Vendor Analytics

Research vendors and their government contract history

Updated 2026-03-3031 min read

Vendor Analytics

Research any vendor's complete government contracting history with comprehensive competitive intelligence. Understand competitors, find teaming partners, analyze market positioning, and make informed strategic decisions backed by data. Vendor Analytics transforms public procurement data into actionable competitive intelligence.

Why Vendor Analytics Matters

In government contracting, information is competitive advantage. Knowing who you're competing against, what they've won, and how they operate can mean the difference between winning and losing a crucial bid. Vendor Analytics gives you:

Competitive Intelligence

Understand competitor capabilities, pricing, and win rates
Identify their strengths to compete against and weaknesses to exploit
Predict which opportunities they'll pursue

Partner Discovery

Find firms with complementary capabilities for teaming
Identify small business partners for set-aside requirements
Discover successful teaming patterns and relationships

Market Positioning

Benchmark your performance against competitors
Identify market gaps and underserved niches
Track market share trends in your categories

Strategic Planning

Inform M&A target evaluation with contract data
Validate market entry decisions with competitive landscape analysis
Support pricing strategy with historical win data

Searching for Vendors

Search Tips

Tip

Name Variations: Search handles common variations automatically:

Legal entities: "Inc.", "Ltd.", "Corporation", "Co.", "LLC"
Bilingual names: English and French variations
Abbreviations: Common industry shorthand
Parent companies: Searches include known subsidiaries

Effective Search Strategies:

Partial Name Search: Type "Acme" to find all Acme-related entities
Parent Company Search: Search parent to see all subsidiary activity
DBA/Trade Name: Search by doing-business-as name or brand
Keyword + Vendor: Combine vendor name with category keyword
Contract Number: Search by contract number to find vendor

Common Search Challenges:

Challenge	Solution
Vendor not found	Try partial name, check parent company, verify spelling
Multiple similar vendors	Compare profiles to identify correct entity
Name changed	Search old name, Cothon tracks name changes
French/English variations	Try both language versions
Merged/acquired companies	Search both old and new entity names

Vendor Profile Overview

Each vendor profile is a comprehensive intelligence dossier providing everything you need to understand a competitor or potential partner.

Profile Sections

The vendor profile is organized into six main tabs:

Overview - Company summary and key metrics at a glance
Contract History - Complete chronological contract list with filtering
Analytics - Visual analytics and trend analysis
Relationships - Teaming partners, subcontractors, and agency relationships
Intelligence - Competitive intelligence and strategic insights
Timeline - Interactive timeline of major contract milestones

Overview Tab

The Overview tab provides high-level summary metrics and quick insights:

Company Summary

Legal name and DBA names
Business number (BN) if available
Headquarters location and regional offices
Primary industry categories (NAICS codes)
Business designations (small business, Indigenous, etc.)
Company size indicators (employee count if available)

Key Performance Metrics

Metric	Description	What It Tells You
Total Contracts	Lifetime contract count	Scale and experience level
Total Value	Aggregate awarded value	Revenue from government business
Active Contracts	Currently executing contracts	Current government footprint
Avg Contract Value	Mean contract size	Deal size positioning
Win Rate	Estimated success rate	Competitive effectiveness
Growth Rate	YoY contract value change	Market momentum

Activity Timeline

First contract date (market entry)
Most recent contract date (current activity)
Peak activity periods (busiest years)
Activity gaps (years with no contracts)

Primary Markets

Top 5 agencies by contract count and value
Top 5 categories by spending
Geographic concentration
Contract type preferences (SA, CS, individual contracts)

Note

Interpreting Metrics: A vendor with high total value but low contract count likely focuses on large deals. High contract count with low total value suggests many small contracts. Compare both metrics for complete picture.

Quick Actions

From any vendor profile, you can:

Watch Vendor - Receive alerts on new contract awards
Add to Comparison - Add to multi-vendor comparison view
Export Profile - Download complete profile as PDF or Excel
Find Similar - Discover vendors with similar characteristics
Share Profile - Generate shareable link for team members

Contract History Tab

The Contract History tab provides a complete, filterable list of all contracts awarded to the vendor. This is where you dig into the details to understand their contracting patterns.

