# PlanetBids Open Bids Scraper: Cities and School Districts (`talcoe/planetbids-portals`) Actor

Open bids, RFPs and RFQs from PlanetBids agency portals (California cities, school districts, ports) filtered by status, keyword and due date, priced per result.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/talcoe/planetbids-portals.md
- **Developed by:** [M Usama](https://apify.com/talcoe) (community)
- **Categories:** Business
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $5.00 / 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.

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

### What does PlanetBids Open Bids Scraper do?

It collects bids, RFPs, RFQs and other solicitations from PlanetBids agency portals, which many California cities, school districts, colleges and ports use to publish procurement. Each record has the title, agency, solicitation number, bid type, status, due date, posted date, category names and codes, and a direct link to the bid. Filters for status, keyword and due date keep runs small, and pricing is per result.

### Data source

The Actor reads the public JSON API behind each agency's PlanetBids vendor portal (`vendors.planetbids.com/portal/<id>/bo/bo-search`), which any visitor can use without logging in. Data is live at the time of the run.

### Why use it?

- Find new public works, services and supply bids in one feed instead of checking each portal by hand.
- Monitor a trade (paving, roofing, IT, janitorial) by keyword and get only matching bids.
- Track due dates and build a pipeline for contractors and suppliers.
- Research which agencies buy what, using closed bids.

### How to use it

1. Open the Actor and set the filters.
2. Click Start. Download results as JSON, CSV or Excel, or read them through the API.
3. Add a Schedule and an Integration (Slack, Google Sheets, webhook) to get new bids automatically.

### Input

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `stage` | `open` (accepting bids, default), `closed`, or `all`. |
| `keywords` | Keep bids whose title, solicitation number or category names contain any of these words. |
| `dueDateFrom` | Earliest due date, `YYYY-MM-DD`. |
| `dueDateTo` | Latest due date, `YYYY-MM-DD`. |
| `portalIds` | Extra agency IDs to include. The ID is the number in the portal URL. |
| `maxResults` | Hard stop for the run. You are billed per result, so this caps the cost. |
| `proxyConfiguration` | Apify proxy is recommended for larger runs. |

Example input:

```json
{
    "stage": "open",
    "keywords": ["roof", "paving"],
    "dueDateFrom": "2026-11-01",
    "maxResults": 100
}
```

### Output

Every record has the same shape:

```json
{
    "id": "planetbids:17950:146737",
    "title": "San Diego Convention Center West Roof Replacement",
    "agency": "City of San Diego",
    "solicitationNumber": "K-27-2513-DB2-3",
    "bidType": "RFQual",
    "status": "Bidding",
    "dueDate": "2026-11-04T14:00:00",
    "postedDate": "2026-09-30T12:00:10",
    "categories": ["Roofing Contractors", "Engineering Services"],
    "categoryCodes": ["238160", "541330"],
    "submissionFormat": "Electronic",
    "byInvitation": false,
    "portalId": 17950,
    "bidId": 146737,
    "url": "https://vendors.planetbids.com/portal/17950/bo/bo-detail/146737"
}
```

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `id` | Stable key, safe for deduplication between runs |
| `title`, `agency`, `solicitationNumber` | What is being bid, who issued it, and the agency's bid number |
| `bidType` | Bid, RFP, RFQ, RFQual, RFI or IPWB |
| `status` | Bidding, Closed, Canceled and similar |
| `dueDate`, `postedDate` | Agency local time (Pacific for the built in portals), no timezone suffix |
| `categories`, `categoryCodes` | Category names and codes the agency assigned |
| `url` | Link to the bid on the agency's portal |

### Pricing

Pay per event: a fixed price per result returned. You only pay for records that pass your filters. Set `maxResults` to cap any run.

### Limitations

- Covers a built in list of agency portals (California cities, school districts, colleges and a port). PlanetBids has no public agency directory, so add other agencies with `portalIds`.
- Bid documents, addenda and bidder lists need a vendor login and are not included.
- The default run takes a few seconds. The API throttles fast clients, so the Actor runs slowly on purpose.

### FAQ

**Is this legal?** The Actor reads listings the site publishes for any visitor without a login and stores only business information published for that purpose. You are responsible for how you use the data.

**Something is missing or broken?** Open an issue in the Issues tab; response time is usually under a day.

# Actor input Schema

## `stage` (type: `string`):

Open returns bids currently accepting responses. Closed returns bids past their due date. All returns every status, newest first.

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

Keep only bids whose title, solicitation number or category names contain at least one of these words. Leave empty for all bids.

## `dueDateFrom` (type: `string`):

Earliest bid due date, format YYYY-MM-DD. Leave empty for no lower bound.

## `dueDateTo` (type: `string`):

Latest bid due date, format YYYY-MM-DD. Leave empty for no upper bound.

## `portalIds` (type: `array`):

Additional PlanetBids agency IDs to include on top of the built in list. The ID is the number in the portal URL: vendors.planetbids.com/portal/<ID>/bo/bo-search.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Hard stop for the run. You are billed per result, so this caps the cost.

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

Apify proxy is recommended for larger runs.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "stage": "open",
  "keywords": [],
  "dueDateFrom": "",
  "dueDateTo": "",
  "portalIds": [],
  "maxResults": 200,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (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 = {
    "stage": "open",
    "keywords": [],
    "portalIds": [],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": false
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("talcoe/planetbids-portals").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 = {
    "stage": "open",
    "keywords": [],
    "portalIds": [],
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": False },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("talcoe/planetbids-portals").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 '{
  "stage": "open",
  "keywords": [],
  "portalIds": [],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}' |
apify call talcoe/planetbids-portals --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,talcoe/planetbids-portals"
        }
    }
}
```

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/b943dpw3Y2wlADvnN/builds/gTV81kgIoufyS0nqm/openapi.json