Unitary authority · East Midlands
How fast Nottingham City Council pays its suppliers
Nottingham City Council took an average of 26 days to pay suppliers in April to September 2026, slower than the typical council (14 days), and paid 59.3% of invoices within 30 days. It is the 11th slowest of 137 councils.
April to September 2026
26 days
average time to pay an invoice
- Within 30 days
- 31 to 60 days
- Over 60 days
- Paid within 30 days
- 59.3%
- Paid in 31 to 60 days
- 28.7%
- Paid after 60 days
- 12%
- Paid within agreed terms
- 89%
- Rank
- 11th slowest of 137
Source: payments compliance notice 096635-2026, published 13 October 2026, Find a Tender, Cabinet Office.
Previous notice
24 days average, 65.9% within 30 days
Oct 2025 to Mar 2026. Notice 038636-2026.
2 days slower in the latest period
Companies in Nottingham
How fast the large companies registered in Nottingham pay their suppliers.
See the Nottingham companiesNottingham against every other council
Councils in East Midlands
| # | Council | Average days | Within 30 days | Payment bands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Nottingham City Council | 26 | 59.3% | |
| 12 | Leicester City Council | 25 | 79.3% | |
| 13 | Leicestershire County Council | 24.6 | 90.3% | |
| 20 | Chesterfield Borough Council | 21.1 | 91.1% | |
| 24 | Nottinghamshire County Council | 20 | 90% | |
| 27 | Boston Borough Council | 19 | 94.8% | |
| 38 | Lincolnshire County Council | 17.1 | 94.8% | |
| 47 | South Kesteven District Council | 15.9 | 97.4% | |
| 59 | East Lindsey District Council | 15 | 97.3% | |
| 60 | South Holland District Council | 15 | 97.9% | |
| 73 | North Northamptonshire Council | 13.9 | 99.1% | |
| 83 | West Northamptonshire Council | 13 | 98.8% | |
| 99 | North Kesteven District Council | 10.8 | 95.5% |
# is the rank among all 137 councils, where 1 is the slowest. The full league table.
Nottingham's finances
For context. How fast a council pays is a matter of its own processes as well as its money: across England, councils with more to spend per resident do not pay faster.
- Spending power, 2026-27
- £470.5 million £1,376 a resident; typical unitary authority: £1,197
- Net budget, 2026-27
- £837.6 million Net current expenditure, as budgeted
- Reserves forecast, 1 April 2026
- £193.6 million 41% of a year's spending power; typical unitary authority: 19%
- Emergency government support
- 2024-25, 2025-26 Exceptional Financial Support agreed by government for these years
- Section 114 notice
- November 2023 The council's finance officer reported it could not balance its budget
Sources: Core spending power 2026-27 and local authority revenue expenditure and financing 2026-27 budget, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Exceptional Financial Support lists on GOV.UK. Open Government Licence v3. Reserves are unallocated plus earmarked reserves the council forecast for 1 April 2026.
What the law asks of Nottingham
Pay within 30 days. Under section 68 of the Procurement Act 2023, a council must pay an undisputed invoice within 30 days of receiving it.
Publish every six months. Section 69 requires a payments compliance notice on Find a Tender within 30 days of 31 March and 30 September.
Owed money by a council? Suppliers can claim statutory interest on a late commercial invoice. Work it out with our late payment interest calculator.
Figures are as the council published them and are not audited. Source: payments compliance notices, Find a Tender, Cabinet Office, Open Government Licence v3.