To bid on GeM you need a completed seller profile, an active catalogue or service offering in the bid's category, and every document the bid and its ATC ask for. You upload documents against each requirement, enter your price, sign the bid electronically and submit before the end time. The buyer opens technical bids first, then financial bids of qualified sellers only.
Step 1: register as a seller
Registration on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is free. You sign up as a seller at gem.gov.in, verify the authorised person through Aadhaar or the other method the portal offers, and then build the organisation profile. Have these ready before you start:
- PAN of the business and of the authorised person
- GSTIN, where you are registered for GST
- A bank account in the firm's name for payments
- Udyam registration, if you are a micro, small or medium enterprise
- Incorporation or partnership documents, depending on your constitution
- A working email address and mobile number for OTPs
Step 2: build your catalogue or service offering
GeM matches sellers to bids through categories. For products you list items in the right category with specifications, prices and stock. For services you create a service offering against the service category. To participate in a bid, you generally need an offering in the category the bid is published under, so do this before a deadline is close. Some product categories also require the original equipment manufacturer to complete a vendor assessment before listing.
If you are a reseller, you will need authorisation from the OEM for many bids. Request it early. A missing OEM authorisation is one of the most common reasons a GeM bid is rejected at technical evaluation.
Step 3: read the bid before you click participate
Open the bid document and read the bid details table and the buyer's ATC. Note the end date and time, the turnover and experience conditions, the documents the buyer requires, the EMD and ePBG terms, the delivery or contract period and the consignee locations. Our ten minute method for reading a tender notice works on GeM bids too.
If something is unclear, use the pre-bid or query facility where the buyer has provided one, before its deadline. Questions sent after that point rarely change anything.
Step 4: prepare documents in the upload order
GeM asks for documents against specific requirements, and evaluators check them in that sequence. Make their job easy:
- Make one clear PDF per requirement, named for what it proves, such as "Turnover CA certificate FY 2023-24 to 2025-26".
- Follow the order in which the bid and ATC list the requirements.
- Put an index page at the front of any combined file.
- Scan at a resolution where stamps and signatures are readable, and stay within the portal's file size limit.
- Sign and stamp every declaration on your letterhead, with the date and bid number.
- Upload ATC documents too. Missing an ATC requirement is treated the same as missing a standard one.
Step 5: enter your offer and submit
From the bid page, choose to participate, select the offering that matches the bid, confirm technical compliance item by item, upload the documents and enter your price in the format the bid asks for. Claim MSE or startup exemptions only if you hold valid proof. Then sign the bid electronically, using Aadhaar e-sign or a digital signature certificate as the portal prompts, and submit.
Submit at least a day before the end time. Portal load is highest in the final hours, and an upload that fails at the last minute cannot be argued afterwards. Download and keep the submission acknowledgement.
Step 6: clarifications and technical opening
After the end time, the buyer opens the technical bids and evaluates them against the stated criteria. During evaluation the buyer may ask you for clarification through the portal with a short response deadline. Watch your GeM dashboard and email every day until the result, because a missed clarification request can turn a qualified bid into a rejected one.
If your bid is disqualified, GeM shows the reason and the bid may offer a window to submit a representation. Use it to correct genuine evaluation errors with evidence, not to add documents you forgot.
Step 7: financial opening, reverse auction and award
Only technically qualified sellers have their prices opened. If the buyer has enabled a reverse auction, qualified sellers then compete live on price within the rules the bid sets. The lowest evaluated seller, subject to any MSE purchase preference, is recommended for award, and the buyer generates the contract on GeM.
After award, furnish the ePBG within the time and at the percentage the bid states, then deliver to the consignees on schedule. Your delivery, quality and invoicing record on GeM affects how buyers see you on the next bid. For setting the price in the first place, see pricing from past awards.
Common questions
Is there a fee to register as a seller on GeM?
Seller registration on GeM is free. Individual bids may require EMD or an ePBG after award, and some product categories need an OEM vendor assessment, which carries its own charges.
Can I bid on GeM without a catalogue?
Generally no. You need an active product listing or service offering in the bid's category. Set it up well before the deadline.
Do I need a digital signature certificate for GeM?
GeM lets you sign bids with Aadhaar based e-sign, and also supports a digital signature certificate. Follow the option the portal offers for your account at submission.
When are financial bids opened on GeM?
After technical evaluation is complete. Only sellers whose technical bids qualify have their prices opened, followed by a reverse auction if the buyer enabled one.