Subcontracting Data

Overview

The TenderAlpha US Subcontracting Data Feed (also referred to as the Unified Award Level Subcontracts Data Feed) provides comprehensive information about second-tier suppliers to the US government. This dataset enables deeper analysis and understanding of US public procurement processes, serving as a resource for research on government supply chains, foreign exposure monitoring, and supply chain vulnerability assessment.

Data is collected from open government sources and features daily, weekly, or monthly updates. The dataset includes ticker-mapping for publicly traded companies, enabling linkage between subcontracting activities and equity market data. The feed covers over 320,000 unique subcontracts since 2018, representing more than $1.5 trillion in total subcontracting value, of which approximately $430 billion has been subcontracted to public companies. The dataset encompasses over 55,000 companies, including more than 900 unique publicly traded sub-awardees.

Data Description

The dataset contains detailed information organized around four primary entity types: awarding agencies, direct awardees (prime contractors), subcontracts, and sub-awardees (subcontractors). Each record represents a subcontract linked to a prime government contract.

Organizational Structure

The data captures a hierarchical flow from the government awarding agency through the prime contractor to the subcontractor:

Awarding Agency Data: Information about the government department or establishment that awarded the prime contract, including multi-level organizational structure (agency, sub-agency, office)
Direct Awardee Data: Information about the company awarded the prime contract
Subcontract Data: Details about the subcontract itself, including dates, location of performance, and value
Sub-Awardee Data: Information about the subcontractor performing the work

Key Data Fields

The dataset includes the following categories of variables:

Geographic and Identification Variables:

Origin identifier and geographical region where awards are procured (US, EEA, etc.)
Event type indicating whether tenders are open or awarded
ISO-3166 Alpha-2 country codes and state codes for all entities
Location details including city, street address, and postal codes

Awarding Agency Variables:

Names and complete location information for awarding agencies at multiple organizational levels (agency, sub-agency, office with n≥3 hierarchy levels)
Funding agency information separate from awarding agency, including multi-level organizational structure

Prime Contract Awardee (Direct Awardee) Variables:

Unique BizPortal-generated company identifiers
Company names and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
Complete location information
Listing status (coded as -1 for Delisted, 0 for Unlisted, 1 for Listed)
For public companies: ticker symbols, stock exchange names, Market Identifier Codes (MIC), stock exchange countries, and International Securities Identification Numbers (ISIN)

Prime Contract Variables:

Tender/contract identifiers
North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes
Contract start and end dates

Subcontract Variables:

Subcontract identifiers from original sources
Subcontract titles and descriptions
Geographic information for work performance locations
Award dates and dispatch dates (when information becomes publicly available)
Minimum delivery dates (earliest date information could be delivered to ongoing feed recipients)
Subcontract values (maximum amount obligated for full contract period)

Subcontractor (Sub-Awardee) Variables:

Unique BizPortal-generated company identifiers
Company names and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
Complete location information
Listing status (Delisted, Unlisted, or Listed)
For public companies: ticker symbols, stock exchange names, Market Identifier Codes (MIC), stock exchange countries, and International Securities Identification Numbers (ISIN)

Coverage

Geographic Coverage: The dataset covers US government procurement with subcontracting relationships. Work performance locations span domestic and international locations, with ISO-3166 standardized country and state codes. The origin field indicates the geographical region where awards have been procured (US, EEA, etc.).

Entity Coverage: The dataset includes over 55,000 companies as prime contractors and subcontractors, with more than 900 unique publicly traded companies serving as sub-awardees.

Temporal Coverage: The dataset contains records from 2018 to present, with 320,000+ unique subcontracts recorded over this period.

Sectoral Coverage: Contracts are classified using NAICS codes, enabling sector-specific analysis across all industries contracting with the US government.

Methodology

Data Collection: Information is collected from open government sources, specifically public procurement databases that track prime contracts and their associated subcontracting relationships.

Company Identification: Each company is assigned a unique BizPortal-generated identifier to enable consistent tracking across contracts. Companies are also identified through Unique Entity Identifiers (UEI) when available.

Ticker Mapping: For publicly traded companies, the dataset includes ticker symbols, stock exchange identifiers (using Market Identifier Codes), exchange names, exchange countries, and ISIN numbers. Companies are classified by listing status to distinguish between listed, unlisted, and delisted entities.

Geographic Standardization: All location data is standardized using ISO-3166 Alpha-2 country codes and ISO-3166 state codes where applicable, ensuring consistent geographic classification across records.

Temporal Recording: The dataset captures multiple temporal dimensions including contract start and end dates, subcontract award dates, dispatch dates (when information becomes publicly available), and minimum delivery dates for ongoing data feed recipients.

Additional Notes

Data Quality Considerations:

Public company information (ticker symbols, exchange data, ISIN numbers) is available only for companies with public equity listings
State codes are provided for US companies and wherever else applicable under the ISO-3166 standard
The value_of_sub_contract field represents the maximum possible amount obligated for the full period of the subcontract
The subcontract_min_delivery_date field indicates the earliest date when information could have been delivered to ongoing feed recipients, relevant for understanding data latency in real-time applications

Organizational Hierarchy: The dataset captures government organizational structure at multiple levels (agency, sub-agency, and office levels where n≥3), providing detailed attribution of contracting authority and funding sources.