Contract List Features

Sortable Columns

Award Date (newest/oldest first)
Contract Value (highest/lowest first)
Agency (alphabetical)
Category (by NAICS/UNSPSC code)
Contract Number (alphanumeric)

Filter Options

Filter	Options	Use Case
Date Range	Last 6M, 1Y, 3Y, 5Y, 10Y, Custom	Focus on recent activity or long-term trends
Agency	Multi-select from all agencies	See activity with specific departments
Category	NAICS or UNSPSC codes	Focus on specific service areas
Value Range	Min/max sliders	Find large deals or small contracts
Contract Type	CS, SA, SOA, PWGS, etc.	Understand vehicle preferences
Status	Active, Completed, Terminated	Focus on current vs. historical
Region	Province, City, NCR	Geographic analysis
Prime/Sub	Prime contractor or subcontractor	Understand teaming role

Bulk Actions

Export selected contracts to Excel
Add to custom report
Create opportunity alerts for similar contracts
Tag contracts for internal tracking

Contract Detail View

Click any contract to see full details:

Basic Information

Full contract title and description
Contract number and amendment history
Contracting authority and contact (if available)
Vendor legal name at time of award

Financial Details

Original contract value
Amended values (if modified)
Total paid to date (if available)
Payment structure (FFP, T&M, Cost Plus)
Currency (CAD/USD)

Timeline

RFP release date (if known)
Proposal submission date (if known)
Award date
Contract start date
Contract end date
Option years (if applicable)
Amendment dates

Requirements

Deliverables and scope of work
Key requirements extracted from solicitation
Security clearance requirements
Certifications required
Geographic/location requirements

Procurement Details

Competitive or sole-source
Number of bids received (if disclosed)
Contract vehicle used
Set-aside type (unrestricted, small business, Indigenous, etc.)
NAFTA/trade agreement applicability

Related Contracts

Previous contracts in same series
Follow-on contracts
Related task orders
Recompete contracts

Tip

Analyzing Amendments: Contract amendments reveal important insights. Multiple amendments may indicate scope creep, performance issues, or strong customer relationship. Large value increases often indicate option years being exercised or successful contract expansion.

Common Contract Patterns

Recurring Annual Contracts

Look for same contract type awarded yearly
Indicates stable, recurring business
Opportunity for you to compete when it recompetes

Growing Contract Values

Year-over-year increases in similar contracts
Suggests vendor is growing with this agency
May indicate strong performance and relationship

Contract Series

Sequential contract numbers (001, 002, 003)
Often call-up contracts against Standing Offer
Shows sustained relationship and repeat business

Multi-Year with Options

Base year + option years structure
Options being exercised indicates good performance
Watch for base year expiration (recompete opportunity)

Analytics Tab

The Analytics tab transforms raw contract data into visual insights and trend analysis. This is where patterns emerge that aren't obvious from the contract list.

Key Visualizations

1. Contract Value Trends (Line Chart)

Shows: Total contract value awarded by year and quarter

Insights to Look For:

Growth trajectory: Steadily increasing = growing market position
Peaks and valleys: Identifies boom/bust years, may correspond to major wins/losses
Recent trends: Last 2 years show current momentum
Seasonality: Q4 often highest due to fiscal year-end spending

Example Analysis: "Vendor shows 35% compound annual growth rate 2021-2026, with significant spike in 2024 due to $45M Cloud Services SA win with PSPC. Quarterly data shows strong Q3-Q4 awards, suggesting they target fiscal year-end opportunities."

2. Agency Distribution (Pie Chart + Bar Chart)

Shows: Percentage and dollar value by customer agency

Insights to Look For:

Concentration risk: >50% from one agency = high dependency
Diversification: Spread across many agencies = lower risk, broader relationships
Agency preferences: Which departments buy from them most
White space: Agencies they don't serve (opportunity for you or them)

Example Analysis: "Vendor derives 62% of revenue from DND, indicating high concentration risk but deep expertise in defense. Almost no PSPC presence, suggesting potential gap in common services market."

3. Category Breakdown (Treemap)

Shows: Contract value by NAICS/UNSPSC category

Insights to Look For:

Core capabilities: Largest categories are their strength
Adjacent markets: Smaller categories may be growth areas
Capability breadth: Many categories = generalist, few = specialist
Category trends: Growing vs. declining categories

Example Analysis: "Vendor concentrates 78% in NAICS 541512 (Computer Systems Design). Small but growing presence in 541519 (Other Computer Related Services) and 541611 (Admin Management Consulting), suggesting services expansion."

