# Search Federal Contract Awards `Search_Federal_Contract_Awards` is the primary GovTribe surface for federal prime-award analysis at the level where obligations are recorded. ## When To Use Typical questions this tool answers well: * Which awards match a topic, code, agency, vendor, geography, or date range? * How much was obligated (`dollars_obligated`) versus potential ceiling (`ceiling_value`)? * Who leads by obligations (vendors, agencies, IDVs, vehicles, categories, points of contact)? * Which agency funded the award versus which agency signed/administered it? * Which awards are linked to a known opportunity, IDV, or contract vehicle? ## Required Reading 1. [Search\_Mode\_And\_Query\_Guide](/user-guide/mcp/guides/search_mode_and_query_guide.md): Required before setting free-text query strings and choosing keyword vs semantic retrieval. 2. [Date\_Filtering\_Guide](/user-guide/mcp/guides/date_filtering_guide.md): Required before setting date window filters. 3. [Location\_Filtering\_Guide](/user-guide/mcp/guides/location_filtering_guide.md): Required before setting location filters. ## Output Contract * Top-level keys: * `current_page`: Current page number when `per_page > 0`. * `data`: Array of result rows when `per_page > 0`. * `from`: First row position in the current page. * `last_page`: Last page number for current filters. * `per_page`: Applied page size. * `to`: Last row position in the current page. * `total`: Total matched row count for current query filters. * `contains`: Dataset label for the returned result set. * `search_results_id_can_generate_saved_search`: Saved-search eligibility flag. * `search_results_id`: Server-side search result identifier. * `view_search_results_url`: URL to open this exact result set. * `aggregations`: Aggregation payload keyed by requested aggregation names when requested. * Row keys: * `govtribe_id` * `govtribe_ai_summary` * `govtribe_type` * `govtribe_url` * `award_date` * `ceiling_value` * `completion_date` * `contract_number` * `federal_contract_vehicle` * `contract_type` * `descriptions` * `dollars_obligated` * `extent_competed` * `legislative_mandate` * `major_program_code` * `name` * `national_interest_action_code` * `number_of_offers_received` * `pricing_type` * `research_type` * `set_aside_type` * `solicitation_procedures` * `ultimate_completion_date` * `updated_at` * `vendor_sba_cert_8a_expiration_date` * `vendor_sba_cert_8a_joint_venture_expiration_date` * `vendor_sba_cert_hubzone_expiration_date` * `vendor_sba_cert_small_disadvantaged_business_expiration_date` * `awardee` * `federal_contract_idv` * `contracting_federal_agency` * `dod_acquisition_programs` * `funding_federal_agency` * `place_of_performance` * `naics_category` * `originating_federal_meta_opportunity_id` * `parent_of_awardee` * `primary_consortia_member` * `psc_category` * `sub_contracts` * `transaction_contacts` * `originating_federal_contract_opportunity` * `vendor_sba_cert_*_expiration_date` row fields are top-level values sourced from the awardee vendor and return ISO 8601 Zulu timestamp strings when present. * `originating_federal_meta_opportunity_id` is a top-level scalar notice-thread identifier on award rows. Use its value with `federal_meta_opportunity_ids` when calling `Search_Federal_Contract_Opportunities`. * `place_of_performance` returns a nested location object with `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `name`, `lat`, and `lng` when the place-of-performance relation is loaded. * Relationship retrieval map: * `awardee` * `resource_type`: `vendor` * `tool`: `Search_Vendors` * `filter`: `vendor_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `name`, `uei`, `govtribe_url` * `contracting_federal_agency` * `resource_type`: `federal_agency` * `tool`: `Search_Federal_Agencies` * `filter`: `federal_agency_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `govtribe_url`, `name` * `dod_acquisition_programs` * `resource_type`: `dod_acquisition_program` * `tool`: `Search_Major_Defense_Programs` * `filter`: `major_defense_program_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `govtribe_url`, `name` * `federal_contract_idv` * `resource_type`: `federal_contract_idv` * `tool`: `Search_Federal_Contract_IDVs` * `filter`: `federal_contract_i_d_v_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `govtribe_url`, `name` * `federal_contract_vehicle` * `resource_type`: `federal_contract_vehicle` * `tool`: `Search_Federal_Contract_Vehicles` * `filter`: `federal_contract_vehicle_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `govtribe_url`, `name` * `funding_federal_agency` * `resource_type`: `federal_agency` * `tool`: `Search_Federal_Agencies` * `filter`: `federal_agency_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `govtribe_url`, `name` * `naics_category` * `resource_type`: `naics_category` * `tool`: `Search_Naics_Categories` * `filter`: `naics_category_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `govtribe_url`, `name` * `originating_federal_contract_opportunity` * `resource_type`: `federal_contract_opportunity` * `tool`: `Search_Federal_Contract_Opportunities` * `filter`: `federal_contract_opportunity_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `govtribe_url`, `name` * `parent_of_awardee` * `resource_type`: `vendor` * `tool`: `Search_Vendors` * `filter`: `vendor_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `name`, `uei`, `govtribe_url` * `place_of_performance` * `resource_type`: `location` * `tool`: `n/a` * `filter`: `n/a` * `fallback`: No direct Search\_\* tool returns this resource class; use parent dataset filters and parent IDs. * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `name`, `lat`, `lng` * `primary_consortia_member` * `resource_type`: `vendor` * `tool`: `Search_Vendors` * `filter`: `vendor_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `name`, `uei`, `govtribe_url` * `psc_category` * `resource_type`: `psc_category` * `tool`: `Search_Psc_Categories` * `filter`: `psc_category_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `govtribe_url`, `name` * `sub_contracts` * `resource_type`: `federal_contract_sub_award` * `tool`: `Search_Federal_Contract_Sub_Awards` * `filter`: `federal_contract_sub_award_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `govtribe_url`, `name` * `transaction_contacts` * `resource_type`: `contact` * `tool`: `Search_Contacts` * `filter`: `contact_ids` * `nested_keys`: `govtribe_id`, `govtribe_type`, `name`, `email`, `govtribe_url` ## Usage Patterns Pattern A: Top awardees and set-aside distribution for a funding agency (aggregations-only). Tool: `Search_Federal_Contract_Awards` ```json { "search_mode": "keyword", "funding_federal_agency_ids": [ "" ], "award_date_range": { "from": "now-12M/d", "to": "now/d" }, "aggregations": [ "top_awardees_by_dollars_obligated", "top_set_aside_types_by_dollars_obligated", "dollars_obligated_stats" ], "per_page": 0 } ``` Pattern B: Agency awards with rows plus an agency leaderboard. Tool: `Search_Federal_Contract_Awards` ```json { "search_mode": "keyword", "fields_to_return": [ "govtribe_id" ], "contracting_federal_agency_ids": [ "" ], "aggregations": [ "top_awardees_by_dollars_obligated" ], "sort": { "key": "awardDate", "direction": "desc" }, "per_page": 10 } ``` Pattern C: All awards linked to a Federal Contract Opportunity. Tool: `Search_Federal_Contract_Awards` ```json { "search_mode": "keyword", "fields_to_return": [ "govtribe_id" ], "federal_meta_opportunity_ids": [ "" ], "per_page": 25 } ``` Pattern D: Find awards for work similar to a Federal Contract Opportunity (useful for identifying likely bidders before award). Tool: `Search_Federal_Contract_Awards` ```json { "search_mode": "semantic", "fields_to_return": [ "govtribe_id" ], "similar_filter": { "govtribe_type": "federal_contract_opportunity", "govtribe_id": "" }, "per_page": 15 } ``` Pattern E: Direct award lookup by PIID or contract number. Tool: `Search_Federal_Contract_Awards` ```json { "query": "\"\"", "search_mode": "keyword", "fields_to_return": [ "govtribe_id" ], "sort": { "key": "awardDate", "direction": "desc" }, "per_page": 25 } ``` Pattern F: Task-order awards under a specific IDV. Tool: `Search_Federal_Contract_Awards` ```json { "search_mode": "keyword", "fields_to_return": [ "govtribe_id" ], "federal_contract_idv_ids": [ "" ], "sort": { "key": "awardDate", "direction": "desc" }, "per_page": 25 } ``` Pattern G: Awards associated with a specific contracting contact (POC/CO). Tool: `Search_Federal_Contract_Awards` ```json { "search_mode": "keyword", "fields_to_return": [ "govtribe_id" ], "contact_ids": [ "" ], "sort": { "key": "awardDate", "direction": "desc" }, "per_page": 25 } ``` Pattern H: Prime/sub vendor relationship awards. Tool: `Search_Federal_Contract_Awards` ```json { "search_mode": "keyword", "fields_to_return": [ "govtribe_id" ], "vendor_ids": [ "" ], "sub_vendor_ids": [ "" ], "aggregations": [ "dollars_obligated_stats" ], "sort": { "key": "awardDate", "direction": "desc" }, "per_page": 25 } ``` Pattern I: NAICS-scoped spend leaderboard (swap `naics_category_ids` for `psc_category_ids` for PSC). Tool: `Search_Federal_Contract_Awards` ```json { "search_mode": "keyword", "fields_to_return": [ "govtribe_id" ], "naics_category_ids": [ "" ], "aggregations": [ "dollars_obligated_stats", "top_awardees_by_dollars_obligated", "top_funding_federal_agencies_by_dollars_obligated" ], "per_page": 0 } ``` --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.govtribe.com/user-guide/mcp/tools/search-federal-contract-awards.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.