Early signals and planned contracts

Early signal, Pipeline signal and Planned Contract labels mark opportunities that are on their way but not yet open for bids. Spotting them lets you prepare, introduce yourself to the buyer and be ready when the formal tender arrives.

The status labels on a tender

Open tender pages show a status badge beside the title. These are the ones you will meet:

• Confirmed tender: a live notice from the buyer, open for bids until its deadline.
• Early signal: an advance notice. The buyer has said work is coming, but it is not an open invitation to bid yet.
• Pipeline signal: a forward-looking notice of work that is planned rather than advertised.
• Pipeline: the buyer has published this as part of its pipeline of planned procurements.
• Planned Contract: the label on a saved search's matches list for planned contracts that are not yet tenders.

A notice may also carry a stage badge such as RFI or Market engagement. See What the RFI, PQQ and ITT badges mean.

How to act on an early signal

1. Open the tender from your Dashboard, Browse or an email.
2. Read the description to see what the buyer expects and roughly when.
3. Check the dates. Any deadline on an early signal is for responses or expressions of interest, not priced bids.
4. Select Add to watchlist so you can find it again. See Watch a tender.
5. Use the time to prepare your business for the likely requirements.

Contracts due back on the market

TenderSignal lists contracts due back on the market, with the month we expect each to return. This gives you a longer runway than a live notice.

• Open /pipeline to browse planned contracts. Free and Pro accounts see a sample with the expected dates hidden, and Business accounts see every signal across every sector.
• On your Dashboard, the Coming up in your sectors section lists renewals in your own sectors. Pro and Business accounts see the expected month for each. Free accounts see how many there are and a few real contracts, with the expected date locked.

For the Business tools built around this list, see Using Pipeline Intelligence. For the renewals list on your dashboard, see Use the renewals list to plan ahead.

Good to know

• An early signal is a heads-up, not a commitment. Buyers can change their plans, delay a procurement or decide not to go ahead.
• The expected month is an expectation, not a promise. Treat it as a planning aid and check the buyer's own notices as the date approaches.
• The badge itself is your cue to prepare, without waiting for a bidding window.
• Once a formal tender is published, it appears as a normal notice with its own deadline. Your watchlist and alerts will help you catch it. See Deadline reminders.
• Early and planned notices are advance information, so read the notice to see whether bids are being invited yet.

To compare what each plan includes, see Pricing.