1. Define the service before the keyword
“Software” is a useful starting point, but it is broad. A development agency might begin with application development, software development, systems integration. A data consultancy could try Power BI, data warehouse, analytics. A cybersecurity provider might use penetration testing, vulnerability, information security.
These are example search terms, not categories that establish eligibility. ContoKit matches literal words or phrases in the observed title and description. Source descriptions may remain in their original language, so English terms can miss relevant work.
2. Choose where you can operate
Start with a buyer market you understand. Check the original procedure for location, language, delivery, registration and participation requirements. A country appearing in our sample does not mean every foreign supplier can bid, or that we cover every notice from that country.
ContoKit combines four bounded samples. They support different questions:
| Source | What this pilot provides |
|---|---|
| UK Find a Tender | Recent public notices, including open tenders and explicit ends of awarded contracts. |
| EU TED | Recent software/IT-classified notices with usable structured submission dates. |
| World Bank | Recent project invitations and expressions of interest with structured future deadlines. |
| USAspending | Reported end dates of recent software awards. These are not open solicitations. |
3. Reduce incidental matches
A long specification can mention a dashboard even when the main purchase is unrelated to your business. Enable “Require a service term in the title” for a narrower list. Add exclusions for purchases you do not serve, such as a specific hardware category. Use exclusions cautiously: a mixed contract might contain both unwanted and useful work.
The brief explains which terms matched and whether they appeared in the title. This is an auditable text filter, not a score predicting procurement eligibility or the chance of winning.
4. Make a bid-or-investigate decision at the source
- Confirm that the notice is current and that no amendment or cancellation changes it.
- Check whether the relevant work belongs to a particular lot or framework.
- Read delivery requirements, evaluation criteria and the actual submission instructions.
- Confirm the deadline time and time zone. A calendar date alone is insufficient.
- Check what a published amount represents. It can cover several years or lots; an unknown value stays unknown.
5. Keep an explained shortlist
Export a readable report or CSV with original source links, match terms, dates, value basis and the next checks. Share it with the colleague who can assess delivery and bid effort. ContoKit reports include up to 25 matching records; they are a starting point for qualification, not a complete market inventory.
If a strict search returns no results, broaden one dimension at a time. Empty results are preferable to invented opportunities. There may be relevant records outside the imported sample.
Source details: ContoKit methodology, UK Find a Tender, EU TED, World Bank procurement and USAspending.