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Eren Yeager
Eren Yeager

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How to Track Public Tenders from UK and EU Sources with Apify

#webdev #javascript #productivity #opensource

Public tenders and RFPs can be valuable, but checking different procurement portals manually is slow.

A bid team, public-sector sales team, or GovCon consultant usually needs to answer a few practical questions quickly:

  • Who is the buyer?
  • What is the opportunity?
  • When is the deadline?
  • Where is the official source?
  • Is this worth reviewing?

In this walkthrough, I’ll show a simple way to collect public tender records from UK and EU sources into a structured dataset using Apify.

Actor used here:

https://apify.com/fascinating_lentil/global-government-contracts-aggregator

What This Actor Supports

The Global Government Contracts & Tenders Scraper currently supports:

  • UK Contracts Finder
  • EU TED
  • SAM.gov, when you provide your own SAM.gov API key

For this tutorial, we’ll use UK Contracts Finder and EU TED because they do not require an API key for a first test.

Step 1: Open the Actor

Open the actor on Apify:

https://apify.com/fascinating_lentil/global-government-contracts-aggregator

Click Try for free or open it in Apify Console if you are already logged in.

Step 2: Use a Small First Input

Start with a small run so the test stays quick and easy to inspect.

{
  "sources": ["uk_contracts_finder", "ted"],
  "keywords": ["software"],
  "noticeStatus": "active",
  "maxResults": 10,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
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What the fields mean:

  • sources: procurement sources to search
  • keywords: search terms such as software, cybersecurity, or facilities management
  • noticeStatus: use active for open opportunities
  • maxResults: total records to save
  • proxyConfiguration: proxy is usually not needed for official APIs

Step 3: Run the Actor

Click Start.

When the run finishes, open the Output tab. You should see a table of tender or contract records.

Important fields include:

  • source
  • contractId
  • title
  • buyerName
  • buyerCountry
  • buyerRegion
  • noticeType
  • stage
  • procurementMethod
  • contractValue
  • currency
  • publishedDate
  • deadlineDate
  • status
  • classificationCodes
  • description
  • contractUrl

Step 4: Review One Result

A useful tender digest should start with decision fields, not every possible field.

Example digest item:

Title: Roof Chiller Replacement At UCG Paddington
Buyer: United Colleges Group
Region: England / London
Notice type: Tender
Stage: Tender
Procurement method: Open procedure
Published: 2026-06-27
Deadline: 2026-07-20
Status: Active
Source: UK Contracts Finder
Official URL: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/78662a62-9ddd-45eb-bdfa-e27352391e6e-903748
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For a bid team, the main question is not just “can we scrape it?”

The better question is:

Can we quickly decide whether this opportunity is worth opening?

That is why buyer, deadline, location, category, value, status, and official URL matter so much.

Step 5: Export the Data

From the Apify dataset, you can export results as:

  • CSV
  • Excel
  • JSON
  • HTML table
  • API response

For a manual workflow, CSV or Excel is enough.

For an automated workflow, you can use the Apify API or connect the actor output to another tool.

Step 6: Turn It Into a Weekly Digest

Once the records are structured, you can filter them into a weekly digest.

Useful filters:

  • keyword
  • country or region
  • deadline window
  • notice type
  • procurement stage
  • estimated value
  • CPV or category code
  • buyer name

A simple digest format could look like this:

Weekly Software Tender Digest

1. Tender title
Buyer: ...
Deadline: ...
Region: ...
Value: ...
Why review: matches software keyword and deadline is still open.
Official URL: ...
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You can build this manually first:

  1. Run the actor once per week.
  2. Export the dataset to CSV.
  3. Filter for relevant records.
  4. Send a short email or report to your team.

Later, you can automate it:

  1. Schedule the actor on Apify.
  2. Store previously seen contractId values.
  3. Keep only new opportunities.
  4. Send the digest by email or webhook.

Practical Tips

Start narrow. A search for software is easier to validate than a broad “all tenders” feed.

Keep maxResults small until you like the output format.

Use active status when your goal is live opportunities.

Use the official source URL as the final source of truth.

Do not depend on contract value alone. Many public notices do not publish a clean value.

Responsible Use

This workflow is designed for official public procurement records.

Do not use it to collect private information, build personal contact lists, or bypass access controls.

Always check the source terms, local rules, and your organization’s procurement compliance requirements.

Final Thought

The useful product here is not just “scraping tenders.”

The useful product is a clean opportunity list that helps someone decide what to review next.

If you work with procurement, GovCon, public-sector sales, or bid writing, I’d be interested in your view:

Which fields matter most when deciding whether a tender is worth opening?

Actor link:

https://apify.com/fascinating_lentil/global-government-contracts-aggregator

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