UK public-sector buyers and contract awards.

What does the buyer directory measure?

It groups award notices by the buyer label published in Contracts Finder, then counts held notices, distinct supplier labels, exact company identifiers and positive GBP fields. The latest-notice date shows when that buyer most recently appears in this projection. Use those measures to locate an authority’s published contract history—not to infer its complete procurement spend.

Names are intentionally not merged merely because they look similar. Departments, agencies and local bodies can publish under variants, reorganise or use procurement partners. A notice value may be a ceiling, amendment or multi-supplier amount rather than cash paid. Open the underlying award before relying on a figure.