Uploading RFPs
Supported file formats, size limits, and how bid analyses run after upload
Uploading RFPs
Uploading an RFP document is the first step of every bid analysis. This page covers what files Cothon accepts and what happens after you upload.
Supported Files
| Format | Extension | Notes |
|---|---|---|
.pdf | Best results with text-based (searchable) PDFs | |
| Word | .doc, .docx | Text is extracted directly from the document |
The maximum file size is 50 MB. One document is analyzed at a time — there is no batch upload.
Warning
Scanned or image-only PDFs contain little or no extractable text. If your PDF is a scan of a paper document, the analysis may find few or no requirements. Whenever possible, download the original digital version of the solicitation from the procurement portal.
Where to Upload
Open the opportunity or tender you are pursuing and use its Documents section to upload the RFP file. The uploaded document is analyzed and linked to that opportunity, so the results stay attached to the pursuit they belong to.
What Happens After Upload
- The analysis starts in the background. You do not need to keep the page open while it runs.
- The document shows an "Analyzing" state while extraction and capability matching are in progress.
- When processing finishes, the analysis opens into the full results view with extracted requirements, statuses, the compliance ring, and any flagged terms.
- If processing fails, the analysis is marked as failed with an error message.
Processing time depends on document length. Short documents finish quickly; long, dense RFPs can take considerably longer.
Note
There is no re-analyze button on a completed analysis. If you want to analyze a document again — for example after updating your company profile — upload the file again to create a new analysis.
Getting the Best Results
- Upload the main solicitation document. The document that contains the mandatory and point-rated criteria produces the most useful analysis.
- Prefer text-based files. Digital PDFs and Word files extract cleanly; scans do not.
- Complete your company profile first. Capability matching runs at analysis time against your profile as it exists at that moment. A richer profile produces more accurate statuses — see Capability Matching.
- Set up flagged terms before uploading. Terms are detected during analysis, so configure them first to have them highlighted in the results — see Flagged Terms.
Common Upload Problems
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| File is rejected | Unsupported type | Convert to PDF, DOC, or DOCX |
| File is too large | Over the 50 MB limit | Compress the PDF or remove non-essential appendices |
| Analysis finds almost nothing | Scanned/image PDF | Obtain a text-based version of the document |
| Analysis fails | Processing error | Try uploading again; see Troubleshooting |
Next Steps
- Requirement Extraction — what Cothon pulls out of your document
- Capability Matching — how requirements are assessed
- Troubleshooting — if an upload or analysis goes wrong
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