What observed, inferred and estimated mean
Sinal puts one of three labels on every item it shows from a public record. The examples come from the record on the next page, a contract award published on PLACSP.
Observed. Observed means copied from the public record or from Sinal's dated copy of the notice, with nothing added. Example: the contracting authority is “Alcaldía del Ayuntamiento de Ibi”, the procedure is published as “Contrato Menor” and the estimated value, excluding VAT, is €6,927.27.
Inferred. Inferred means worked out by Sinal from observed fields. It suggests that a notice may matter to you and does not prove it. Example: The notice title contains "mantenimiento" (Spanish for maintenance). The CPV code 72400000 begins with 72, the IT services division. This is a broad match.
Estimated. Estimated means calculated from observed fields under an assumption we state, so it can be wrong. Example: the end date, 6 October 2027, is the award date, 6 October 2026, plus the recorded duration of 365 days, assuming the term starts on the award date. An extension or a later start changes it.
How to read a Sinal signal
- Open the source first. A notice in Sinal links to the original on BASE, PLACSP or TED, and the original is what counts.
- Read the label before the value. An observed value can be quoted, an inferred match is a reason to look closer, and an estimated date is a planning aid.
- Read each date for what it is. The day Sinal first recorded a notice is not the day the buyer first published it, so the record page shows both.
- Use the buyer's history as context. It shows how often the contracting authority has published, and it counts notice rows, not separate procedures.
What you must still verify
A signal tells you where to look. Before you act, confirm in the notice and its documents:
- that the notice is still open and has not been corrected, cancelled or replaced;
- the deadline, and how and where to submit;
- the scope, the lots, and which selection criteria and award criteria apply;
- that your company can meet the conditions, because Sinal does not assess eligibility;
- the legal basis the notice cites.