Ways to find public tenders, compared honestly
Updated 18 Oct 2026 · figures from 5 Nov 2026
There are four common ways to find public tenders. None is right for everyone. This is how they compare, including where Orbigate falls short.
| Free official portals (TED, national portals) | Paid tender alert services | Bid consultants | Orbigate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | A yearly subscription, usually priced by countries and categories | A day rate or a success fee per bid | Free during the beta |
| Coverage | One portal each: you search TED plus every national portal you care about | Usually wide in their home country, mixed abroad | What the consultant follows | TED, 21 national portals in Europe, SAM.gov and CanadaBuys in one search |
| Languages | Notices in the local language | Varies; some translate titles | Usually one or two languages | Searches and translates in every EU language |
| Matching to your company | Keyword and CPV searches you set up yourself | Keyword and CPV profiles, often set up with you | A person picks what fits | An AI agent screens new tenders each morning against your company profile and says why it kept or skipped each one |
| Competition and past winners | In the award notices, one at a time | Some services include award data | From the consultant's experience | Bids per contract, single-bid share and past winners for each tender |
| Writing the bid | You | You | The consultant, or with you | You. Orbigate drafts questions and summaries but does not write or submit bids |
| Best for | Companies with one home market and time to search | Companies that want a steady feed in a few countries | Big, important bids | Small and mid-sized companies looking across several countries and languages |
Where Orbigate falls short
It is new and in beta. It covers the sources listed above, not every regional or city platform, so some small local tenders will not be in it. Its decision cards are AI estimates from the notice, not a reading of every tender document, and the official notice always prevails. If you only bid in one country and already know its portals well, the free portals may be all you need.
How to choose
One country, a few categories: the free national portal and TED, with saved searches, are often enough.
Several countries or languages: a service that searches them together saves the most time. Try two or three on the same week of tenders and compare what they find.
A big bid you must win: a consultant who knows the buyer is worth the fee, whatever you use to find the tender.
Questions
Is there a free way to find public tenders in Europe?
Yes. TED and every national portal are free to search. The cost is your time: you search each one, in its language, with your own keywords and CPV codes.
What does Orbigate cost?
Orbigate is free during its beta, with up to 10 decision cards per account per day.
Does Orbigate submit bids?
No. It finds and screens tenders, shows competition and past winners, and drafts questions and summaries. You prepare and submit the bid.