the structure of the public sector itself.

Public sector data fragmentation reflects the structure of the public sector itself.

The UK public sector is a collection of thousands of independent bodies: government departments, arm's-length bodies, NHS trusts, ICBs, local authorities, police forces, and others, each with its own governance, its own systems, and its own approach to publishing data.

The UK public sector is a collection of thousands of independent bodies: government departments, arm's-length bodies, NHS trusts, ICBs, local authorities, police forces, and others, each with its own governance, its own systems, and its own approach to publishing data.

The UK government's own digital review, led by DSIT and the Government Digital Service, described “fragmentation as a major feature of the system”," with public sector data both scattered and underutilised, and central government insufficiently connected to the wider public sector including local government.

The UK government's own digital review, led by DSIT and the Government Digital Service, described “fragmentation as a major feature of the system”," with public sector data both scattered and underutilised, and central government insufficiently connected to the wider public sector including local government.

Publication of data is mandatory in many cases, but the format of what gets published is not standardised to the degree that makes aggregation straightforward. A contract award notice on Find a Tender follows a defined structure. The same buyer's invoice-level spend data, published on their own website, may follow a completely different format to the equivalent data from the organisation next door. The underlying transaction is the same. The data is not comparable without cleaning.

Publication of data is mandatory in many cases, but the format of what gets published is not standardised to the degree that makes aggregation straightforward. A contract award notice on Find a Tender follows a defined structure. The same buyer's invoice-level spend data, published on their own website, may follow a completely different format to the equivalent data from the organisation next door. The underlying transaction is the same. The data is not comparable without cleaning.

How fragmented public data classification compounds the problem

Fragmentation runs deeper than just the format. Classification is an equal part of the problem.

Fragmentation runs deeper than just the format. Classification is an equal part of the problem.

CPV codes provide a standardised classification for above-threshold procurement notices, but buyers apply them with varying degrees of precision. A procurement that should be coded at category level is sometimes coded at divisional level. The same type of service appears under different CPV codes at different organisations. This makes cross-buyer analysis by category unreliable unless the inconsistencies are identified and corrected.

CPV codes provide a standardised classification for above-threshold procurement notices, but buyers apply them with varying degrees of precision. A procurement that should be coded at category level is sometimes coded at divisional level. The same type of service appears under different CPV codes at different organisations. This makes cross-buyer analysis by category unreliable unless the inconsistencies are identified and corrected.

And NHS spend transparency data has an equivalent problem. Category descriptions for invoice payments are self-assigned by each NHS organisation. A payment for cloud software appears under "IT and Communications" at one trust, "Digital Transformation" at another, and "Information Technology" at a third. Combining these into a coherent view of how much NHS money is flowing to cloud software suppliers requires taxonomy mapping that the raw data does not provide.

And NHS spend transparency data has an equivalent problem. Category descriptions for invoice payments are self-assigned by each NHS organisation. A payment for cloud software appears under "IT and Communications" at one trust, "Digital Transformation" at another, and "Information Technology" at a third. Combining these into a coherent view of how much NHS money is flowing to cloud software suppliers requires taxonomy mapping that the raw data does not provide.

Local authority spend data introduces further variation. Publication thresholds differ between authorities. Some publish monthly. Others publish quarterly. Some publish in CSV formats that are immediately usable. Others publish in PDFs designed for human readers rather than data processing.

Local authority spend data introduces further variation. Publication thresholds differ between authorities. Some publish monthly. Others publish quarterly. Some publish in CSV formats that are immediately usable. Others publish in PDFs designed for human readers rather than data processing.

The government has acknowledged this in its work to overhaul data.gov.uk, shifting toward a more curated and consistent approach, but the transition from intention to standardised practice across thousands of separate publishers is a long one.

The government has acknowledged this in its work to overhaul data.gov.uk, shifting toward a more curated and consistent approach, but the transition from intention to standardised practice across thousands of separate publishers is a long one.

What the Procurement Act 2023 is doing to address fragmented public data

The Procurement Act 2023 introduced the central digital platform as a single publication point for new regulated procurement notices. All above-threshold procurement notices from public bodies in scope of the Act are now published through Find a Tender as the platform's front end.

The Procurement Act 2023 introduced the central digital platform as a single publication point for new regulated procurement notices. All above-threshold procurement notices from public bodies in scope of the Act are now published through Find a Tender as the platform's front end.

This consolidates what was previously spread across Find a Tender and Contracts Finder for above-threshold activity, reduces duplication, and introduces a more consistent data structure for the notice types introduced under the Act.

This consolidates what was previously spread across Find a Tender and Contracts Finder for above-threshold activity, reduces duplication, and introduces a more consistent data structure for the notice types introduced under the Act.

