ParseForge
DIBBS RFQ Scraper
parseforge/dibbs-rfq-scraper
E-commerceLead generationAutomation
Scrape RFQ solicitations from DLA's DIBBS system. Filter by NSN, FSC, solicitation number, description, or date range. Optionally extract detail page data and PDF text.
- Total users
- 39
- Monthly active
- 13
- Total runs
- 1.5K
- Bookmarked
- 2
- Rating
- Not rated yet
- Last modified
- 8 days ago
Overview
DIBBS RFQ Scraper
Scrape RFQ solicitations from DLA's DIBBS system, up to a million per run. Every RFQ comes with its NSN, description, quantity, unit, return-by date, and solicitation PDF link. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.
DLA's DIBBS (Defense Logistics Agency Internet Bid Board System) posts public RFQ solicitations, but browsing them manually is slow and there is no bulk export. This scraper reads the daily RFQ files directly, filters by NSN, solicitation number, description, FSC code, or date range, and returns each match as a flat row. Optionally fetch detail-page fields and full PDF text for deeper analysis.
| Who uses it | What they scrape DIBBS for |
|---|---|
| Government contractors | Find new bid opportunities matching their NSN or FSC codes. |
| Supply chain analysts | Monitor DLA procurement volumes and trends by item description. |
| Market researchers | Analyze which items the DoD is sourcing and at what quantities. |
| AI scoring model developers | Collect PDF text with buyer info, NAICS, and procurement history for training. |
What it does
This Actor collects RFQ solicitations from DLA's DIBBS system and returns each one as a flat row with solicitation number, NSN, description, quantity, unit, return-by date, and PDF link.
- 📊 Date range filter: Collect RFQs from the last N days (1 to 30) to stay current.
- 🔍 NSN filter: Partial match on National Stock Number, e.g. '8465' for textiles.
- 📄 Solicitation filter: Partial match on solicitation number, e.g. 'SPE1C1' for DLA Troop Support.
- 🏷️ Description filter: Case-insensitive keyword search on item description.
- 🔢 FSC filter: Single or comma-separated Federal Supply Classification codes.
- 📋 Detail page data: Optionally fetch status, issue date, set-aside type, fast-award flag, Mil-Spec flag, and exact PDF link.
- 📝 PDF text extraction: Optionally extract full text from each SF-18 solicitation PDF, including buyer name/email/phone, NAICS, and procurement history.
Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.
What you can do with DIBBS data
📈 Find new bid opportunities.
A government contractor runs the scraper daily with their NSN or FSC filters to get fresh RFQs and submit bids before deadlines.
🔍 Monitor DLA procurement trends.
A supply chain analyst collects all RFQs from the last 30 days to see which items the DoD is sourcing and at what volumes.
🤖 Train AI bid-scoring models.
A developer enables PDF text extraction to collect buyer names, NAICS codes, and procurement history for training a model that scores bid fit.
📊 Analyze set-aside patterns.
A market researcher uses the detail page data to track set-aside types (e.g., small business, HUBZone) across FSC codes.
Why choose this scraper
| What you get | |
|---|---|
| No login needed | Public DIBBS data, no registration or API key required. |
| Flexible filters | Filter by NSN, FSC, solicitation number, description, or date range. |
| Detail page data | Optionally get status, set-aside type, fast-award flag, and more. |
| PDF text extraction | Extract buyer info, NAICS, and procurement history from solicitation PDFs. |
| Bulk export | Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML for analysis or bidding systems. |
How it compares
This actor offers the same core RFQ data as other DIBBS scrapers, with additional options for detail page fields and PDF text extraction.
| Feature | ParseForge | DIBBS RFQ Scraper (7 users) | DIBBS RFQ Scraper (3 users) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSN filter | Yes, partial match | Not listed | Not listed |
| FSC filter | Yes, single or comma-separated | Not listed | Not listed |
| Solicitation number filter | Yes, partial match | Not listed | Not listed |
| Description keyword filter | Yes, case-insensitive | Not listed | Not listed |
| Date range filter | Yes, last N days | Not listed | Not listed |
| Detail page data (status, set-aside, fast award) | Yes, optional | Not listed | Not listed |
| PDF text extraction | Yes, optional | Not listed | Not listed |
Configure the run
Drive the Actor from date range, NSN, solicitation number, description, or FSC code filters, alone or together, and filters run as each RFQ is read so only matches reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.
A first run with the defaults:
{
"maxItems": 10
}
A larger pull:
{
"maxItems": 200
}
Pricing
Pay-per-result: $0.015 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.
| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $1.50 |
| 1,000 results | $15.00 |
| 10,000 results | $150.00 |
New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.
Free users
Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.
Run it
- Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
- Open the DIBBS RFQ Scraper.
- Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
- Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.
Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.
Use with AI agents (MCP)
Give an AI agent live access to DIBBS through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/dibbs-rfq-scraper"
Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.
Troubleshooting
Why am I getting no results?
Check your filters. If you set a daysBack value, ensure there are RFQs within that range. If using an NSN or FSC filter, verify the code is correct. Try running without filters to see if data is available.
The run is very slow with PDF text extraction enabled.
PDF text extraction adds 2-4 seconds per RFQ. For large runs, disable it or reduce maxItems. You can also run without it and re-run with it on a smaller filtered set.
Some RFQs have null pdfText.
This happens when the PDF is unavailable, the fetch fails, or the PDF is not a standard SF-18. The scraper sets pdfText to null in those cases.
The detail page data is missing some fields.
Not all RFQs have every detail field. For example, set-aside type or fast-award flag may be absent. The scraper returns null for missing fields.
FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a DIBBS account or API key? | No. This scraper reads public DIBBS data directly from the DLA website. No login or API key is required. |
| What is the maximum number of RFQs I can scrape? | You can set maxItems up to 1,000,000. The actual number depends on available RFQs and your Apify account limits. |
| How do I filter by NSN? | Enter a partial NSN in the NSN Filter field. For example, '8465' matches all textile/leather items. The filter is case-insensitive. |
| What does the 'Include Detail Page Data' option do? | It fetches additional fields from each RFQ's detail page: status, issue date, return-by date, set-aside type, fast-award flag, Mil-Spec flag, exact solicitation PDF link, technical-data link, and attachments. This slows the run but gives richer data. |
| What does the 'Include Solicitation PDF Text' option do? | It downloads each RFQ's SF-18 solicitation PDF and extracts the full text into a pdfText field. This includes buyer name/email/phone, procurement history, NAICS code, packaging/delivery requirements, and FAR/DFARS clauses. Adds 2-4 seconds per record. |
| Can I filter by multiple FSC codes? | Yes. Enter a comma-separated list in the FSC Filter field, e.g. '3460,5305,3710'. The scraper will match RFQs with any of those codes. |
| What export formats are supported? | You can export the dataset as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify dataset page. |
| Does the scraper handle pagination? | Yes. It automatically paginates through all available RFQ files up to your maxItems limit. |
Related actors
- dibbs-rfq-scraper: Use this actor for DIBBS RFQ scraping. No alternative needed.
Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.
🆘 Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.
⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Defense Logistics Agency. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.
Input
| Field | Type | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| maxItems | integer | How many RFQs to collect per run. | 10 |
| daysBack | integer | Collect RFQs from the last N days. Leave empty for all available files. | not set |
| nsnFilter | string | Filter by National Stock Number. Partial match supported (e.g., '8465' for all textile/leather items). | not set |
| solicitationFilter | string | Filter by solicitation number. Partial match (e.g., 'SPE1C1' for specific DLA center). | not set |
| descriptionFilter | string | Filter by item description keyword. Case-insensitive (e.g., 'jacket', 'strap', 'bolt'). | not set |
| fscFilter | string | Filter by Federal Supply Classification code (first 4 digits of NSN). Single value e.g. '8465' or comma-separated list e.g. '3460,5305,3710' to match any of them. | not set |
| includeDetails | boolean | Collect additional fields from each RFQ's detail page: status, issue date, return-by date, set-aside type, fast-award flag, Mil-Spec flag, exact solicitation PDF link, technical-data link and attachments. Slower but more complete. Buyer name, phone, email and CAGE history are not on the detail page - enable PDF text for those. | false |
| includePdfText | boolean | Fetch each RFQ's SF-18 solicitation PDF and add the full extracted text as a `pdfText` field. The PDF contains buyer name/email/phone, procurement history (prior CAGEs, contract numbers, quantities, prices), NAICS code, packaging/delivery requirements, and FAR/DFARS clauses, useful for AI scoring models. Adds ~2-4s per record. Null if the PDF is unavailable or fetch fails. | false |
Pricing
from $14.00 per 1,000 results
| Charged for | What it is | Price each |
|---|---|---|
| result | Single result in the default dataset. | $0.014 to $0.015 |
Tiered: the lower figure is the price on a higher Apify plan. Billing and the free credit live on Apify.
API
One POST returns the dataset directly. Same shape for every scraper in the library, so swapping the slug is the only change.
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/parseforge~dibbs-rfq-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"helloWorld": 123
}' Examples
Input that runs as-is.
{
"helloWorld": 123
} Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first.
Issues
We build and maintain this scraper, so a problem with it comes to us. Report it on the Apify listing and the thread stays attached to the scraper where the next person can find it: open an issue.
Broken and urgent, or you would rather not post in public? Write to parseforge@protonmail.com and it reaches the people who wrote it.