Your first search: finding opportunities that fit you

This guide walks you through running your first meaningful search on InstantMarkets — from entering keywords to reviewing results.

Step 1: Start with a keyword

Go to the search bar at the top of the page. Think about how a procurement officer would describe what they're buying — not what you call your service internally, but the terms that appear in bid titles.

Good starting keywords:

• "janitorial services"
• "network equipment"
• "HVAC maintenance"
• "security guard services"

Avoid overly broad terms like "consulting" or "services" — they'll return thousands of loosely related results.

Step 2: Review your results

Scan the results list for relevance. Look at:

• Title — does the opportunity match what you offer?
• Agency — is this an agency you can realistically respond to?
• Due date — is there enough time to prepare a response?
• Type — is this an RFP (competitive proposal), RFQ (quick quote), or something else?

Click any result to read the full listing.

Step 3: Refine with filters

If your results include too many irrelevant opportunities, use the filters on the left to narrow down by:

• Geography — select your target state(s) or region(s)
• Opportunity type — e.g., RFP only, or exclude pre-bid notices
• NAICS code — filter to opportunities tagged with your code(s)
• Agency type — e.g., school districts only, or city/county only

Step 4: Save the search

Once you have a search producing useful results, click Save Search. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "IT staffing – California") and save it. You can return to it any time from My Searches.

Step 5: Set up an alert

From your saved search, click Create Alert to start receiving email notifications whenever new opportunities matching your search are posted. See Creating an alert from a saved search for more.

Tips for better results:

• Try synonyms — "office supplies" and "office products" may return different results
• Use NAICS codes if you know them; they're more precise than keyword matching
• Check back weekly at first to calibrate — if you're seeing too many misses, revisit your keywords and filters