The Data Branch
A shared database of what agencies buy and what they pay, so public entities can check prices before they sign.
Mission
We're building a database of what schools, colleges, cities, counties, and police departments buy and what they pay, so any agency can check if they're getting a fair price.
We collect these records through public-records requests and publicly available government sources.
Today we're focused on building a national database. Our app will simply make that record easy for agencies to search, compare, and understand.
Approach
Purchase records and related documents that agencies already publish or must release.
We request purchasing exports and related documents through FOIA and open-records laws, then normalize them so they can be compared across places.
Open data portals, budgets, board packets, contracts, and award notices that agencies already post online. We collect them and link each one back to its source.
Targeted collection across the public internet for procurement files, agendas, and notices that never land in a neat open-data dump.
Who it's for
Built around the public entities whose purchasing shows up in the record.
Districts and schools checking device, curriculum, facilities, and vendor pricing against what peers actually paid.
Colleges and universities comparing contracts, renewals, and cooperative purchases before they sign.
Cities, counties, and states, including police and municipal fire departments whose spends run through those governments.
Transit, water, library, fire protection, and other special-purpose districts comparing their buys to similar agencies.
Coverage
These numbers describe entities we have purchasing coverage for, not organizations that "joined" or opted in as partners. We add coverage as we collect from public sources and records requests.
Entities represented in our collection include:
In the news
Public records FAQ
Clear answers about who we are, why we request records, and how agencies can use the resulting database.
About The Data Branch. The Data Branch is building a national database of public purchasing records collected from public-records requests and government-published sources. Our goal is to help public agencies compare purchases, benchmark pricing, and learn from one another using information that is already public.
Public agencies often cannot see what similar agencies paid for the same product or service. We request purchasing records so those prices, suppliers, dates, and related documents can be compared across agencies.
We organize and normalize the records, connect related purchase orders and contracts, and link each result back to its public source. The app will let agencies search and compare that record.
We request purchasing records, not personal dossiers. A public record may include the name or business contact details of an official acting in a published role. We use that information only in the context of the public record.
No. We do not sell contact information or build marketing lists from public records.
Yes. The app is being built for public agencies and their staff to compare purchases, review contracts, check grant funding, and research peer decisions. Agencies can request early access while the app is in development.
We use public-records requests and government-published sources, including procurement portals, open-data sites, budgets, contracts, board packets, award notices, and meeting records.
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The app
Ask about contracts, renewals, and grants without learning a query language. Request early access and we'll email you when it opens.
The app is live for public agencies and their staff. Ask about contracts, renewals, and grants using the public record.