Read time : 7 min
Updated on 9 April 2026

Market intelligence: the goldmine of public data that 95% of SMEs ignore

Every awarded public contract in France generates public data: who won, at what price, how many bidders, when it expires. This data, accessible via the DECP (Données Essentielles de la Commande Publique), is a strategic weapon for SMEs who know how to use it. Maître AO integrates it automatically into every analysis.

What is DECP?

The DECP is a legal obligation since 2018: every public buyer must publish key data from awarded contracts. This includes: the winner (company name, ID), the amount (actual price paid), the duration (initial + renewals), number of bidders, and dates (notification, expiry, renewal possibility).

Why it's a killer feature for your bid

Imagine: you're analyzing a hospital cleaning tender. Thanks to DECP data, you know before writing anything:

Who is the incumbent

Identify the current holder. If it's a large corporation, play proximity and responsiveness. If it's a local SME, emphasize your differentiating value.

At what price the contract was awarded

The previous amount gives you a realistic price range. No more blind pricing: you know it was awarded at €180K last time and calibrate accordingly.

The competition level

3 bidders last time? Accessible. 15 bidders? Fierce — your proposal must be flawless. This directly influences your Go/No-Go decision.

Whether it's a renewal

A contract renewed 3 times with the same holder is harder to win than one with regular turnover. DECP data reveals these patterns.

How Maître AO integrates market intelligence

When you analyze a DCE, the system automatically queries DECP data:

"Market Intelligence" panel — shows previous holder, historical amount, average bidder count, renewal rate, probable amount estimate.

Enriched GO/NO-GO score — favorable history (few bidders, compatible amount, frequent holder changes) boosts your score. A locked contract penalizes it.

Price calibration — historical amounts inform proposal sections internally. Maître AO never recommends prices but uses context for relevant formulations.

DECP data limitations

Incomplete coverage — not all buyers publish yet (improving yearly). Sometimes outdated — a 4-year-old contract may have a very different context. No losing bid details — we know who won and at what price, not why others lost. When data is absent or unreliable, Maître AO shows "Data not available" — never fabricates.

Accessing market intelligence

DECP intelligence is integrated automatically into every DCE analysis — no extra action needed. Available on all plans including free Discovery. Pro and Max get multi-year historical data.

Discover market intelligence on your next DCE

1 free analysis with integrated DECP data

Frequently asked questions

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