4. Contract Size Distribution (Histogram)

Shows: Number of contracts in different value ranges

Insights to Look For:

Sweet spot: Range where they win most often
Ceiling: Largest contract they've won (capability proof)
Floor: Smallest contracts (helps understand if they chase small deals)
Distribution pattern: Many small vs. few large

Example Analysis: "Vendor wins predominantly in $500K-$2M range (45 contracts), with proven ability up to $10M (3 contracts). Below $500K only 8 contracts, suggesting they qualify out of small opportunities. Sweet spot aligns with your typical contract sizes."

5. Win Rate Trends (Line Chart)

Shows: Estimated win rate percentage over time

Warning

Win Rate Estimation: True win rates require bid data, which is not publicly available. Cothon estimates win rates using statistical modeling based on award patterns, average competition levels, and similar vendor performance. Use as directional indicator, not precise metric.

Insights to Look For:

Trend direction: Improving, declining, or stable
Absolute rate: >30% is strong, <15% suggests struggles
Volatility: Stable rates suggest consistent capture process
Recent performance: Last year most predictive of future

Example Analysis: "Estimated win rate declined from 32% (2022-2023) to 24% (2024-2025), despite increase in contract value. May indicate shift to larger, more competitive opportunities or emerging capture challenges. Monitor for continued decline."

6. Contract Type Distribution (Donut Chart)

Shows: Percentage by contract type (SA, CS, individual, task orders, etc.)

Insights to Look For:

Vehicle strategy: Do they rely on SAs or compete individual contracts?
Flexibility: Multiple vehicle types suggests sophisticated procurement strategy
Barriers to entry: Heavy SA reliance means you need SA to compete with them

Example Analysis: "Vendor derives 67% from Standing Offers/Supply Arrangements, 25% from individual contracts, 8% from task orders. SA-heavy approach provides recurring revenue but requires investment to get on SAs to compete directly."

Trend Analysis Tools

Year-over-Year Comparison

Compare any two time periods
Calculate growth rates
Identify inflection points
See category shifts

Moving Averages

Smooth out quarterly volatility
Identify underlying trends
Forecast future performance
Detect trend changes early

Market Share Tracking

Vendor's share of total category spending
Share of specific agency budgets
Share trends over time
Comparison to competitors

Custom Analytics

Build your own custom views:

Metrics Builder

Choose numerator and denominator
Apply filters
Create custom KPIs
Save for repeated use

Cohort Analysis

Group contracts by attribute (agency, year, value range)
Compare cohort performance
Identify patterns within cohorts

Correlation Analysis

Find relationships between variables
Example: Contract size vs. win rate
Example: Agency vs. contract type preference

Relationships Tab

The Relationships tab reveals the vendor's ecosystem: who they team with, who their clients are, and what business relationships define their strategy.

Teaming Partners

Prime Contractors When Vendor is Sub

View all contracts where this vendor was a subcontractor:

Prime contractor name
Contract details
Subcontract value (if available)
Role in team (technical lead, small business partner, etc.)
Relationship frequency (how often they team together)

Subcontractors When Vendor is Prime

View all known subcontractors used by this vendor:

Subcontractor name
Frequency of relationship
Categories of work subcontracted
Small business designation of subs
Relationship longevity

Teaming Pattern Analysis

Pattern	Indicator	Strategic Implication
Serial Solo	>90% contracts as prime, no subs	Self-sufficient or protective of scope
Strategic Teaming	Regular use of same 3-5 partners	Established relationships, may be hard to break in
Opportunistic Teaming	Different partners on each contract	Open to new partnerships
Mostly Sub	>60% contracts as subcontractor	Prefer sub role or lack prime contract capability
Balanced	Mix of prime, sub, and teaming	Flexible and sophisticated

Tip

Teaming Opportunity: If you see a vendor frequently teaming with the same partner, but that partnership doesn't cover your capability area, you may be able to propose a teaming arrangement for opportunities requiring your expertise.

