In this article, we give an overview of our Spending & POs dataset.
Dataset Description
GovSpend is the most comprehensive, timely and relevant source for ground truth on government agency purchasing. Our platform has data as far back as 2015 and we aim to refresh data on a quarterly basis to provide the frequency desired by our vendor customers without overly burdening the agencies we depend on. Data is requested with as much detail as possible within our legal rights (purchase order number, purchase date, line item details, line item quantity, line item price, and vendor information).
Data Sources/Collection Methods
GovSpend submits tens of thousands of public records requests monthly. Generally speaking, our main collection method is Public records requests in which we reach out to FOIA coordinators, custodians of records, superintendents for schools, etc…. Keep in mind requests take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the agency and state regulations.
We also harvest data using automated methods, such as Automated Requests which are requests that are automatically emailed to agencies. This “Automated Status” request is based on the refresh cycle of the agency. Much like manual requests automated requests are still subject to an extended timeline due to agency and state regulations. Another automated method is scraping information from public transparency sites and other locations.
Data Coverage/Comprehensiveness
- Overall Coverage: $17.6 T in spending captured from tens of thousands of district agencies
- Last Twelve Months: $3.8 T in spending captured from tens of thousands of district agencies
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we cover data in every state?
Yes
What other agency types do we target?
- Municipalities
- Counties
- K-12 School Districts and Schools
- Clerk of Courts
- Correctional Facility
- Federal Government
- Local Government
- Public Defender
- Public Hospital
- Public Transit
- Public Utility (Water, Sanitation & Energy)
- State Attorney
- State Government
- State University/College
- Correctional Facilities
What are the requirements in business days to acknowledge receipt of a public records request for each state?
- 3 business days - Colorado, Vermont, Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Kansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana
- 4 business days - Nebraska
- 5 business days - Nevada, New Hampshire, Maine, Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington
- 7 business days - New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Wyoming
- 10 business days - Oregon, Iowa, Arizona, Oklahoma, Maryland, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, Minnesota, California, Ohio, Connecticut, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah, Montana, Hawaii, Texas, Florida, Alaska, Rhode Island
- 14 business days - Mississippi
- 15 business days - District of Columbia, Delaware
- 21 business days - Illinois