diff --git a/internal/company/recommendation.go b/internal/company/recommendation.go
index 9af7186..38e858c 100644
--- a/internal/company/recommendation.go
+++ b/internal/company/recommendation.go
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ var ErrAIRecommendationNotConfigured = errors.New("AI recommendation service is
 
 const aiRecommendationCacheKeyPrefix = "ai:recommendations:"
 
+const (
+	recommendationFetchMaxAttempts  = 6
+	recommendationFetchInitialDelay = 10 * time.Second
+)
+
 func aiRecommendationCacheKey(companyID string) string {
 	return aiRecommendationCacheKeyPrefix + companyID
 }
@@ -53,7 +58,7 @@ func (s *companyService) StartAIOnboarding(ctx context.Context, companyID string
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	s.refreshAIRecommendationsCacheAsync(companyID)
+	s.scheduleRecommendationRefreshAfterOnboarding(companyID)
 
 	return result, nil
 }
@@ -86,7 +91,7 @@ func (s *companyService) triggerAIOnboardingAsync(companyID string) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		if _, err := s.fetchAndCacheAIRecommendations(ctx, companyID); err != nil {
+		if err := s.fetchAndCacheAIRecommendationsWithRetry(ctx, companyID); err != nil {
 			s.logger.Error("Failed to refresh AI recommendations after onboarding", map[string]interface{}{
 				"company_id": companyID,
 				"error":      err.Error(),
@@ -170,14 +175,14 @@ func (s *companyService) GetAIRecommendations(ctx context.Context, companyID str
 		return cached, nil
 	}
 
-	s.logger.Debug("AI recommendations cache miss; returning empty list", map[string]interface{}{
+	s.logger.Info("AI recommendations cache miss; returning empty list", map[string]interface{}{
 		"company_id": companyID,
 	})
 
 	return []RecommendedTenderResponse{}, nil
 }
 
-func (s *companyService) refreshAIRecommendationsCacheAsync(companyID string) {
+func (s *companyService) scheduleRecommendationRefreshAfterOnboarding(companyID string) {
 	if s.aiRecommendationClient == nil {
 		return
 	}
@@ -189,33 +194,76 @@ func (s *companyService) refreshAIRecommendationsCacheAsync(companyID string) {
 
 	go func() {
 		ctx := context.Background()
-		s.logger.Info("Refreshing AI recommendation cache in background", map[string]interface{}{
-			"company_id": companyID,
-		})
-
-		if _, err := s.repository.GetByID(ctx, companyID); err != nil {
-			s.logger.Error("Failed to load company for AI recommendation refresh", map[string]interface{}{
+		if err := s.fetchAndCacheAIRecommendationsWithRetry(ctx, companyID); err != nil {
+			s.logger.Error("Failed to refresh AI recommendation cache after onboarding", map[string]interface{}{
 				"company_id": companyID,
 				"error":      err.Error(),
 			})
-			return
 		}
-
-		if _, err := s.fetchAndCacheAIRecommendations(ctx, companyID); err != nil {
-			s.logger.Error("Failed to refresh AI recommendation cache", map[string]interface{}{
-				"company_id": companyID,
-				"error":      err.Error(),
-			})
-			return
-		}
-
-		s.logger.Info("AI recommendation cache refreshed", map[string]interface{}{
-			"company_id": companyID,
-		})
 	}()
 }
 
-func (s *companyService) fetchAndCacheAIRecommendations(ctx context.Context, companyID string) ([]RecommendedTenderResponse, error) {
+// fetchAndCacheAIRecommendationsWithRetry waits for the AI service to finish indexing after onboarding.
+// Empty results are not cached so reads keep returning empty until real recommendations exist.
+func (s *companyService) fetchAndCacheAIRecommendationsWithRetry(ctx context.Context, companyID string) error {
+	delay := recommendationFetchInitialDelay
+
+	for attempt := 1; attempt <= recommendationFetchMaxAttempts; attempt++ {
+		if attempt > 1 {
+			s.logger.Info("Retrying AI recommendation fetch after onboarding", map[string]interface{}{
+				"company_id": companyID,
+				"attempt":    attempt,
+				"delay_sec":  int(delay.Seconds()),
+			})
+		} else {
+			s.logger.Info("Waiting before first AI recommendation fetch after onboarding", map[string]interface{}{
+				"company_id": companyID,
+				"delay_sec":  int(delay.Seconds()),
+			})
+		}
+
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return ctx.Err()
+		case <-time.After(delay):
+		}
+
+		if attempt > 1 {
+			delay *= 2
+		}
+
+		responses, err := s.fetchAIRecommendations(ctx, companyID)
+		if err != nil {
+			if attempt == recommendationFetchMaxAttempts {
+				return err
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if len(responses) == 0 {
+			if attempt == recommendationFetchMaxAttempts {
+				s.logger.Warn("AI returned no recommendations after onboarding retries; cache not updated", map[string]interface{}{
+					"company_id": companyID,
+					"attempts":   attempt,
+				})
+				return nil
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		s.cacheAIRecommendations(ctx, companyID, responses)
+		s.logger.Info("AI recommendation cache populated after onboarding", map[string]interface{}{
+			"company_id": companyID,
+			"count":      len(responses),
+			"attempt":    attempt,
+		})
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *companyService) fetchAIRecommendations(ctx context.Context, companyID string) ([]RecommendedTenderResponse, error) {
 	s.logger.Info("Fetching AI tender recommendations from AI service", map[string]interface{}{
 		"company_id": companyID,
 	})
@@ -240,8 +288,6 @@ func (s *companyService) fetchAndCacheAIRecommendations(ctx context.Context, com
 		})
 	}
 
-	s.cacheAIRecommendations(ctx, companyID, responses)
-
 	return responses, nil
 }
 
@@ -271,6 +317,11 @@ func (s *companyService) getCachedAIRecommendations(ctx context.Context, company
 		return nil, false
 	}
 
+	if len(responses) == 0 {
+		_ = s.redisClient.Del(ctx, aiRecommendationCacheKey(companyID))
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
 	s.logger.Debug("AI tender recommendations served from cache", map[string]interface{}{
 		"company_id": companyID,
 		"count":      len(responses),
@@ -280,7 +331,7 @@ func (s *companyService) getCachedAIRecommendations(ctx context.Context, company
 }
 
 func (s *companyService) cacheAIRecommendations(ctx context.Context, companyID string, responses []RecommendedTenderResponse) {
-	if s.redisClient == nil {
+	if s.redisClient == nil || len(responses) == 0 {
 		return
 	}