Agency Relationships

Customer Tenure Analysis

For each agency the vendor serves:

First contract date (relationship start)
Most recent contract date
Total contracts awarded
Total value
Contract frequency (contracts per year)
Recompete wins (incumbency retention)
Average contract size

Relationship Strength Indicators

Indicator	What It Means
Long tenure (5+ years)	Established relationship, deep understanding
High frequency (3+ contracts/year)	Preferred vendor status, strong relationship
Growing values	Relationship expanding, good performance
Multiple categories	Trusted across service areas
Recompete wins	Incumbent advantage, difficult to displace
Consistent renewal	Reliable performer, low risk to agency

Relationship Gaps

Identify agencies where vendor has:

No presence (never won a contract)
Declining presence (used to win, no longer does)
Single contract (one-off, no repeat business)
Old relationship (no recent contracts)

These gaps may represent:

Opportunities for you to dominate
Markets vendor tried and failed in
Agencies with different preferences
Strategic choices by vendor to focus elsewhere

Partner Network Visualization

Interactive network graph showing:

Vendor at center
Prime contractors as blue nodes
Subcontractors as green nodes
Agencies as orange nodes
Line thickness = relationship strength
Node size = total contract value

Network Analysis Insights:

Dense network = highly collaborative vendor
Few connections = independent operator
Clusters = distinct teaming ecosystems
Central positioning = key player in market

Joint Venture Analysis

Identify formal joint ventures:

JV partners and structure
Contracts won by JV
Responsibilities division
JV longevity and success rate
Post-JV relationship (do they still team?)

Intelligence Tab

The Intelligence tab aggregates strategic insights derived from contract data, market analysis, and competitive positioning.

Competitive Profile

Strengths

Core competencies (categories with >10 contracts)
Key relationships (agencies with long tenure)
Proven scale (largest contracts won)
Growth markets (categories with >20% YoY growth)
Competitive advantages (unique capabilities, clearances, certifications)

Weaknesses

Limited presence (categories or agencies with <3 contracts)
Declining markets (categories with negative growth)
Concentration risk (over-reliance on single customer)
Gaps (capabilities competitors have that they lack)
Performance issues (contracts terminated, not renewed)

Opportunities

Growing categories in their portfolio
Agencies increasing budgets in their service areas
Adjacent markets with low barrier to entry
Potential teaming relationships
Emerging technologies or policy drivers

Threats

Expiring major contracts (potential revenue loss)
New competitors entering their core markets
Agency budget cuts in their categories
Incumbent competitors with strong positions
Market shifts away from their capabilities

Competitive Positioning

Market Share

Calculate vendor's market share in:

Specific categories (e.g., IT Professional Services)
Specific agencies (e.g., DND)
Geographic regions (e.g., NCR)
Time periods (e.g., last 3 years)

Competitive Ranking

See how vendor ranks:

Overall (all federal contracts)
By category (NAICS/UNSPSC)
By agency
By region
Against your company

Peer Comparison

Compare vendor to similar competitors:

Contract volume
Total value
Win rates
Growth rates
Customer concentration
Geographic footprint

Strategic Insights

Likely Targets

Based on historical patterns, predict which opportunities this vendor will pursue:

Categories they consistently bid
Agencies they actively pursue
Contract value ranges they target
Geographic areas they focus on
Contract types they prefer

Competitive Behavior

Understand how they compete:

Pricing strategy (low bid, best value, high-end)
Differentiators (technical excellence, incumbency, innovation)
Win themes (based on successful proposals, if available)
Protest history (do they protest losses?)
Teaming approach (solo vs. partnering)

Growth Strategy

Infer their strategic direction:

Market expansion (new agencies, new categories)
Market penetration (deeper in existing markets)
Capability development (new service offerings)
Geographic expansion (new regions)
Acquisition activity (buying capabilities or market share)

Intelligence Alerts

Set up alerts for competitive intelligence:

New contracts in your focus areas
Contracts above certain value threshold
Activity in specific agencies or categories
Teaming with specific partners
Unusual activity patterns

Timeline Tab

Interactive timeline view of vendor's contract history:

Timeline Features

Zoom in/out (view decades or drill to months)
Filter by agency, category, or value
Highlight major milestones
Show contract overlaps
Identify gaps in activity

Milestone Markers

Contract awards (sized by value)
Contract completions
Major amendments
First contract with new agency
Largest contract won
Company milestones (if publicly known)