Section 70 of the Act, in force from April 2026, requires contracting authorities to publish specified payment data on the central digital platform on a quarterly basis, for payments made under public contracts above £30,000. This creates a new, more structured and more consistent source of payment transparency data that didn't exist before April 2026, and extends visibility into spend flows that previously relied on the inconsistent publication practices of individual organisations.

Section 70 of the Act, in force from April 2026, requires contracting authorities to publish specified payment data on the central digital platform on a quarterly basis, for payments made under public contracts above £30,000. This creates a new, more structured and more consistent source of payment transparency data that didn't exist before April 2026, and extends visibility into spend flows that previously relied on the inconsistent publication practices of individual organisations.

These are meaningful improvements, but they don't resolve the fundamental challenge. The gap between what is published and what is practically usable remains significant.

These are meaningful improvements, but they don't resolve the fundamental challenge. The gap between what is published and what is practically usable remains significant.

Find out more about the changes: UK Government Procurement Act 2023 Threshold Changes Explained

Find out more about the changes: UK Government Procurement Act 2023 Threshold Changes Explained

Why fragmented public data costs commercial teams more than they realise

In a market where commercial decisions depend on knowing where spend is flowing, who holds incumbent positions, and when procurement is planned, the gap between data availability and data usability has a direct cost.

In a market where commercial decisions depend on knowing where spend is flowing, who holds incumbent positions, and when procurement is planned, the gap between data availability and data usability has a direct cost.

A commercial team trying to answer the question "which NHS buyers are spending in our category, and with which suppliers?" from raw data would need to access spend transparency data from potentially hundreds of separate NHS organisation websites, published in varying formats, and reconcile supplier names, category descriptions, and organisation identifiers that are inconsistent across sources. That is a research project, not a commercial tool.

A commercial team trying to answer the question "which NHS buyers are spending in our category, and with which suppliers?" from raw data would need to access spend transparency data from potentially hundreds of separate NHS organisation websites, published in varying formats, and reconcile supplier names, category descriptions, and organisation identifiers that are inconsistent across sources. That is a research project, not a commercial tool.

The UK parliament's own Digital Government inquiry heard from the director of strategy at the Re:State think-tank that public sector digital spending "is not particularly comprehensively mapped," and that comprehensive exercises to map it have been attempted but not sustained.

The UK parliament's own Digital Government inquiry heard from the director of strategy at the Re:State think-tank that public sector digital spending "is not particularly comprehensively mapped," and that comprehensive exercises to map it have been attempted but not sustained.

The UK public sector spends over £26 billion per year on digital technology alone, and even that figure is disputed because the data to verify it precisely does not exist in a single usable form.

The UK public sector spends over £26 billion per year on digital technology alone, and even that figure is disputed because the data to verify it precisely does not exist in a single usable form.

For organisations selling into the public sector, this fragmentation creates an information asymmetry. The suppliers who invest in aggregating, cleaning, and structuring this data — or who use platforms that have done it for them — have a materially better view of the market than those relying on raw source data alone. That advantage compounds: better targeting, earlier engagement, and fewer bids wasted on opportunities that were already decided.

For organisations selling into the public sector, this fragmentation creates an information asymmetry. The suppliers who invest in aggregating, cleaning, and structuring this data — or who use platforms that have done it for them — have a materially better view of the market than those relying on raw source data alone. That advantage compounds: better targeting, earlier engagement, and fewer bids wasted on opportunities that were already decided.

What is being done about it

The government's direction is clearly toward more structured, more consistent, and more accessible public data. The central digital platform consolidates regulated procurement publication. The overhaul of data.gov.uk aims to make national open data more curated and usable. Section 70 payment transparency adds a new structured data source. The DSIT digital government review explicitly identified data fragmentation as a priority problem.

The government's direction is clearly toward more structured, more consistent, and more accessible public data. The central digital platform consolidates regulated procurement publication. The overhaul of data.gov.uk aims to make national open data more curated and usable. Section 70 payment transparency adds a new structured data source. The DSIT digital government review explicitly identified data fragmentation as a priority problem.

These initiatives address the supply side of the problem: making better data available. The demand side, turning published data into commercially useful intelligence, is a different challenge requiring aggregation, taxonomy mapping, cross-referencing across sources, and ongoing maintenance as publication schedules change and new data becomes available.

These initiatives address the supply side of the problem: making better data available. The demand side, turning published data into commercially useful intelligence, is a different challenge requiring aggregation, taxonomy mapping, cross-referencing across sources, and ongoing maintenance as publication schedules change and new data becomes available.

That is the work that market intelligence platforms do. The underlying data is public. Making it usable is the product.

That is the work that market intelligence platforms do. The underlying data is public. Making it usable is the product.

Arcamus aggregates, cleans, and structures NHS and public sector procurement data across contract awards, spend transparency, and framework intelligence. See what the structured view of your market looks like.

Arcamus aggregates, cleans, and structures NHS and public sector procurement data across contract awards, spend transparency, and framework intelligence. See what the structured view of your market looks like.