BinaSmart MCP Server

Open tenders in Ethiopia

list_tenders

Read-only

Search and filter open Ethiopian public tenders from BinaSmart by keyword, category, and closing date; include closed notices optionally and view deadlines, budgets, and source links.

Instructions

Public tender and procurement notices in Ethiopia listed on BinaSmart (bina.et/tenders): the issuing organisation, what is wanted, the deadline and days left, budget when stated, and a link to the original notice. Banks, government bodies, NGOs and World Bank–financed projects. Open tenders only unless include_closed is set. Search by keyword (English or Amharic) and filter by category such as Supply, Construction, Consultancy, Services, Transport.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	No	Max tenders, default 20
`query`	No	Keyword in the title, organisation or summary — English or Amharic. Omit for the tenders closing soonest.
`newest`	No	Newest published first, for "new", "latest", "today" or "this week" (default: closing soonest first). Each tender has published_at, the date that shows whether it is new.
`category`	No	Category filter, matched loosely: Supply / አቅርቦት, Construction / ግንባታ, Consultancy / ማማከር, Services / አገልግሎት, Transport / ትራንስፖርት, Disposal auction / ሽያጭ ጨረታ. Use list_tender_categories to see what is open now.
`include_closed`	No	Include tenders whose deadline has passed (default false)

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`note`	No	How to use or present this result
`count`	No	Number of items returned
`tenders`	No	Open tender notices
`source_url`	No	bina.et page this result comes from; cite it

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedv0.1.2Oct 18, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": true,
+  "properties": {
+    "count": {
+      "description": "Number of items returned",
+      "type": [
+        "number",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "note": {
+      "description": "How to use or present this result",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "source_url": {
+      "description": "bina.et page this result comes from; cite it",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "tenders": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "items": {
+            "additionalProperties": true,
+            "properties": {
+              "category": {
+                "description": "Category",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "closed": {
+                "description": "true if closed",
+                "type": [
+                  "boolean",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "days_left": {
+                "description": "Days until the deadline",
+                "type": [
+                  "number",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "deadline": {
+                "description": "Bid deadline",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "org": {
+                "description": "Issuing organisation",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "original_notice": {
+                "description": "Link to the original notice",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "region": {
+                "description": "Region",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "slug": {
+                "description": "Tender slug for get_tender",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "title": {
+                "description": "Title",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "url": {
+                "description": "Tender page",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              }
+            },
+            "type": "object"
+          },
+          "type": "array"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ],
+      "description": "Open tender notices"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedv0.1.0Oct 18, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds real behavioral context beyond that: the data source (BinaSmart, bina.et/tenders), the returned fields including deadline, days-left and original link, the issuer types covered, and the default open-only filter. It does not mention result caps or pagination, which is a minor gap.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Four sentences, front-loaded with the resource and scope before filters and defaults. Nearly every clause carries information, though the issuer-type enumeration ('Banks, government bodies, NGOs and World Bank–financed projects') is the one segment that could be trimmed without losing agent-relevant meaning.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Output schema exists, so return-value explanation is not required, yet the description still summarizes record contents helpfully. With a 5-parameter optional-only schema, a live data source, and category vocabularies, the description supplies everything an agent needs to call this correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the baseline would be 3. The description goes beyond the schema by noting bilingual (English or Amharic) keyword matching, listing the concrete category values, and restating the include_closed default, which meaningfully enriches how the agent should populate parameters.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a specific verb and resource (public tender and procurement notices listed on BinaSmart) plus scope (Ethiopia, open tenders). It enumerates exactly what each record contains and who issues them, which cleanly separates it from get_tender (single tender) and list_tender_categories (taxonomy). An agent can identify the tool without opening the schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It gives clear context for use — keyword search in English or Amharic, category filtering, and the default that closed tenders are excluded unless include_closed is set. It does not explicitly state when to prefer this over get_tender or list_tender_categories (the latter pointer lives only in the schema), so it stops short of full routing guidance.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.