Guides · Updated 2026-10-18
How to use ChatGPT for tenders (UK): bids, questions and prompts
This guide shows how to use ChatGPT for tenders in the UK: reading a tender pack, planning your bid, drafting answers to quality questions, checking word counts and tidying your evidence, with 10 copy-and-paste prompts. It's written for small firms and sole traders bidding for council, NHS, school and housing association work. AI helps you write faster and more clearly; it can't win a bid with claims you can't back up. It links to our AI for builders and trades hub and sits alongside ChatGPT for tradesmen.
Checked: 18 October 2026, against GOV.UK and Find a Tender. Works the same in Claude, Gemini or Microsoft 365 Copilot.
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How public tenders work now
- The rules: new procurements in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been run under the Procurement Act 2023 since 24 February 2025; Scotland has its own regulations (Find a Tender, checked 18 October 2026).
- Where to find them: Find a Tender is the central digital platform where public buyers publish notices. Searching and setting up alerts is free, and you register your organisation once with a GOV.UK One Login so your core details can be reused across bids (GOV.UK: supplier registration guide).
- Are you an SME? For the Act, an SME has fewer than 250 staff and turnover of £44m or less, or a balance sheet total of £38m or less, subject to ownership rules (GOV.UK: SME definition).
What ChatGPT is good and bad at in a bid
| Good at | Bad at |
|---|---|
| Summarising a long specification into a checklist | Knowing what the buyer really wants beyond the documents |
| Turning your rough notes into clear answers | Inventing case studies, figures or accreditations (it will, if you let it) |
| Cutting an answer to a word limit | Reading pricing schedules reliably |
| Mapping your answer against the scoring criteria | Legal judgements on contract terms |
| Spotting gaps and vague claims | Guaranteeing anything is true |
Never paste confidential tender documents or your pricing into a free chatbot that may use them for training. Use a business plan with training switched off, and check the tender's own instructions on confidentiality.
10 prompts for tenders
1. Bid or no bid
"Here is the tender summary and specification: [paste]. My business: [size, services, area, experience]. List the mandatory requirements, the deadlines, the evaluation weightings and anything I can't meet. Then give me a bid or no-bid recommendation with reasons."
2. Compliance checklist
"Turn this invitation to tender into a checklist of every document, form, certificate and declaration I must submit, with page references: [paste]."
3. Answer plan
"Quality question: [paste], word limit [x], scoring criteria [paste]. Plan an answer: headings, the points that score marks and the evidence I should include. Don't write the answer yet."
4. First draft from my notes
"Write a [x]-word answer to this question using only my notes: [question] [notes]. Use plain British English, short paragraphs and the buyer's own terms. Don't add any facts, figures, case studies or accreditations that aren't in my notes; mark gaps as [EVIDENCE NEEDED]."
5. Score it like an evaluator
"Act as a public sector evaluator using this scoring guide: [paste]. Score my answer out of [x], explain what's missing for full marks and list any vague or unsupported claims: [answer]."
6. Cut to the word limit
"Cut this answer to [x] words without losing any point that scores marks or any evidence: [answer]."
7. Method statement outline
"Outline a method statement for [job] at [site type] covering sequence of work, staffing, supervision, health and safety, waste, communication with residents and quality checks. Use headings only, for me to fill in." (See also can AI write a method statement.)
8. Social value
"From these facts about my business: [local staff, apprentices, suppliers, community work], draft a social value answer with measurable commitments I can actually deliver. Flag any commitment that would need evidence."
9. Case study
"Turn these notes into a 200-word case study with the client's problem, what we did, the result and a contact for references: [notes]. Don't invent numbers."
10. Clarification question
"Draft a short, neutral clarification question to the buyer about this unclear requirement: [paste]."
Before you submit
- Check every fact, number and certificate against your records. You're responsible for everything in the bid.
- Read the tender's rules on AI use and confidentiality, if it has any.
- Price separately in your own spreadsheet; don't let a chatbot set prices. Our quote and VAT calculator and day rate calculator help with the sums.
- Submit through the buyer's portal before the deadline; late bids are usually rejected.
If you reach a presentation stage, Gamma can turn your answers into slides you can edit and export to PowerPoint. Check every claim it adds.
Sources
- Procurement rules and the platform: Find a Tender, GOV.UK supplier registration guide, GOV.UK SME definition, all checked 18 October 2026.
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FAQ
Can I use ChatGPT to write a tender?
Yes, to plan and draft answers from your own notes, check them against the scoring criteria and cut them to length. Check every claim yourself and keep confidential documents out of free chatbots.
Where do I find public sector tenders in the UK?
On Find a Tender, the central digital platform. It's free to search and set alerts, and you register your organisation once with a GOV.UK One Login.
Does the Procurement Act 2023 apply to small businesses?
It applies to new public procurements in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 24 February 2025, whatever your size. Scotland has its own rules.
Will buyers know I used AI?
Possibly, if answers are generic. Answers built from your own evidence, in your own words, score better anyway. Check whether the tender has rules on AI use.
What counts as an SME for public tenders?
Under the Act's definition, fewer than 250 staff and turnover of £44m or less, or a balance sheet total of £38m or less, subject to ownership rules.