How to Upload Tenders on GeM Portal (2026 Guide)

A tender is an invitation or offer to submit a bid for a project or an order of goods and services. Government bodies and public institutions are required to post tenders inviting suppliers of all sizes across the country to submit competitive bids for products and services. This system ensures transparency, efficiency, and judicious usage of public funds.

In India, all governments must use the GeM portal to submit tenders inviting any registered and eligible businesses. Both buyers and sellers must register on this portal with documents and verification via Aadhaar/PAN. Buyers can directly procure goods/services worth below ₹50,000, but for higher-value orders, they need to publish tenders open to bidding.

The following are the different types of tenders used by government buyers:

Catalogue-based Tenders

For this type of bid, the product requested is already available in a catalogue on the GeM portal published by the manufacturer or a reseller. Sellers must include bids with specifications that match the established standards. Buyers can add a few additional specifications that sellers have to comply with.

Custom Tenders

If the buyer wants a product not listed in any catalogues on GeM, they can create a tender for custom bidding. The buyer must check the availability of the item and past transactions and upload a summary report before creating a custom tender. Then, the buyer can set custom specifications, pricing, and other details. These bids are open for at least 21 days.

BOQ Based Tenders

When buyers need multiple products, they can create a Bill of Quantities (BOQ) containing a list of all required items alongside their quantities and specifications. Sellers bid separately for each item by quoting their prices, and the total cost is determined by the whole package. BOQ-based tenders must be open for at least 21 days and carry a minimum value of ₹5 lakh.

Service Tenders

Tenders for service bids have a similar structure to product tenders, with a predefined catalogue of services available in the GeM portal. However, they have different requirements, such as the provider’s experience, past projects, pricing, etc. The buyer can also make more changes to the specifications and place custom requirements.

Government buyers on the GeM portal should know the following prerequisites before publishing a tender on the GeM portal:

• Only the secondary user designated as a buyer by the primary user or HoD can place orders on the GeM portal.

• If the product value is lower than ₹50,000, the buyer may choose to opt for a direct purchase or an L1 purchase without a tender. Bidding is mandatory for products and services worth more than ₹5 lakh.

• Buyers must start the bidding process for products selling at higher-than-market rates on the GeM portal.

• After creating a tender, the buyer must provide a deadline of at least 10 days for submission of bids. In case of any changes to the last date, the buyer must inform the bidders via email or SMS and extend the deadline accordingly.

• The tender document must contain details, such as order quantity, terms of delivery, timeline, bid submission period, bid validity period, etc., in the prescribed format. The technical parameters should match one or more products in the GeM portal.

Only the authorised buyer can create a tender on the GeM portal and publish it to invite bids from eligible sellers. Here is the process to create tenders for products:

Step 1: Log in to the GeM portal using your user ID and password. Next, go to ‘Market’ and select ‘Products’ from the dropdown menu. Then, search for the relevant product and select it.

Step 2: Select the delivery location, quantity, buying method, etc., in ‘Filters’. Once the eligible products are displayed, compare items from at least three different OEMs and select the item whose parameters match your requirements. Click on ‘Add to Cart’.

Step 3: After reviewing each specification, select the relevant checkboxes and click on ‘Proceed’. Then, choose what you want to do with the unselected parameters.

Step 4: Select a suitable offer price for reference to the upcoming bid and click ‘Proceed to Checkout’. In the next window, first click on ‘Bid’ and then ‘Confirm’.

Step 5: Click on the item name (e.g., laptop) and go through the listed specifications. If you want to add more, choose ‘Yes’ and enter the parameters.

Step 6: View and select your consignees on the next page. Edit the delivery details and upload a document with a consignee list if needed. Click on ‘Save’ and ‘Proceed’.

Step 7: Enter your bid details, including its duration, date and time, bid validity, etc. Then, select the eligibility criteria, additional criteria and documentation requirements for the sellers.

Step 8: Enter the EMD (earnest money deposit) and bank details for orders above ₹5 lakh. Select ‘No’ if EMD and ePBG are not required. Choose whether you want order splitting and enter the required details.

Step 9: Choose whether to give preference to MSE (micro and medium enterprise) or MII (Make in India) sellers and enter the relevant details. Next, add the additional terms and conditions (if any), check the T&C document, and click on ‘Submit’.

Step 10: Click on the PDF icon to check the final tender document. Finally, complete your verification via OTP (one-time password), DSC (digital signature certificate) or sign to publish your tender. You can view it under the ‘Published Bids’ tab.

Follow the given steps to publish tenders for service offerings on the GeM portal:

Step 1: Log in to your buyer account in the GeM portal and go to ‘Market’ > ‘Services’ from the dashboard.

Step 2: Type the service type in the search bar and select your required service. Read through the service and SLA (service level agreement) documents before proceeding.

Step 3: Enter the contract start and end date. Next, type in the number of working days, the minimum daily wage and the tenure of employment. Add in additional (optional) details, like EPF, ESI and other allowances.

Step 4: From ‘Filters’, select ‘Bid’ under ‘Intent of Buying’ and enter the delivery location plus the number of resources required. Then, select filters as you require, including the type of function, skill category, educational qualifications, experience and specialisation.

Step 5: From the list of service offerings, choose a provider based on the offer price and click on ‘Add to Cart’ > ‘Proceed to Checkout’. Review the service details and click on ‘Bid’ and confirm to continue.

Step 6: Edit the specifications as needed and click to save. After that, check and update the consignee details and the number of resources and confirm.

Step 7: Enter the bid details, such as bid duration, opening date/time, end date/time, offer validity, response duration for sellers, etc. Then, select the life cycle validity (for the entire bid) and check/edit the bid estimated value.

Step 8: Enter the total contract duration, select whether to set a minimum bid price and enter the price. Then, select the participant eligibility, including annual turnover, experience required, documents, and MSE/startup exemption.

Step 9: Upload the required documents for job description, scope of work, list of resources with quantities, breakup of ESI/EPF/ELDI, etc. Then, select additional requirements (LSC, pre-bids, QCBS) and update the necessary details.

Step 10: In the next section, update the EMD and ePBG requirements (if any) and click on ‘Save’. Choose whether to opt for bid splitting, select additional terms and conditions, and submit the bid with OTP/DSC/eSign verification.

All government buyers need to follow these guidelines when procuring goods and services from the GeM portal:

• Government buyers can produce goods worth up to ₹25,000 directly without a quotation. For higher-value goods worth up to ₹2.5 lakh, buyers must get recommendations for a local purchase committee.

• For goods worth between ₹25,000 and ₹5 lakh, government buyers have to compare at least three OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) on GeM. Then, they must choose the lowest price (L1) seller.

• Before procuring goods worth ₹25 lakh or more, buyers need to post an advertisement on GeM, CPPP (Central Public Procurement Portal) and their own website.

• All buyers are required to appoint a TEC (technical evaluation committee) to examine the specifications in documents submitted by bidders. All technically qualified bids must be sent to the FEC (financial evaluation committee) for final selection.

• For every procurement order, the buyer must ensure compliance with General Financial Rules, GeM terms and conditions, and various central/state regulations.

The procurement process in the GeM portal is designed to be fair, competitive and accessible to all businesses. Government buyers need to be aware of the different rules and regulations and know how to publish tenders on the GeM portal. Sellers on the platform should thoroughly understand the requirements, eligibility, and bid document structure.

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