How we spend public money

Where our money goes

The National Archives is the UK government’s official archive. We are guardians of some of the most iconic national documents dating back over 1,000 years.

Our role is to collect and secure the future of the record, both digital and physical, to preserve it for generations to come, and to make it as accessible and available as possible.

We also provide detailed guidance to government departments and the public sector on information management and advise others about the care of historical archives.

What we do

Explore the areas of work where our funds are spent.

Tenders and contracts

As part of its transparency agenda, the government has made the following commitments with regard to procurement and contracting:

• All new central government ICT contracts over the value of £10,000 are to be published in full and online
• All new central government tender documents for contracts over £10,000 are to be published on a single website, with this information to be made available to the public free of charge
• All new central government contracts are to be published in full

Suppliers and those organisations looking to bid for contracts from The National Archives should be aware that, if they are awarded a new contract, the resulting contract will be published. In some circumstances, limited redactions will be made to some contracts before they are published in order to comply with existing law and for the protection of national security.

Details of central government tenders and contracts, including those for The National Archives, will be published on Contracts Finder.

Items of spend over £25,000

Details of supplier payments for individual invoices are shown here. These details are updated monthly.

Government Procurement Card spend over £500

The National Archives publishes all Government Procurement Card (GPC) spend for staff that hold GPCs.

The data published includes transactions for goods and services costing over £500. This data is published on a monthly basis.

Chief Executive’s hospitality, expenses, and meetings

These documents show hospitality, expenses, and external meetings in relation to the Chief Executive. This information is updated on a quarterly basis.

Financial bonuses to staff

This document shows what bonuses have been paid to The National Archives' staff in the last financial year.

Public Contracts Regulations 2015: Payment performance

Under r113 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, statutory guidance is provided for contracting authorities and suppliers on paying undisputed invoices in 30 days down the supply chain.

The document below provides information on the percentage of invoices paid by The National Archives within 30 days.