# Cincinnati Business Opportunities Scraper (`real-estate-api/cincinnati-business-opportunities-scraper`) Actor

Cincinnati Business Opportunities Scraper is a Python tool to extract solicitation numbers, project titles, submission deadlines, issuing departments, and contract details from city procurement portals. It exports structured bid datasets into clean CSV or JSON formats

- **URL**: https://apify.com/real-estate-api/cincinnati-business-opportunities-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [real-estate-api](https://apify.com/real-estate-api) (community)
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.99 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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

### Cincinnati Business Opportunities Scraper — City Procurement and Bid Opportunity Records

![Cincinnati Business Opportunities Scraper cover](https://images.bigibyte.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1260,height=540,fit=cover,format=webp/apify-actors-covers/cincinnati-business-opportunities-scraper-cover.png)

Collect public bid opportunities and procurement records from the City of Cincinnati open data portal. Retrieve all available rows, apply custom filters, or inspect dataset metadata. Export structured results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or other supported formats.

### Overview

This actor collects records from the City of Cincinnati's Business Opportunities (Archived) dataset. It supports full dataset collection, filtered searches, and metadata retrieval.

You can control the number of records collected, sort results, and filter opportunities using SoQL conditions or text searches.

### Features

- Collect business opportunity and procurement records.
- Retrieve all available dataset rows in paginated batches.
- Filter records using SoQL conditions.
- Search records using full-text queries.
- Retrieve dataset column names, types, and descriptions.
- Set a maximum number of records per run.
- Collect bid details, departments, buyers, deadlines, and document links.
- Export results in JSON, CSV, Excel, and other supported formats.

### Collection Modes

**All Rows (`rows`):** Collects records from the dataset using pagination and the selected sorting order.

**Filtered Rows (`filtered`):** Collects records matching the supplied SoQL `where` condition and/or full-text search query.

**Dataset Metadata (`metadata`):** Retrieves dataset column names, data types, and descriptions.

### Input Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `mode` | String | Collection mode: `rows`, `filtered`, or `metadata`. |
| `maxItems` | Integer | Maximum number of records to collect. Default is 100; maximum is 1,000. |
| `orderBy` | String | Field or expression used to sort results. Defaults to `:id`. |
| `where` | String | Optional SoQL condition used to filter records. |
| `requestDelaySecs` | Number | Delay between requests, in seconds. |

### Example Input

**All Rows**

```json id="cincy01"
{
  "mode": "rows",
  "maxItems": 50,
  "orderBy": ":id",
  "requestDelaySecs": 1
}
```

**Filtered Rows**

```json id="cincy02"
{
  "mode": "filtered",
  "where": "status='Under Review'",
  "maxItems": 25,
  "requestDelaySecs": 1
}
```

### What Data Does This Actor Extract?

Available fields depend on the records returned by the dataset.

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `bid_project_number` | Unique bid or project reference number. |
| `status` | Current or recorded opportunity status. |
| `project_name` | Name of the procurement project. |
| `requesting_department` | City department requesting the procurement. |
| `buyer` | Buyer or procurement contact name, when available. |
| `procurement_type` | Procurement method, such as Request for Proposals. |
| `date_due` | Bid submission deadline. |
| `bid_booklet_pdf` | Bid booklet document details and download link, when available. |
| `addendum_1_pdf` | First addendum document details and download link, when available. |
| `scraped_at` | Timestamp when the record was collected. |

### Example Output

```json id="cincy03"
{
  "bid_project_number": "RFP669CRCHIRSCH",
  "status": "Under Review",
  "project_name": "Hirsch Recreation Fitness Equipment and Center Upgrades",
  "requesting_department": "Recreation",
  "buyer": "David Nash",
  "procurement_type": "Request for Proposals",
  "date_due": "2019-02-05T00:00:00.000Z",
  "bid_booklet_pdf": {
    "url": "https://data.cincinnati-oh.gov/views/b397-t996/files/226f9cc2-bb32-45ad-a8f2-dd4a20e1f9ed?filename=RFP669CRCHIRSCH+-+Final.pdf"
  },
  "addendum_1_pdf": {
    "url": "https://data.cincinnati-oh.gov/views/b397-t996/files/bf2d653d-a179-4860-acf5-17af846f346b?filename=RFP669CRCHIRSCH+-+ADDENDUM+1.pdf"
  },
  "scraped_at": "2026-10-26T00:00:00+00:00"
}
```

### Use Cases

- **Bid Opportunity Monitoring:** Track Cincinnati procurement opportunities and bid deadlines.
- **Business Development:** Identify public purchasing opportunities relevant to your products or services.
- **Market Research:** Analyze project descriptions, procurement types, departments, and buyers.
- **Government Contracting:** Build structured lists of public-sector bid opportunities.
- **Document Collection:** Organize available bid booklets and addendum links for review.
- **Procurement Analysis:** Export historical opportunity records for reporting and research.

