Tussell review: the UK public-sector data specialist
Tussell is the reference database for many suppliers selling to UK government, from framework call-offs to invoice-level spend. This review covers what it does best, what its pricing and licence terms say, and where it stops.
The short version
[ VERDICT ]Tussell is the most analytical UK public-sector data source we reviewed: if you need to know who buys what, through which framework, and from whom, it is hard to beat inside the UK.
- 01Its strength is market data rather than alerts: awards, frameworks and call-offs, invoice-level spend, early opportunities verified by analysts, and 81,000+ decision-maker contacts across 4,500+ UK buying organisations.
- 02It is trusted at the top of the market. Tussell says it serves three-quarters of UK Government Strategic Suppliers.
- 03Prices are not published. Its G-Cloud 14 listing shows £11,400 per licence per year, subscriptions are annual, and the public trial is restricted to one page of results with no export.
- 04Coverage stops at the UK border, and there is no documented pipeline, bid workflow or generative AI assistant. It is a research tool, not a bid desk.
What Tussell is
[ COMPANY ]Tussell describes itself as “the market’s trusted source of insight on UK public procurement”. The company was founded in London in 2015 by Gus Tugendhat, according to its about page, and names customers including Microsoft, Google, AWS, Capita, Serco and BT.
It is built for sales and business development teams, account managers, bid coordinators and researchers who need to understand the UK public sector as a market. There is also a version for public buyers.
Tussell is well known outside its customer base for public research, including a Tech200 ranking, an AI procurement tracker and a UK defence procurement tracker covering £63.1bn of MOD spend from 2019 to 2025. That tracker notes that the MOD is exempt from some invoice publication requirements, so its figures are indicative.
Plans are called Starter, Plus and Pro. They differ mainly in contact credits and freedom-of-information request allowances. API access, Salesforce integration and the bespoke Analyst Service are listed on all plans, though the integrations page describes the API as a paid service.
What you get
[ 06 CAPABILITIES ]Each item below is documented on Tussell’s website, help centre or G-Cloud listing.
- 01Data
Tenders, awards and spend
A database of UK government tenders, awards, frameworks and spending, downloadable as CSV. G-Cloud listing.
- 02Signals
Early opportunities
AI scans central government, local government and NHS documents for buying signals, and analysts verify and categorise each one. Product page.
- 03Frameworks
Framework lot intelligence
Framework and call-off data down to lot level, a recent addition that is delivered through the API rather than standard downloads. Help centre.
- 04Contacts
Decision-maker contacts
81,000+ contacts across 4,500+ UK buying organisations, with contact credits per plan. Product page.
- 05Integrations
Integrations via API
Daily data files delivered through authenticated AWS S3 access, feeding Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics, Power BI, Tableau and others. Integrations.
- 06Research
Analyst Service
Bespoke research from Tussell’s analysts, alongside FOI requests and a named account manager. Plans.
Pricing
[ GBP / AS PUBLISHED ]Tussell publishes plans but not prices. The figures below come from its public G-Cloud 14 listing and sample order form.
| Item | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Starter, Plus and Pro, “Talk to Sales”, annual subscription | tussell.com/plans |
| Contact credits | Starter 500; Plus and Pro unlimited | tussell.com/plans |
| FOI requests | Starter 5, Plus 10 (more purchasable); Pro 25 included | tussell.com/plans |
| G-Cloud price | £11,400 a licence a year | G-Cloud 14 listing |
| Trial | [ LIMITED ]7 days; trial users cannot view more than one page of results or export data | G-Cloud 14 listing |
| Contract terms | [ ANNUAL ]The G-Cloud sample order form sets a 12-month minimum, no auto-renewal, and no cancellation during the term | G-Cloud sample order form |
The sample order form is a template from Tussell’s G-Cloud documents. A direct contract may differ, so confirm terms with Tussell.
