Guide
How to use contract award data to win more tenders
How small IT firms can use published contract awards to learn what buyers pay, who wins, when contracts come back up, and who might need a partner.
Most firms only look at open tenders. But the public record of past contracts is one of the best free sources of sales intelligence there is. Governments publish contract award notices, and many also publish lists of contracts above a threshold through proactive disclosure.
What award data tells you
- What things really cost. If a city paid $180,000 for a website rebuild last year, a neighbouring city will likely budget something similar.
- Who buys what you sell. A buyer that has bought three data projects in two years will probably buy a fourth.
- Who you are up against. The names that keep winning in your area are your real competitors.
- When work comes back. A three-year contract awarded in 2024 will likely be re-tendered in 2027. See early market engagement.
- Who might need you. A large firm that just won a big contract may need specialist subcontractors.
Where to find it
- Canada: CanadaBuys award notices, and the federal proactive disclosure of contracts over $10,000 on the open government portal. Provinces publish their own.
- US: SAM.gov award notices and USAspending.gov, which covers federal spending in detail.
- UK: Contracts Finder and Find a Tender, which publish award and contract details.
- EU: contract award notices on TED.
- Australia: AusTender publishes contracts over $10,000.
StackBid's buyer pages also show each public buyer's recent IT tenders and contracts coming back up.
Five ways to use it this month
- Pick your top ten buyers. Look up every IT contract they awarded in the last three years.
- Build a renewal calendar. Note each contract's end date and set a reminder six to twelve months before it.
- Benchmark your prices. Compare winning values with your own quotes for similar scopes.
- Profile three competitors. What do they win, at what size, from whom?
- Contact two recent winners about subcontracting or partnering on their next bid.
Ask for more through freedom of information
Where award notices are thin, you can often ask for more, such as the winning bidder's price or the evaluation scores, through freedom of information or access to information requests. Commercially sensitive parts are usually withheld, but a surprising amount is released.
Common questions
Are government contract values public?
In most countries, yes, at least above a threshold. Award notices and spending disclosures usually show the supplier and the contract value.
Can I see a competitor's winning bid?
Rarely in full. You may get parts of it through freedom of information requests, but pricing details and trade secrets are usually withheld.
How do I know when a contract will be re-tendered?
Check the award notice for the contract length and any option periods. The re-tender usually starts six to twelve months before the contract ends.