Introduction

This document sets out to describe the mechanisms by which eSenders and others can feed their opportunities to the Find a Tender service, and retrieve data regarding their submission.

Scope and purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide the required information to operate the Find a Tender REST API.

The Find a Tender application provides a REST API based on JSON to other applications in order to expose its services.

The Find a Tender application will expose the following REST operations:

• Submit notice
• Submit attachment
• Get submitted notice information
• Search notices
• Render notice

Technical Specification

REST

Representational State Transfer (REST) is an architectural style based on the architecture of the Web and embraces HTTP. Clients initiate requests to servers; servers process requests and return appropriate responses. Requests and responses are built around the transfer of "representations" of "resources".

Authentication

Authentication is required to access the Find a Tender REST API.

To access the Find a Tender REST API clients must be authenticated using standard HTTP API Key authentication over HTTPS.

Credentials

Find a Tender REST API clients use the CDP API Key generated by their organisation.

Simple cURL example

curl -X GET -H "Accept: application/json" -H 'CDP-Api-Key: YOUR_CDP_API_KEY';

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/api/latest/notice/submission/info/20251104-123456

Supplying Basic Auth headers

1. Copy the CDP API key generated by your organisation.
2. Add your CDP API key to the API request as follows:

curl -X GET -H "CDP-Api-Key: YbHJy1zPfMgDfa9npEDBtZ05ji0w2OM7M" -H "Accept: application/json" https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/api/latest/notice/submission/info/20251104-123456

Mappings

Email Addresses

Email addresses must confirm with the standard pattern, i.e. similar to given.family@domain.ext. There is no further validation checking.