The EU commision has recognised a number of obstacles for SME (Small and medium size enterprises) that wish to participate in the public procurement and tendering process. One of the difficulties is to find the opportunities. By law it is obligatory for all EU national and international public authorities and their purchasing organisations to advertise all tenders above the threshold values  in the Official Journal and the TED database.
 

Read these reports about SME and the public procurement market in Europe: "The access of SMEs to public procurement contracts" - EIM report 2005. "Investigating UK business experiences of competing for public contracts in other EU countries." By Alan Wood supported by the Office of Government Commerce November 2004