BidWriter vs Contracts Finder
A side-by-side look at BidWriter and Contracts Finder for UK suppliers — features, pricing, UK public sector fit, and who each tool best suits. Honest about where Contracts Finder is stronger.
TL;DR
BidWriter is an AI bid-writing tool built specifically for UK public sector suppliers, with integrated live tender discovery, AI drafting and a free starter plan. Contracts Finder is government portal for any uk supplier — free public service. Contracts Finder is the UK government's free portal for below-threshold public sector contracts (typically £12k–£138k for central government, higher for sub-central). Publishes contract opportunities and awards.
BidWriter vs Contracts Finder: side-by-side
| Feature | BidWriter | Contracts Finder |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI bid writing for UK public sector | Government portal |
| Origin | UK · launched 2024 | UK · gov.uk |
| Primary audience | UK SMEs and growth-stage bid teams | Any UK supplier — free public service |
| Pricing model | Free plan + £49–£799/mo per-seat SaaS | Free (taxpayer-funded UK government service) |
| UK public sector focus | Yes — specialist (CCS, FTS, NHS, councils) | Yes — specialist |
| Free plan | Yes — 3 AI credits/month, no card required | Yes |
| Live UK tender feed | Yes — integrated via WinAContract | Yes |
| Bid library | Yes — compounds with every bid | No |
| Tender-pack parser | Yes — auto-extracts question structure from PDFs | No |
| AI bid drafting | Yes — native, generates structured first drafts | No |
Where BidWriter is differently positioned to Contracts Finder
- BidWriter writes the response — Contracts Finder only publishes the notice
- WinAContract aggregates Contracts Finder + FTS + Scotland/Wales/NI portals in one search
- AI drafting + bid library + document parser — Contracts Finder has none of that
- Saved searches, alerts and dashboards Contracts Finder doesn't offer
Where Contracts Finder is stronger
BidWriter isn't the right tool for every team. Contracts Finder is genuinely stronger in these areas:
- Free, official, authoritative source of UK below-threshold notices
- Required publication for many UK public sector opportunities
Best for BidWriter
Suppliers who want the discovery (free via WinAContract) PLUS the bid-writing tool to win.
Best for Contracts Finder
Anyone who only needs to view UK below-threshold notices and submit through the buyer's portal.
Try BidWriter free — no card required
Free plan: 3 AI credits per month, the full bid library, real UK tender feed. See the workflow before committing.
Start free →FAQs
How does BidWriter compare to Contracts Finder?
BidWriter is an AI bid-writing tool built specifically for UK public sector suppliers, with integrated live tender discovery, a compounding bid library, AI drafting and a free starter plan. Contracts Finder is positioned as government portal for any uk supplier — free public service. The two tools solve overlapping but different jobs — see the comparison table on this page for the side-by-side detail.
Is BidWriter cheaper than Contracts Finder?
In most cases yes. BidWriter starts at £0/month (free plan with 3 AI credits) and paid plans run from £49/month per seat, all month-to-month. Contracts Finder's pricing is free (taxpayer-funded uk government service). Unit economics tend to favour BidWriter for any team running more than a couple of bids per month.
Is Contracts Finder better than BidWriter for any use case?
Yes — Contracts Finder is genuinely stronger when free, official, authoritative source of uk below-threshold notices. Anyone who only needs to view UK below-threshold notices and submit through the buyer's portal.
What does Contracts Finder actually do?
Contracts Finder is the UK government's free portal for below-threshold public sector contracts (typically £12k–£138k for central government, higher for sub-central). Publishes contract opportunities and awards.
Who should pick BidWriter over Contracts Finder?
Suppliers who want the discovery (free via WinAContract) PLUS the bid-writing tool to win.
Other comparisons
See all BidWriter comparisons, our buyer guides, or BidWriter pricing.