Councils, universities, NHS trusts, museums and tourism bodies all buy photography, video, design and copywriting. In the UK, much of that work has to be advertised in public, which means anyone can find it for free. Most freelancers never look.
Where public sector work is advertised
- Contracts Finder: contracts worth over £12,000 (including VAT) with government and its agencies, mainly in England.
- Find a Tender: the high-value contracts, usually above £139,688 including VAT.
- Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
All of them are free to search. Contracts Finder also lets you save searches and get email updates when something new is posted.
What to search for
Public bodies rarely use creative-industry words. Try "photography", "video production", "filming", "design services", "brand", "campaign", "marketing services" and "content". Then filter by your region. A council's tourism campaign or a university's prospectus shoot often sits under a plain title like "marketing support".
Start small
Large tenders can mean long forms, policies, references and insurance requirements. Smaller jobs are often bought with a few quotes rather than a full tender, so the best route in is usually:
- Get known by the comms or marketing team at a few local public bodies, so you're asked for a quote when a small job comes up.
- Partner with an agency that wins bigger tenders. Agencies often need freelance photographers, videographers and writers to deliver them.
- Watch for framework and supplier-list opportunities. Getting onto one can lead to repeat work without tendering every time.
Before you bid
- Read the requirements first. Check deadlines, insurance, accessibility and data rules before you spend hours on a bid.
- Ask questions. Tenders usually have a clarification stage; use it.
- Answer the question asked, with examples of similar work. Scoring is often strict, and generic answers lose points.
- Show local value if you're nearby. Many public bodies care about local suppliers and social value.
Public sector work is steady and pays reliably, which makes it a good balance to the ups and downs of brand work. For brands, the signals are different: buying signals and the Companies House method are the free places to start.