Setup Guide — BidScreen

1

Install BidScreen from the Chrome Web Store

Click Add to Chrome on the BidScreen listing page, then confirm by clicking Add extension in the dialog.

After installation, the BidScreen shield icon will appear in your browser toolbar. If you don’t see it, click the puzzle-piece icon in Chrome’s toolbar and pin BidScreen.

[Screenshot: Chrome Web Store listing — Add to Chrome button] Recommended capture: 1280×800, full browser window

Tip: BidScreen works on any page with tender text — it doesn’t require a specific portal. Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, ProContract, Delta eSourcing, and most council portals all work.

2

Get a free Gemini API key from Google AI Studio

BidScreen uses Google’s Gemini AI to analyse tender text. In the free tier, you supply your own API key — it’s free, takes under 2 minutes to create, and the free quota is more than enough for regular tender screening.

How to get your API key

1. Go to aistudio.google.com
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Click Get API Key in the top left
4. Click Create API Key
5. Copy the key — it starts with AIza…

[Screenshot: Google AI Studio — Get API Key screen] Show the "Create API key" button prominently

Keep your API key private — treat it like a password. Don’t share it or commit it to a public repository. BidScreen stores it locally in your browser only.

3

Add your API key in BidScreen settings

Click the BidScreen icon in your toolbar, then click Click here in the hint line below the Screen button to open settings. Paste your API key into the Gemini API Key field and click Save Profile.

[Screenshot: BidScreen settings page — API Key field with key pasted in] Show the save button and the green "Profile saved ✓" confirmation

Tip: Your API key is stored in Chrome’s local extension storage — it never leaves your browser and is never sent to BidScreen’s servers.

4

Set up your business profile (optional but recommended)

A business profile lets BidScreen personalise the analysis to your actual eligibility position — comparing tender requirements against your real insurance levels, turnover, certifications, and geographic reach rather than giving a generic assessment.

In the settings page, complete the five profile sections:

Section 1 — What You Do: Business name, core services, sector keywords, typical contract value ranges
Section 2 — Eligibility Thresholds: Public liability and professional indemnity insurance levels, annual turnover
Section 3 — Certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, etc.
Section 4 — Geographic Reach: Local, regional, national, or international
Section 5 — Bid Writing Context: Whether you write your own bids or work as a consultancy

[Screenshot: BidScreen settings — sections 1 and 2 completed, progress bar at 75%] Show green "Complete ✓" badges on filled sections

No profile? BidScreen still works — it screens for universal procurement red flags and eligibility requirements without a profile. You can add your profile at any time.

5

Run your first screen

Navigate to any tender detail page — the page with the full contract description, not just a search result. Click the BidScreen icon in your toolbar and click Screen.

Analysis takes around 20–40 seconds. You’ll see:

A STRONG FIT / PARTIAL FIT / POOR FIT verdict with a compatibility score
Quick Take — 3–4 emoji bullets summarising the key signals
Hard Requirements Check — a table comparing what the tender asks against your profile, with colour-coded status
Opportunity Indicators and Risk Flags — specific to your profile, not generic
Recommended Next Step — one specific, actionable instruction

[Screenshot: BidScreen popup showing a PARTIAL FIT result with exec summary card] Show the Quick Take bullets and the "▼ Full analysis" toggle

Use the Copy button to copy the full analysis as markdown, or PDF to export a clean report. Your result is saved for this URL — reopen the popup at any time to see it instantly without re-running.

If the screen button doesn’t work

BidScreen needs to read the text on the current page. Make sure you’re on the tender detail page (not a search results page), and that the page has fully loaded. Some authenticated portals (JAGGAER, Due North) may block content extraction — if this happens, the error message will tell you.

Getting started with BidScreen