Creating Custom Opportunities

Not all procurement opportunities come from public government tenders. Create custom opportunities for private sector RFPs, direct awards, partnership opportunities, and invitation-only procurements.

Why Create Custom Opportunities?

Beyond Public Tenders

Private Sector Procurements:

• Corporate RFPs not in government systems
• Private company procurements
• Non-profit organization opportunities
• Industry association RFPs

Direct Awards and Invitations:

• ACAN challenges (sole-source opportunities)
• Invitation-only RFPs (shortlisted vendors)
• Direct negotiation opportunities
• Pre-qualified vendor call-offs

Partnership Opportunities:

• Subcontracting opportunities from primes
• Joint venture formations
• Teaming arrangements
• Consortium participations

Future Opportunities:

• Anticipated re-competes (contract ending soon)
• Upcoming procurements (advance notice)
• Market intelligence and rumors
• Client relationship opportunities

Unified Tracking:

• All opportunities in one system (public and private)
• Consistent process and pipeline
• Complete revenue visibility
• Holistic capacity planning

Creating a Custom Opportunity

Manual Entry Form

Form Fields

Required Fields:

Opportunity Title:

• Clear, descriptive title
• Example: "Acme Corp Cloud Migration RFP"
• Include client/project name

Opportunity Type:

• Private Sector
• Direct Award (Government)
• Partnership (Prime/Sub/JV)
• Future/Anticipated
• Other

Client/Organization:

• Who is procuring
• Company name or government department
• Auto-suggests known organizations
• Create new if needed

Estimated Value:

• Contract value in CAD
• Can enter range ($500K-$750K) or single value
• Optional but recommended for pipeline value tracking

Closing Date (if known):

• Submission deadline
• If unknown, can leave blank or estimate
• Drives timeline tracking and notifications

Optional Fields:

Description:

• Scope of work
• Requirements summary
• Key deliverables
• Paste from RFP or write summary
• AI analyzes this for fit scoring

Contact Information:

• Client contact name
• Email and phone
• Role (e.g., Procurement Manager)
• Multiple contacts can be added

Dates:

• Posted date (when you learned of opportunity)
• Question deadline
• Site visit date
• Expected award date
• Contract start date
• Contract end date

Location:

• Work location
• Delivery location
• Geographic scope (local, regional, national, international)

Category:

• Service/product type
• Select from standard categories or create custom
• Used for similarity matching and reporting

Source:

• How you learned of opportunity
• Options: Website, Email, Referral, Partner, Client Direct, Conference, Other
• Track lead sources

Solicitation Type:

• RFP, RFQ, RFI, Direct Award, Invitation, Other
• Helps classify opportunity

Competition Level:

• Open competition
• Shortlist (you're pre-qualified)
• Sole-source (direct negotiation)
• Unknown
• Impacts probability scoring

Documents:

• Upload RFP document (PDF, DOCX)
• Upload supporting documents
• Upload previous proposals or related materials
• Link to external document location (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)

Notes:

• Internal notes
• How you learned of opportunity
• Relationships and context
• Strategic considerations

Tags:

• Apply relevant tags (#private-sector, #partnership, #strategic-client, etc.)

Priority:

• Critical, High, Medium, Low
• Impacts pipeline prioritization

Owner:

• Assign to responsible team member
• Defaults to you if not specified

Opportunity Types

Private Sector:

For corporate/non-government opportunities:

• Client Type: Corporation, Non-Profit, Association, Private Client
• Industry: Select industry vertical
• Referral Source: How introduced to opportunity
• Decision Maker: Key contact
• Budget Authority: Who approves budget
• Competitive Landscape: Known competitors

Example:

Title: "Rogers Communications Network Monitoring System"
Type: Private Sector
Client: Rogers Communications Inc.
Industry: Telecommunications
Value: $1.2M
Closing: June 30, 2026
Source: Client direct request
Competition: Invitation to 3 vendors (shortlist)

Direct Award:

For government sole-source or direct negotiations:

• Government Level: Federal, Provincial, Municipal
• Department: Specific department/agency
• Justification: Why sole-source (unique capability, emergency, continuation)
• ACAN: If ACAN process (15-day challenge period)
• Contract Vehicle: Standing Offer, IDIQ, Direct Contract

Example:

Title: "DND Cybersecurity Assessment - Direct Award"
Type: Direct Award
Client: National Defence
Value: $450K
Justification: Unique security clearance and capability
ACAN: Yes, challenge period ends March 25
Source: Government direct contact

Partnership:

For subcontracting or teaming opportunities:

• Role: Prime, Subcontractor, Joint Venture Partner, Consortium Member
• Prime Contractor: If you're sub, who is prime
• Percentage Share: Your % of contract value
• Scope: Your specific responsibilities
• Prime Opportunity: Link to underlying government tender (if applicable)

Example:

Title: "Sub to MegaCorp on Health Canada Data Platform"
Type: Partnership
Role: Subcontractor
Prime: MegaCorp Inc.
Your Share: 35% ($875K of $2.5M total)
Your Scope: Cloud architecture and migration services
Prime Opportunity: [Link to Health Canada RFP]

Future/Anticipated:

For upcoming but not yet released opportunities:

• Expected Release: When RFP expected
• Basis: Why you expect it (contract ending, client conversation, forecast)
• Certainty: High, Medium, Low
• Incumbent: Current contract holder (if re-compete)
• Preparation Actions: What to do now (relationship building, team prep)

Example:

Title: "Transport Canada Aviation IT System Refresh (Anticipated Q3 2026)"
Type: Future/Anticipated
Expected Release: August 2026
Basis: Current contract ends September 2026, client confirmed re-compete
Certainty: High
Incumbent: LegacySystems Corp
Value: Estimated $3M-$5M (based on current contract)
Preparation: Meet with client June, prepare team, review incumbent solution

AI Processing of Custom Opportunities

What Gets Analyzed

When you create a custom opportunity, AI processes:

Text Analysis:

• Title and description
• Uploaded document contents (if provided)
• Notes and context
• Client industry and background

Capability Matching:

• Compare requirements to your profile
• Identify gaps
• Suggest team members
• Recommend partners if needed

Fit Scoring:

• Calculate fit score (0-100%)
• Same algorithm as government tenders
• Consider competition level (open vs. shortlist)
• Factor in relationship strength (if noted)

Intelligence:

• Similar past opportunities (yours and market)
• Client history (if in database)
• Competitor identification (if public info available)
• Pricing guidance (from similar past opportunities)

Limited for Private vs. Public:

What's NOT available for private opportunities:

• ❌ Public award history (unless you track manually)
• ❌ Government procurement method codes
• ❌ Trade agreement applicability
• ❌ Public amendment tracking
• ❌ Publicly disclosed competitors and pricing

What IS available:

• ✅ Capability matching to your profile
• ✅ Fit scoring based on description
• ✅ Document analysis (if RFP uploaded)
• ✅ Requirement extraction (AI reads RFP)
• ✅ Similar opportunity matching (your historical data)
• ✅ Pipeline tracking and collaboration features

Use Cases

Private Sector RFPs

Corporate Procurement:

Example workflow:

1. Receive RFP via email from corporate client
2. Create custom opportunity:
   • Type: Private Sector
   • Upload RFP document
   • Enter closing date, value estimate, contact info
3. AI analyzes RFP, extracts requirements
4. Review fit score and capability gaps
5. Proceed with bid analysis if pursuing

Industry RFPs:

Trade associations, industry groups, consortia:

• Create custom opportunity for each
• Tag with industry (#healthcare-association, #tech-consortium)
• Track alongside government opportunities
• Unified pipeline and capacity planning

ACAN Challenges

Sole-Source Challenges:

When government publishes ACAN (Advance Contract Award Notice):

ACAN Tracking:

• Saved search for ACAN opportunities (government tenders)
• Auto-create custom opportunity when promising ACAN found
• Track in pipeline as "ACAN Challenge" tag
• Record outcomes (challenge success/failure)

Partnership and Teaming

Prime-Sub Opportunities:

When larger firm invites you to sub:

Example:

Opportunity: "Sub to GlobalTech on DND Enterprise Architecture"

Type: Partnership
Role: Subcontractor
Prime: GlobalTech Solutions Inc.
Total Value: $12M
Your Share: 25% ($3M)
Your Scope: Cloud architecture design and migration
Prime's Scope: Overall system integration, project management, security

Notes: GlobalTech contacted us directly. They need cloud expertise. We bring AWS/Azure capability and recent cloud migration experience. Prime handles prime contractor requirements (bonding, insurance, security clearances for PM staff). We provide technical delivery.

