How to bid
How to bid on Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) (GeM) is the national online marketplace for public procurement of goods and services. Buyers publish bids there, and registered sellers respond to them on the same platform.
The steps, in order
- 1
Register as a seller and complete your profile
Bidding on GeM needs a seller account. Registration and profile verification are done on GeM itself; the bid document may also require specific registrations or certificates.
- 2
Find the bid and read the bid document
Each bid has a GeM bid number. Open its bid document and read the eligibility criteria, the technical specification and the buyer’s additional terms and conditions in full.
- 3
Check the earnest money and any exemptions
Where a bid asks for an EMD, the bid document states the amount and any exemption that applies. Do not assume one; read it there.
- 4
Prepare and upload the documents the bid asks for
Upload exactly what the bid document lists, in the form it asks for. A missing document is the commonest reason a technically capable bidder is rejected.
- 5
Submit before the closing time, then keep the receipt
Upload, sign and submit on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) before the closing date and time stated in the notice — portals stop accepting bids at that moment, and a corrigendum can move it. Keep the acknowledgement the portal issues; it is your proof of what you submitted and when.
- 6
Watch for a reverse auction
Some GeM bids invite technically qualified sellers to an online reverse auction, where prices are bid downward. The bid document says whether this one does.
General guidance, not legal advice. The tender document and Government e-Marketplace (GeM)’s own bidder instructions govern wherever they differ from this page.
Questions
- Can I see GeM bids without an account?
- Bid listings are published openly, which is how this catalogue reads them. Submitting a bid needs a registered GeM seller account.
- What is a reverse auction on GeM?
- An online round, held after technical evaluation where the bid provides for it, in which qualified sellers lower their prices against each other. The bid document states whether one applies.
- Does Government e-Marketplace (GeM) accept a bid after the closing time?
- Electronic portals close submission at the stated closing date and time. Check the notice and any corrigendum for the current deadline, and allow time for uploads and signing before it.
- Who signs an electronic bid?
- A named, authorised person in your organisation, using their own digital signature as the portal requires. It cannot be delegated to software, and no tool — including this one — should apply it for you.
Open on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) right now
The soonest to close first. Each links to its official notice.