In an earlier post we introduced japan-tenders.loreatec.jp, our free tool for reading Japanese government tenders in English. Finding tenders is the easy part, though. The more useful question is which ones you can actually bid on. Here is how we would narrow the list down.
1. Start with the category
Tenders fall into three broad buckets — goods, construction, and services. Pick the one that matches your business first; it cuts the list down quickly.
2. Check the certification grade
Many Japanese public contracts, especially in construction, require the bidder to hold a supplier qualification at a particular grade (A, B, C, or D). If you do not hold the grade a tender asks for, you cannot bid on it, however well the work fits. The site shows and filters by grade, so you can set aside what is out of reach and focus on what is open to you.
3. Narrow by prefecture
Local-government tenders usually expect a supplier who can realistically deliver in that area. Filtering by prefecture keeps you to work near where you actually operate.
4. Mind the deadline
Every listing shows the submission deadline. Japanese public bids often have short windows and specific paperwork, so once you find a good match, give yourself enough time to prepare the documents properly.
A realistic word on the paperwork
The translated listing gets you to the right opportunity quickly, but the bid itself still runs on the official Japanese documents and process. If you are already set up in Japan, that is manageable. If you are not, it is worth lining up someone who can handle the Japanese side well before the deadline. We are based in Tokyo and happy to point people in the right direction.
Try the filters for yourself: japan-tenders.loreatec.jp.