### Working with Your Dataset

After the actor finishes running, open its dataset to explore the collected records. You can:

- Export records as JSON, CSV, Excel, and other supported formats.
- Filter opportunities by status, department, or procurement type.
- Sort records by bid deadline or project number.
- Open available bid booklet and addendum links.
- Import the exported data into spreadsheets or data analysis tools.

### FAQ

**Who is this actor for?**

It is useful for contractors, suppliers, procurement researchers, business development teams, analysts, and developers interested in Cincinnati public procurement opportunities.

**What export formats are supported?**

You can export the dataset as JSON, CSV, Excel, and other formats supported by Apify.

**Can I filter opportunities by status?**

Yes. Use the `where` parameter with a SoQL condition, such as `status='Under Review'`.

**Can I search for specific keywords?**

Yes. The filtered collection mode supports full-text search using the dataset's search functionality.

**Can I retrieve dataset metadata?**

Yes. Select `metadata` mode to retrieve available column names, types, and descriptions.

**Can I run it on a schedule?**

Yes. You can configure an Apify schedule to run the actor automatically at your preferred interval.

**What happens if a page cannot be collected?**

The actor continues processing other pages when possible. A failed page may not produce records.

**How many records can one run collect?**

The default `maxItems` value is 100, and the maximum is 1,000 records per run.

**Are these all current bid opportunities?**

Not necessarily. The source dataset is identified as an archived Business Opportunities dataset. Some records may be historical or have expired deadlines. Verify opportunity status and deadlines before making business decisions.

### Disclaimer

This is an independent data collection tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or officially associated with the City of Cincinnati. The City of Cincinnati name and related trademarks belong to their respective owners.

The actor collects information from publicly accessible government records. Users are responsible for ensuring that their collection and use of the data comply with applicable laws and the source's terms.

### Is Web Scraping Legal?

Collecting information that is already public is generally legal. There is no single law that bans all forms of web scraping. The limits are the usual ones: do not break into accounts, do not take private or confidential data, and be careful with personal data and copyrighted works. A site's terms can also restrict how you access it. Facts such as a public name, price, or rating are not the same thing as republishing someone's article or photo.

This actor collects information from public pages. It does not log in and it does not bypass access controls.

For a longer explanation, see Apify's article [Is web scraping legal?](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/).

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

What to scrape.

## `where` (type: `string`):

SoQL $where clause, e.g. status='Under Review'

## `q` (type: `string`):

Full-text search ($q) across text columns

## `orderBy` (type: `string`):

SoQL $order (stable paging needs a unique order)

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

Stop after this many successful rows. Hard max is 1000.

## `requestDelaySecs` (type: `number`):

Seconds to wait between requests.

## `userAgent` (type: `string`):

User-Agent header sent with each request.

## `timeoutSecs` (type: `integer`):

Overall run budget in seconds.

## `requestTimeoutSecs` (type: `integer`):

Per-request timeout in seconds.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Optional proxy. Leave off unless you need it.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "rows",
  "where": "",
  "q": "",
  "orderBy": ":id",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "requestDelaySecs": 1,
  "userAgent": "ActorResearch/1.0",
  "timeoutSecs": 300,
  "requestTimeoutSecs": 30,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

Dataset rows in the overview table.

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

Full dataset for this run.

## `items` (type: `string`):

Dataset items as JSON.

# 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 = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("real-estate-api/cincinnati-business-opportunities-scraper").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 = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("real-estate-api/cincinnati-business-opportunities-scraper").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 '{}' |
apify call real-estate-api/cincinnati-business-opportunities-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,real-estate-api/cincinnati-business-opportunities-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

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/PuH0qQyWb4fXdLna2/builds/LeiA2Nue7oI6sgIbw/openapi.json