Metric	Your Company	Competitor A	Competitor B	Competitor C
Total Contracts	127	89	156	43
Total Value	$145M	$178M	$98M	$67M
Avg Contract Value	$1.14M	$2.0M	$628K	$1.56M
Win Rate	28%	32%	22%	35%
Active Contracts	34	28	41	12
Growth Rate (YoY)	+15%	+8%	+22%	-5%

Relative Performance View

Visual comparison with bar charts showing relative performance across key dimensions:

Contract volume (scaled)
Total value (scaled)
Win rate (percentage)
Growth momentum
Customer concentration
Geographic spread

Market Share View

Pie chart and market share calculations:

Share of total government spending in category
Share of specific agency budgets
Share trends over time
Competitive positioning

Comparison Insights

Overlap Analysis

Identify where you compete head-to-head:

Shared agencies (where you both have contracts)
Shared categories (where you offer same services)
Shared regions (geographic overlap)
Shared contract vehicles (same SAs/SOAs)

Unique Territories

Find where each vendor is unique:

Agencies only one vendor serves
Categories only one vendor offers
Regions with no competition
Exclusive contract vehicles

Competitive Advantages

For each vendor, identify unique strengths:

Largest contracts (scale proof)
Best win rates (capture effectiveness)
Strongest relationships (key agencies)
Fastest growth (market momentum)
Most diversified (risk mitigation)

Gap Analysis

Identify capability gaps:

Services competitors offer that you don't
Agencies competitors serve that you don't
Contract sizes you haven't proven
Vehicles you don't have access to

Using Comparisons Strategically

Scenario 1: Major Bid Decision

Before bidding $5M opportunity:

Compare your company to 3 likely competitors
Assess your relative strengths and weaknesses
Identify differentiators you can leverage
Determine realistic win probability
Decide bid/no-bid based on competitive position

Scenario 2: Market Entry

Evaluating new category or agency:

Compare established players in that market
Understand typical contract sizes and win rates
Identify potential teaming partners
Assess barriers to entry
Estimate market share you could capture

Scenario 3: M&A Due Diligence

Evaluating acquisition target:

Compare target to peer companies
Validate revenue claims with contract data
Assess customer concentration risk
Identify strategic value (unique relationships)
Calculate fair valuation based on market position

Finding Similar Vendors

Discover vendors with similar characteristics for partner identification or competitive set analysis.

Similarity Algorithms

Cothon uses multiple factors to calculate similarity:

Factor	Weight	Description
Category Overlap	30%	Shared NAICS/UNSPSC codes
Agency Overlap	25%	Shared customer base
Size	20%	Similar total value and contract count
Geography	15%	Similar regional presence
Growth	10%	Similar growth trajectory

Using "Find Similar"

Use Cases for Similar Vendors

Partner Discovery

Find vendors similar to successful teaming partners
Identify backup partners if primary choice falls through
Discover vendors in adjacent markets for cross-selling

Competitive Set Definition

Identify your true peer group for benchmarking
Find competitors you may not have known about
Understand full competitive landscape

Market Segmentation

Group vendors into cohorts for market analysis
Identify distinct competitive tiers (leaders, challengers, niche)
Understand market structure

Notify immediately when vendor wins any new contract
Filter by minimum value (e.g., only contracts >$500K)
Filter by specific agencies or categories

Large Contract Wins

Alert when contract exceeds specified threshold
Compare to vendor's historical average
Identify potentially game-changing wins

New Agency Relationships

Alert when vendor wins first contract with new agency
Indicates market expansion
May signal new capability or strategic shift

Teaming Announcements

Notify when vendor announces new teaming arrangement
Track who they're partnering with
Understand teaming strategy

Unusual Activity

Alert when vendor's activity deviates from historical patterns
Spike in awards (hot streak)
Decline in awards (trouble?)
New categories (capability expansion)

Recompete Activity

Alert when watched vendor's contracts are up for recompete
Opportunity for you to compete
See if they win or lose recompete

Watchlist Management

Watchlist Dashboard

View all watched vendors with:

Recent activity summary
Unread alerts count
Key metric changes
Quick links to profiles

Watchlist Organization

Create multiple watchlists:

Competitors: Direct competitors you always monitor
Potential Partners: Teaming partner candidates
Market Leaders: Industry leaders to benchmark against
M&A Targets: Companies you're evaluating for acquisition
Customers (if you're vendor): Track your own performance

Bulk Watchlist Operations

Import watchlist from CSV
Export watchlist with current metrics
Share watchlist with team
Archive inactive vendors

Using Watchlists Effectively

Weekly Review Routine

Review new awards across all watched vendors
Identify patterns or emerging trends
Update competitive intelligence files
Share relevant insights with capture team
Adjust bid strategy based on competitor activity

Monthly Deep Dive

Generate monthly summary report of watchlist activity
Calculate market share changes
Identify vendors gaining or losing momentum
Reassess which vendors to watch
Update strategic planning assumptions

Exporting Vendor Data

Export vendor intelligence in formats optimized for different use cases.

Export Formats

PDF Profile

Professional single-vendor report
Executive summary + detailed sections
Charts and visualizations included
Customizable branding (logo, colors)
Best for: Sharing with stakeholders, capture reviews

Excel Workbook

Multiple sheets: Summary, Contracts, Analytics, Relationships
Raw data for custom analysis
Pivot tables pre-configured
Charts and graphs included
Best for: Detailed analysis, financial modeling

PowerPoint Deck

Key insights on slides
Presentation-ready charts
Talking points and analysis
Customizable templates
Best for: Executive briefings, capture kickoffs

Word Document

Narrative intelligence report
Fully editable
Include in larger documents
Track changes support
Best for: Formal intelligence reports, proposals

CSV Data

Contract list only
All fields included
Import into other tools
Best for: Integration, database import

Customizing Exports

Section Selection

Choose which profile sections to include
Example: Overview + Analytics only (skip Contracts for brevity)
Adjust based on audience needs

Date Range Filtering

Export only contracts from specific time period
Example: Last 3 years only for recent activity focus
Reduces file size for large vendors

Field Selection

Choose which contract fields to export
Example: Date, Value, Agency only (skip descriptions)
Customize for specific analysis needs

Branding Options

Add your company logo
Customize color scheme
Include report metadata (date, author, classification)
Professional deliverable for clients

Export Best Practices

For Capture Reviews

PDF format with full profile
Include last 5 years of contracts
Add comparison to 2-3 competitors
Highlight key competitive insights
Export 1 week before capture review to allow reading time

For Pricing Analysis

Excel format with contract details
Include contract values and dates
Filter to similar contract types
Add your own pricing model sheets
Share with pricing team for calibration

For Executive Briefings

PowerPoint format, 10-15 slides max
Focus on key insights and trends
Minimize data tables, maximize visualizations
Include clear recommendations
Practice presentation before delivery

For Proposal Use

Word format for easy editing
Focus on competitor weaknesses and your differentiators
Include only publicly available information (no sensitive data)
Cite sources appropriately
Have legal review before including in proposal

Sudden increase in new agencies (expansion mode)
New categories appearing (capability development)
Change in contract sizes (moving up/down market)
Change in teaming frequency (strategic pivot)
Geographic expansion (new regions)

Understanding Pricing Strategy

Analyze:

Contract values vs. market average
Trend in avg contract value over time
Variance in contract values (wide = opportunistic pricing, narrow = consistent positioning)
Win rates at different price points (if data available)

Identifying Vulnerability

Warning signs:

Declining contract count year-over-year
Loss of major recompetes
Customer concentration increasing (not diversifying)
Shrinking contract values
Increasing gap between awards (less frequent wins)

Competitive Intelligence Framework

The 4 Cs of Vendor Analysis

Capabilities: What can they actually deliver?
- Service offerings (categories)
- Proven scale (largest contracts)
- Technical depth (specialized vs. general)
- Certifications and qualifications
Customers: Who do they serve?
- Agency portfolio
- Relationship strength and tenure
- Customer concentration vs. diversification
- Growth/decline by customer
Competitiveness: How often do they win?
- Win rates overall and by segment
- Competitive positioning (price/quality)
- Incumbency retention rate
- Protest history (aggressive or not)
Capacity: How much can they handle?
- Current contract load
- Growth rate sustainability
- Geographic reach
- Teaming requirements (own capacity vs. partner dependent)