Software Development Contracts and Tenders

A software development tender is a contract to design, build or rebuild a piece of software, rather than to buy or subscribe to one that already exists. That covers bespoke systems built from scratch, custom application development, DevOps and platform-build work, and mobile app builds. Central departments often run this as a DDaT bench model call-off; universities, NHS trusts and local authorities more often publish a standalone ITT.

A software development contract pays for original build work: architecture, coding, testing and deployment of something that did not exist before, or a substantial rebuild of something that did. A SaaS or licensing deal buys ongoing access to a product a supplier already built and hosts. Those buying decisions, and the contracts that follow them, sit on the Software Contracts and Tenders page rather than here.

Central government departments, NHS trusts, universities and local authorities all commission custom builds, usually where an off-the-shelf product does not fit a specific process. Case management systems, research and clinical tools, and citizen-facing applications come up often, and central government leans on frameworks such as the DDaT bench models rather than running every build as a standalone tender.

Software development work is published on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, plus framework routes such as G-Cloud and departmental DDaT bench models. Stotles' 2026 Supplier Survey found 44% of suppliers now use frameworks as their main route to public sector work, and software development is one of the categories where that shows up as bench models rather than open competitions. Platform-wide, 3,225 new tenders are added to Stotles every week.

Software development work maps most often to CPV codes 72262000 (Software development services), 72230000 (Custom software development services) and 72200000 (Software programming and consultancy services). A single notice usually carries two or three of these together.