Strengths and limits
[ TRADE-OFFS ]- +The deepest UK spend, framework and call-off data of the tools we compared
- +Early opportunities checked by analysts rather than surfaced by AI alone
- +A large UK decision-maker contact set
- +A long track record with major UK suppliers, and respected public research
- +UK hosting and Cyber Essentials; the G-Cloud order form states no auto-renewal
- –UK only: no EU institution, national European or NATO coverage
- –No published prices, and the public G-Cloud price is per licence per year
- –No documented pipeline, bid workflow or generative AI assistant
- –Downloaded data carries a 364-day licence and a 30-day refresh obligation
- –A heavily restricted trial
- –No ISO 27001 certification, per its G-Cloud listing
What users say
[ REVIEW PLATFORMS ]We found no independent review listing for Tussell with ratings on Capterra, Trustpilot or TrustRadius, and G2 blocked our automated check. Tussell publishes customer testimonials on its own site, but those are chosen by the vendor, not independent reviews.
The best independent evidence of standing is its customer list and its public research, which journalists and suppliers cite widely. For product quality you will need to rely on a trial and on references.
If you are a defence supplier
[ DEFENCE FIT ]For a UK defence supplier analysing MOD spend, frameworks and competitors, Tussell is a serious research tool. Keep in mind its own caveat that MOD spend publication is incomplete.
It does not cover TED as a European source, European national portals, EU defence funding calls or NATO agencies such as NSPA. It also does not classify notices by defence relevance or stated clearance, and it has no bid qualification workflow.
Many teams pair a UK market-data tool with a tender and qualification tool. Our Defense Explorer vs Tussell page sets out where each fits, Tussell alternatives covers the wider field, and DCI vs Tussell compares it with the other UK defence incumbent.
Questions to ask in the demo
[ DUE DILIGENCE ]Each question follows from something the public pages leave open.
- 01What will we pay per named user for Starter, Plus and Pro, and is the G-Cloud price of £11,400 per licence representative?
- 02Can we have a trial that allows more than one page of results and a test export?
- 03Is the API included in our plan or charged separately, and what does it cost?
- 04The data licence runs 364 days and needs refreshing every 30 days. What must we delete from our CRM or warehouse if we do not renew?
- 05On termination, what exactly can we get back beyond personal data and saved search filters?
- 06Is there any coverage of TED, European national portals or NATO agencies, now or planned?
- 07Can we share a licence across a bid team, or does each person need a named licence?
- 08Do you plan a pipeline or bid qualification workflow, or should we expect to pair Tussell with another tool?
- 09Do you plan to add ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials Plus?
Questions
[ 06 ANSWERS ]01How much does Tussell cost?
Tussell does not publish prices; plans are quoted through sales on an annual subscription. Its G-Cloud 14 listing shows £11,400 per licence per year.
02Does Tussell cover EU or NATO tenders?
No. Tussell’s data covers UK public procurement only. We found no EU, national European or NATO agency coverage.
03Does Tussell have an API?
Yes. Its API delivers daily data through authenticated AWS S3 access and feeds tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics, Power BI and Tableau. The integrations page describes it as a paid service.
04Can I export my data from Tussell?
Data can be downloaded from the web app as CSV, with spend downloads capped at 500,000 rows, subject to a data licence that runs 364 days. After termination you can request a copy of personal data and saved search filters. See our Tussell export guide.
05Does Tussell have a free trial?
Its G-Cloud listing describes a seven-day trial in which users cannot view more than one page of results or export data.
06Is Tussell good for defence suppliers?
For UK defence market research, yes: it tracks MOD spend, frameworks and awards, with a stated caveat that MOD data is incomplete. It does not cover European or NATO defence buyers or provide a bid workflow.
Sources and method
[ HOW THIS WAS WRITTEN ]Defense Explorer wrote this page, and we sell a product in this category, so read it with that in mind. Competitor details come only from each vendor’s public website, help centre, terms and review listings, checked on 15 September 2026, and every claim links to its source below. We have not used every product under a paid contract. Where we could not verify something we say so rather than guess. Prices and features change: confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy. Spotted an error? Write to support@defenseexplorer.com and we will correct it.
- 01Tussell — plans
- 02Tussell — G-Cloud 14 service listing
- 03Tussell — integrations
- 04Tussell — early opportunities
- 05Tussell — decision-maker data
- 06Tussell — defence procurement tracker
- 07Tussell — framework lot intelligence
- 08Tussell — about
- 09Tussell — G-Cloud 14 sample order form and terms (PDF)
- 10Tussell — customers
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