Transparency
Data Sources & Methodology
Provenance is central to what Rainledger does. Every procurement signal links to the public record it came from. This page explains what we read, how we classify it, how matching works, and what we do not do.
1. What we read
Rainledger ingests publicly available government procurement records. We do not generate, predict, or invent signals. Everything traces to an official source.
Federal procurement records (SAM.gov)
SAM.gov is the U.S. government's primary contract opportunities portal. Rainledger reads solicitations, presolicitation notices, Sources Sought notices, Requests for Information (RFIs), Special Notices, and award notices. SAM.gov contains far more than fully formed RFPs — early-stage notices are a primary signal source.
Source: sam.gov
Federal award history (USASpending)
USASpending.gov provides the government-wide database of federal contract awards, including award amounts, awardee details, NAICS codes, CFDA programs, and period of performance. This data powers incumbent identification, recompete signals, agency purchasing patterns, and contract-size calibration.
Source: usaspending.gov
Agency acquisition forecasts & procurement plans
Federal agencies are required to publish acquisition forecasts — planned procurements typically 6–18 months out. These documents, published on individual agency portals and compiled by several agencies centrally, reveal planned procurements before any SAM.gov notice is issued. Coverage will expand to the top federal agencies by procurement volume.
State & local (SLED) procurement records
State budget documents, capital improvement plans, municipal board meeting records, transit authority procurement notices, and similar SLED sources. Federal coverage comes first; SLED layers will be added by jurisdiction and source type as the data infrastructure is built out.
2. Signal types and reliability
Not all signals carry the same confidence. Rainledger classifies each signal by its reliability grade, which reflects how close the source is to an actual procurement action.
| Signal type | Reliability | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|
| Active solicitation (RFP/RFQ) | Confirmed | Positioning window closed |
| Presolicitation notice | Confirmed | 1–6 months |
| Sources Sought / RFI | High | 3–12 months |
| Agency acquisition forecast | Probable | 6–18 months |
| Expiring incumbent contract | Probable | 3–12 months |
| Historical award pattern | Indicative | Varies |
| Budget / program planning signal | Speculative | 12–24 months |
3. How the firm profile works
The firm profile is not a keyword list. It is an evidence-backed model of what your firm actually does, who it serves, and what it can credibly deliver. Rainledger uses the profile as the basis for matching — a signal that does not align with a real firm attribute does not score well.
Profile attributes include: products and services; documented capabilities; NAICS and PSC codes; target agencies and customer types; geographic service area; contract-size range; socioeconomic certifications and set-aside eligibility; past performance; industries served; delivery model; relevant technologies; and explicit exclusions — work the firm does not perform.
Where possible, Rainledger draws supporting evidence from publicly available sources — registration data, award history, and similar records — to supplement what you enter directly.
4. Match scoring and explainability
Every match score is explainable. Rainledger does not present a percentage without showing the reasoning behind it. Scores reflect a weighted comparison across seven dimensions:
| Dimension | Weight |
|---|---|
| NAICS / PSC alignment | 25% |
| Documented capability match | 20% |
| Target agency / customer type | 15% |
| Contract-size fit | 10% |
| Geographic service area | 10% |
| Set-aside / socioeconomic eligibility | 10% |
| Past performance relevance | 10% |
Score thresholds: 80 and above is surfaced prominently; 60–79 is shown with context; below 40 is suppressed from the default pipeline view. Scores below 60% always display a gap explanation. Scores are versioned — when the firm profile is updated, all signals are re-scored.
Every opportunity detail view shows WHY IT MATCHES, RISKS / GAPS, and SOURCE EVIDENCE. Rainledger does not ask you to trust a number without showing its basis.
5. What Rainledger does not do
- We do not predict solicitations that agencies have not signaled through any public record.
- We do not invent, fabricate, or estimate procurement signals. Every signal traces to a real government document.
- We do not provide legal, compliance, or contracting advice. Rainledger is an intelligence tool, not a compliance service.
- We do not replace your team's due diligence, capture planning, or judgment about whether to pursue an opportunity.
- We do not guarantee that a signal will result in a solicitation, award, or any procurement action.
- We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any government agency.
Questions about our data or methods?
If you spot an error in a signal, have a question about a source document, or want to understand how a particular match score was derived, contact us.
Contact the Rainledger team