# UK Contracts Finder Tender Extractor (`gmoran/uk-contracts-finder-tender-extractor`) Actor

- **URL**: https://apify.com/gmoran/uk-contracts-finder-tender-extractor.md
- **Developed by:** [Guillermo Morán](https://apify.com/gmoran) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 normalized tender notices

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## UK Contracts Finder Tender Extractor

This Apify Actor queries the **official UK Contracts Finder OCDS public API** and writes normalized public procurement notice releases to the default Dataset. It uses HTTP only: no login, browser, proxy, paid API, LLM, or fixed infrastructure is required.

### Inputs

| Input | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `publishedFrom` | Optional ISO 8601 inclusive lower publication-date bound. |
| `publishedTo` | Optional ISO 8601 inclusive upper publication-date bound. It cannot be earlier than `publishedFrom`. |
| `stages` | Optional comma-separated OCDS stages, such as `tender` or `award`. |
| `maxItems` | Maximum releases to write, from 1 to 100 (default 2). |

The Store prefill is a cheap historical query documented by Contracts Finder (`2021-10-28` through `2021-10-28`, `planning,tender`, one item).

### Output

One OCDS release/notice becomes one Dataset row, with fields supplied by the API where available: release identifiers, title and description, stage/status, buyer, dates, tender value/currency, classification, official document URL, and capture time. Missing source fields remain empty; the Actor does not invent values.

`SUMMARY` in the default Key-Value Store reports API requests, packages, releases seen, extracted rows, skipped/malformed releases, duplicate releases, errors, and whether the bound was reached. `itemsExtracted` always equals the number of Dataset rows written.

### Limits and pagination

The Actor sends `publishedFrom`, `publishedTo`, `stages`, and a bounded API `limit` to the official endpoint. It follows the API cursor internally and stops at `maxItems`, no next cursor, no new releases, malformed upstream data, HTTP/timeout/JSON errors, or a repeated cursor. Repeated releases are deduplicated by the strongest available identity: `ocid + releaseId`; distinct releases sharing an OCID are retained.

### Example uses

- Build a bounded lead list of recently published public tenders.
- Monitor selected publication dates or release stages.
- Export normalized OCDS fields for downstream analysis.

### Limitations

Results are limited to what Contracts Finder publishes through its OCDS search API and the requested filters/bound. This Actor does not provide procurement or legal advice, and it does not guarantee opportunity coverage or suitability.

# Actor input Schema

## `publishedFrom` (type: `string`):

Optional ISO 8601 inclusive lower publication-date bound.

## `publishedTo` (type: `string`):

Optional ISO 8601 inclusive upper publication-date bound.

## `stages` (type: `string`):

Optional comma-separated OCDS stages, for example tender or award.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Extract 1 to 100 releases; one release is one Dataset row.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "publishedFrom": "2021-10-28",
  "publishedTo": "2021-10-28",
  "stages": "planning,tender",
  "maxItems": 1
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `releases` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "publishedFrom": "2021-10-28",
    "publishedTo": "2021-10-28",
    "stages": "planning,tender",
    "maxItems": 1
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("gmoran/uk-contracts-finder-tender-extractor").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "publishedFrom": "2021-10-28",
    "publishedTo": "2021-10-28",
    "stages": "planning,tender",
    "maxItems": 1,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("gmoran/uk-contracts-finder-tender-extractor").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "publishedFrom": "2021-10-28",
  "publishedTo": "2021-10-28",
  "stages": "planning,tender",
  "maxItems": 1
}' |
apify call gmoran/uk-contracts-finder-tender-extractor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,gmoran/uk-contracts-finder-tender-extractor"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/kU94VpTYvlTsUuwma/builds/pPsM7BbdZf7PaUgV3/openapi.json