Petronect launches AI solution for suppliers seeking bidding processes

This press release was published in English using an automatic translation system

By Petrobras

São Paulo, April 7, 2025 - Petronect , Petrobras' procurement and contracting platform, has optimized the consultation of bidding process notices using Microsoft's artificial intelligence (AI). Paola, the company's virtual assistant, now equipped with the technology, offers greater agility and efficiency to suppliers. The company has around 500 thousand registered users, records more than 3.6 thousand daily accesses and, last year, moved more than R$ 200 million in transactions, in addition to opening approximately 300 public opportunities per month.

Since its creation in 2003, Petronect has aimed to connect suppliers and buyers in a sustainable B2B marketplace, promoting greater competitiveness and optimizing commercial conditions. Valdino Azevedo, Services and Innovation Manager, states that increasing the number of participants in public opportunities is essential to foster the market, increase competition and consequently obtain the best results for Petrobras.

Suppliers interested in offering goods or services to Petrobras must complete several steps, including registration, reading the documentation and submitting proposals. These processes, which are often complex, can raise doubts among both new participants and experienced companies, leading to errors or withdrawals. It is necessary to ensure that their services are in line with what is required and, to do so, they need to analyze extensive documents, sometimes with more than 200 pages and multiple attachments that require detailed analysis - which generates a high evaluation effort on the part of the supplier.

To meet these demands, chatbots were developed with the visual identity of Petronect's Virtual Assistant, Paola, using Azure OpenAI Service and Copilot Studio technologies, making it easier to consult the notices. Previously, suppliers could only search by keywords, limited by the lack of context. Now, the solution analyzes documents in a contextual manner, offering clear, precise responses in a short time, ensuring greater assertiveness for interested parties.

Innovation that saves time and boosts results

Petronect offers a solution that allows for quick and specific queries, providing summaries of the notices and direct answers about participation conditions, qualification criteria, requested items, completion date and payment methods. Based on the Large Language Model (LLM) - or large language models in Portuguese - an advanced AI technology, it interprets and generates texts naturally, delivering relevant information quickly.

With this solution, suppliers can quickly understand the essential aspects of an opportunity and decide in a few minutes whether they wish to participate, saving time and resources. However, reading the documentation in full remains the responsibility of the supplier and is essential to advance in the bid submission process. In case of doubts, interested parties can access the official service channels available on the Petronect Portal .

Digital transformation in focus

The development of the tool was carried out in collaboration with Microsoft, which already provides solutions such as Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft 365, and took place over two months - between December 2024 and February 2025.

“Artificial intelligence is already a reality in Petronect’s internal processes, integrated into several solutions. Now, we are moving forward by creating a tool that directly serves external suppliers, demonstrating the versatility of technology to respond to different business demands with efficiency and innovation,” says Joana Moura, vice president for Corporate Clients at Microsoft Brazil.

The implementation of AI has brought significant advances in making operations smarter and more efficient. “Our goal is to continuously evolve the solution and improve other processes. We want to further personalize the supplier experience, increase competitiveness and simplify steps,” concludes Valdino.

The Notices Chat Bot can be found on the Petronect Portal, both on the Search for Opportunities page and on the Public Tenders Open for Proposals page, just click on the Paola icon.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates AI-powered platforms and tools to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI widely available and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. In Brazil for 35 years, the company launched the Microsoft Mais Brasil Plan in 2020 with the aim of supporting the country’s sustainable economic development, contributing with actions capable of preparing professionals for the digital economy, reducing inequalities and promoting digital inclusion.

About PETRONECT

Petronect ( www.petronect.com.br ) is the largest marketplace in Brazil with B2B solutions serving the entire supply chain of the Energy, Oil and Gas segment, from order requisition to payment. The company, headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, is a triple-owned company comprised of Petrobras, SAP and Accenture and its management is overseen by a Board of Directors. Its mission is to provide electronic solutions to its customers in a simple and cost-effective manner, with agility and reliability, consolidating itself as the preferred channel for electronic business by integrating customers and suppliers of goods, services and for the oil and gas industries.