What tools exist to search for public contracts?
Looking for public contracts ... Uff, I'm not going to lie to you, sometimes it seems impossible mission. But, hey, there are a lot of platforms and truquitos that save your life if you are one of those who want to get into the world of tenders. There are tools that range from the most basic (type track opportunities and receive alerts) to more pro things, such as spying on your competition or doing market analysis. Yes, there is all that, and more.
The usual classic is the government's public hiring portal - that site that everyone hates but everyone returns. It is usually free, and although sometimes the interface seems taken from 2005, there is all the info you need: requirements, deadlines, documents, instructions ... Everything. And yes, you have to read the eternal PDFs and sometimes even call because something does not charge, but well, it is what there is.
But not everything stays official - there are private platforms (TENDERSPage, Biddingo, Bidnet, and a long etcetera) that basically add info of a thousand places, send you personalized alerts and even help you with the proposal. Of course, prepare to pay, what free are not. And the truth, if you can afford it, sometimes it is worth it because you save search hours and you find out things that appear in the official portal or appear.
In addition, there are data analysis software and “Business Intelligence” (which sounds very Fancy, but in the end it is to see trends and catch opportunities before others). If you are one of those who really go seriously with this of tenders, these programs can give you a brutal advantage, because they show you patterns and areas where there is pasta and little competition.
Of course, all this is if you have a clear strategy. It is not worth going crazy applying to everything that moves. His thing is to choose the sector well, be at the parrot of the dates, and have the papers ready. And, of course, studying the requirements well - noted to send half proposals because they are thrown back at zero coma.
At the end of the day, although all these tools facilitate life, the world of public procurement remains a jungle: a lot of competition, a lot of rare rule, and a lot of bureaucracy. You have to be very awake, fulfill deadlines, and deliver proposals that really stand out.
In short: Yes, looking for public contracts can be a pain, but there are resources to kick to make it more bearable. If you organize, use the right portals, and you have a decent strategy, the possibilities of catching a good contract rise a lot. And hey, with a little luck and perseverance, the same will even take the fat prize.