Status: Under Review
Decision By: March 20 (prime needs our commitment for their proposal)

Considerations:
+ Strong prime with DND relationship
+ Scope matches our expertise perfectly
+ Smaller commitment than prime (less risk)
- Dependent on prime's win
- Less margin than prime role
- Less direct client relationship

Joint Ventures:

Creating JV for large opportunity:

Example:

Opportunity: "JV with HealthIT Corp on Provincial EMR System"

Type: Partnership
Role: Joint Venture Partner (50/50)
Partners: Your Company + HealthIT Corp
Total Value: $25M
Your Share: 50% ($12.5M)
Your Scope: Technical implementation, cloud infrastructure
Partner Scope: Healthcare domain expertise, clinical workflows, training

JV Structure:
- 50/50 partnership
- Co-prime contractors
- Joint bank account
- Shared risk and reward
- Your CEO + Their CEO approval required

Strategic Rationale:
- Too large for either company alone
- Complementary capabilities
- Combined track record strong
- Share risk on large project

Decision: Board approval required for JV formation

Teaming Agreements:

Before RFP release, form team:

Create opportunity:

• Type: Future/Anticipated (link to expected RFP)
• Note: Teaming with Partner X
• Track teaming agreement status
• Notify when RFP releases
• Convert to Partnership opportunity when RFP released

Anticipated Re-competes

Tracking Ending Contracts:

Monitor contracts ending in 6-12 months:

Example:

Opportunity: "Health Canada Laboratory Information System Re-compete"

Type: Future/Anticipated
Certainty: High (contract ends Aug 2026, client confirmed re-compete)
Expected RFP Release: May-June 2026
Current Contract Holder: LabSystems Inc.
Current Contract Value: $4.2M (3-year)
Expected New Value: $5-6M (likely increased scope)

Preparation Plan:
☐ Meet with client - Feb 2026 (scheduled)
☐ Demo our solution - March 2026
☐ Research incumbent issues - ongoing
☐ Assemble team - April 2026
☐ Prepare proposal outline - April 2026

Client Feedback (Feb 5, 2026 meeting):
- Satisfied with incumbent functionality
- Frustrated with slow response times
- Want cloud-based solution (incumbent on-premise)
- Budget increase approved for modernization

Our Strategy:
- Position as modernization (cloud-native)
- Emphasize rapid response (24/7 support)
- Leverage recent similar project (Environment Canada lab system)
- Competitive pricing (not lowest, best value)

Client Relationship Opportunities

Strategic Client Cultivation:

Opportunities arising from relationships:

Example:

Opportunity: "Transport Canada Custom Development - Direct Discussion"

Type: Direct Award / Private Sector
Source: Existing client relationship
Background: We've delivered 3 projects for Transport Canada successfully. They approached us directly for a new custom development need. Not a formal RFP, but a directed opportunity.

Value: $600K
Timeline: Proposal by March 15, SOW negotiation, start April 1
Competition: Sole-source discussion, no formal competition

Notes:
- Relationship with Director of IT (Jane Smith)
- Trust built from past projects
- They specifically want our team
- Opportunity to grow account

Approach:
- Prepare proposal as if RFP (professional, complete)
- Competitive pricing (not sole-source premium)
- Reuse accelerators from past projects
- Propose additional value-adds

Strategic Value:
- Expand account revenue
- Strengthen relationship
- Future sole-source opportunities
- Reference for similar clients

Document Management

Uploading Documents

Supported Formats:

• PDF (most common for RFPs)
• Word documents (.docx, .doc)
• Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xls)
• Text files (.txt)
• Images (screenshots, scanned documents)
• Compressed files (.zip containing multiple files)

Document Types:

• RFP Document: Primary solicitation
• Statement of Work (SOW): Detailed scope
• Appendices: Supporting documents
• Proposal Templates: Forms to complete
• Previous Proposals: Past submissions for reference
• Emails: Client communications
• Other: Miscellaneous

Upload Process:

1. Click "Upload Document" when creating/editing opportunity
2. Select file(s) or drag-and-drop
3. Choose document type
4. Optionally add description
5. AI processes document for requirement extraction

Multi-Document Uploads:

• Upload entire RFP package (multiple files)
• AI analyzes all documents
• Cross-references requirements
• Consolidated requirement list

External Links:

If documents stored externally:

• Add link to Google Drive folder
• Add link to Dropbox share
• Add link to SharePoint site
• Add link to client portal

Cothon can't analyze external documents (no direct access), but link is available for team.

Document Analysis

Automatic Analysis:

When you upload RFP document:

• Text Extraction: Extract all text content
• Requirement Extraction: Identify requirements (functional, technical, compliance)
• Section Detection: Identify sections (scope, evaluation criteria, submission instructions)
• Contact Extraction: Find contact information
• Deadline Extraction: Identify all dates and deadlines
• Pricing Extraction: Detect pricing models and budget info

Manual Analysis Trigger:

If document uploaded after opportunity creation:

1. Upload document
2. Click "Analyze Document" button
3. AI re-processes opportunity with new information
4. Fit score may update based on detailed requirements

Compare to Government Tenders:

Private sector RFPs often less detailed than government:

• Government RFPs: Very detailed, standardized, formal
• Corporate RFPs: Variable detail, less formal, flexibility

AI adapts to available information quality.

Editing and Updating

Edit Custom Opportunity

Update opportunity as information evolves:

Edit Access:

• Owner can always edit
• Collaborators can edit (if permissions granted)
• Viewers cannot edit

Editable Fields:

• All fields can be updated
• Change opportunity type (e.g., Future → Private Sector when RFP releases)
• Update value as refined
• Add/remove documents
• Adjust dates
• Enhance description with new information

Re-Analysis:

When you make significant changes:

• Edit description substantially
• Upload new RFP document
• Change client or scope

Click "Re-analyze with AI" to recalculate:

• Fit score
• Requirement extraction
• Intelligence and insights
• Competitive landscape

Version History:

• See all changes to opportunity
• Who changed what and when
• Restore previous values if needed
• Audit trail

Updating from External Sources

Email Updates:

Client sends updated information:

1. Forward email to Cothon (unique email address per opportunity)
2. Email content and attachments added to opportunity
3. Activity feed shows update
4. Team notified

Calendar Integration:

Sync deadlines to calendar:

• Export opportunity deadlines to calendar (iCal)
• Bidirectional sync (calendar event → Cothon)
• Reminders and notifications
• Team calendar visibility

CRM Sync:

If using CRM:

• Two-way sync between Cothon and CRM
• Opportunity created in CRM → Auto-creates in Cothon
• Status changed in Cothon → Updates CRM
• Contact info from CRM → Auto-populates

Converting Tenders to Custom Opportunities

When to Convert

Private Sector Variation on Government Tender:

You found government tender, but also have private sector version:

1. Save government tender as opportunity (normal process)
2. Create custom "Private Sector" opportunity
3. Link them as related opportunities
4. Track both in pipeline

Example:

• Government: "Health Canada Electronic Health Records"
• Private: "Hospital Network EHR System" (similar scope, different client)
• Related, different opportunities, both pursued

Partner Variation:

Government tender → You're sub to prime:

1. Government tender saved as opportunity (public opportunity)
2. Create custom "Partnership" opportunity for your sub role
3. Link to government opportunity
4. Track partnership deal separately from underlying government contract

Duplicating Opportunities

Use Template from Existing:

Create custom opportunity based on previous:

1. Find similar past opportunity
2. Click "Duplicate as New Opportunity"
3. Pre-populated with similar structure
4. Edit for new client/scope
5. Saves time on data entry

Example:

• Previous: "Acme Corp Cloud Migration"
• New: "Widgets Inc. Cloud Migration" (similar scope, different client)
• Duplicate previous, change client name and specifics

Best Practices

Capture All Opportunities

Unified Pipeline:

• Public government tenders (auto-discovered)
• Private sector RFPs (manually created)
• Direct awards and invitations (manually created)
• Partnerships (manually created)
• Anticipated opportunities (manually created)

Benefits:

• Complete revenue visibility
• Holistic capacity planning
• Consistent process
• Full team coordination

Rich Descriptions

Detail Drives Intelligence:

More detail in description = better AI analysis:

❌ Poor: "Cloud project for Acme Corp" ✅ Good: "Acme Corp is seeking a cloud migration partner to move their on-premise infrastructure (50 VMs, 20TB data, 500 users) to AWS. Requirements include minimal downtime, staff training, ongoing support, and compliance with SOC 2. Timeline: 6-month migration, go-live Q3 2026."

What to Include:

• Client background and industry
• Detailed scope of work
• Key requirements (functional, technical, compliance)
• Timeline and milestones
• Budget (if known)
• Competition (if known)
• Relationships and context
• Strategic importance

Upload Documents

Always Upload RFP:

When available, upload the RFP document:

• Enables AI requirement extraction
• Improves fit scoring accuracy
• Provides team access to source material
• Supports bid analysis

Even for Informal Opportunities:

• Email from client → Save as PDF, upload
• Slide deck → Upload
• Scope document → Upload
• Any written description of needs → Upload

Track Outcomes

Record Results:

For custom opportunities, outcomes less automatic than government:

• You must manually update status to Won/Lost
• Record contract value (actual, may differ from estimated)
• Record win/loss reasons
• Request and record debrief feedback

Learning from Private Sector:

• Private sector feedback often richer than government debriefs
• Capture detailed notes
• AI learns from your win/loss patterns
• Improves future fit scoring for private opportunities

Maintain Data Quality

Regular Updates:

• Update opportunity as information changes
• Adjust value estimates as refined
• Update closing dates if extended
• Add notes and context continuously

Clean Old Opportunities:

• Close out won/lost opportunities
• Update status to "No-Bid" if decided to pass
• Archive old future/anticipated if didn't materialize
• Maintain current, accurate pipeline

Importing Opportunities

Bulk Import

Import from Spreadsheet:

Migrate existing opportunity data:

1. Download import template (CSV)
2. Fill in opportunity details (one row per opportunity)
3. Upload CSV to Cothon
4. Map columns to Cothon fields
5. Review and confirm import
6. Opportunities created in batch

Template Columns:

• Title (required)
• Type (required)
• Client/Organization (required)
• Value
• Closing Date
• Description
• Category
• Status
• Owner
• Tags
• Priority
• Notes

Common Sources:

• CRM export
• Excel pipeline tracking
• Previous system export
• BD team's spreadsheet

Integration with Other Systems

CRM Integration:

Connect to Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.:

• Automatic sync of opportunities
• Create in CRM → Creates in Cothon
• Status updates sync bidirectionally
• Contact info syncs
• Reduces duplicate data entry

Email Integration:

Create opportunities from email:

• Forward RFP email to special Cothon address
• Cothon creates opportunity draft
• Review and confirm
• Document attached automatically

Zapier/Automation:

Connect to 1,000+ tools via Zapier:

• New opportunity in tool X → Create in Cothon
• Status changed in Cothon → Update tool Y
• Won opportunity → Trigger project setup workflow
• Custom automation based on your workflow

FAQ

Next Steps

Master opportunity management:

• Saving & Tracking - Manage your pipeline
• Bid Analysis - Analyze custom opportunity RFPs
• Linking Analyses - Connect opportunities to analyses
• Opportunity Intelligence - Understand AI insights
• Proposals - Generate proposals from custom opportunities