Filling a GeM tender for the first time can feel overwhelming. The Government e-Marketplace portal hosts thousands of active bids across goods and services categories, and each bid has its own set of forms, financial fields, compliance declarations and document uploads. A single missed field or a wrongly entered figure can get your bid rejected before an evaluator even reads it.
This guide walks you through every stage of filling and submitting a GeM portal tender, from finding the right opportunity to confirming your bid is live. Along the way it also covers how state e-procurement portals such as nProcure (used in several states), Haryana eTender, Madhya Pradesh eTender, Jharkhand eTender, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Uttarakhand tenders differ from GeM, so you can apply the same disciplined approach wherever you bid.
Understand the Tender Before You Touch a Single Form
The most common mistake first-time bidders make is jumping straight to the bid form without reading the tender document end to end. On GeM, every bid has a Bid Detail page that lists the item or service category, quantity, delivery location, bid validity period, Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) amount, and any special terms. Download the complete bid document, including any corrigenda published after the original notice, and read every clause before you begin filling anything.
Pay particular attention to the eligibility criteria. GeM bids often require a minimum annual turnover, a specific number of years in business, or prior supply experience in the same product category. If you do not meet even one criterion, filling the form is wasted effort. Confirm your eligibility first, then proceed.
Log In and Locate the Bid on GeM
Go to gem.gov.in and log in with your registered seller credentials. If you have not yet registered, you must complete GeM seller registration before you can participate in any bid. Once logged in, navigate to the Bids section from your seller dashboard. You can search by bid number, product category, ministry, or buying organisation. The GeM portal tender search filter also lets you narrow results by state, so a supplier in Uttarakhand or Himachal Pradesh can quickly find bids from local government buyers.
When you find a relevant bid, click on it to open the Bid Detail page. Check the bid end date and time carefully. GeM displays times in Indian Standard Time, and the portal closes submission exactly at the deadline with no grace period. Also note whether the bid is a Direct Purchase, a Bid (L1 price-based), or a Reverse Auction, because the form you fill differs for each type.
Fill the Technical Bid: Compliance and Documents
Most GeM bids are divided into a Technical Bid and a Financial Bid, which are opened separately. The Technical Bid is where you declare compliance with specifications, upload supporting documents, and confirm eligibility. Work through each compliance field methodically. For product bids, you will typically confirm brand, model, country of manufacture, and whether the item meets the Quality Control Order or BIS standard specified. Do not mark a field as compliant if your product does not actually meet the requirement; misrepresentation can lead to debarment.
Document uploads commonly required include your GeM seller certificate, GST registration, PAN, MSME or Udyam certificate if applicable, past supply experience certificates, and any product test reports or certifications. Scan documents clearly, keep file sizes within the portal limit shown on screen, and use PDF format unless the portal specifies otherwise. Label your files sensibly before uploading so you can verify the right file went to the right field.
Fill the Financial Bid: Pricing and the Bill of Quantities
The Financial Bid is where you enter your quoted price. On GeM, the financial form is usually a Bill of Quantities (BoQ) table where each line item shows the item description, unit, and quantity, and you enter your unit rate. The portal then calculates the total automatically. Enter your price inclusive of all taxes, freight and other charges unless the form explicitly asks for these as separate line items. Re-read the pricing instructions in the tender document before you type a single number, because some bids ask for ex-works prices while others ask for delivered prices.
A common error is entering a price that is too low because of a calculation mistake, or too high because the bidder forgot that GeM shows quantities per unit. Double-check your arithmetic independently before saving. On state portals such as nProcure (used for tenders in multiple states), Haryana eTender, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh eTender, Jharkhand eTender, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other state systems, the BoQ format and field labels may differ slightly, but the discipline is the same: read the column headers carefully, enter the correct figure in the correct cell, and verify the auto-calculated total before moving on.
Pay the EMD and Tender Fee
Before or during submission, most GeM bids require you to pay the Earnest Money Deposit online through the portal's integrated payment gateway. The EMD amount is stated in the bid document. MSME-registered bidders and startups recognised by DPIIT may be exempt from EMD on GeM bids, but you must upload the relevant certificate to claim the exemption. Do not assume exemption applies automatically; verify it in the specific bid document and on the live portal, as rules can change.
Some bids also charge a non-refundable tender processing fee. Pay this separately if prompted. Keep the payment transaction reference numbers. On state portals such as nProcure, Jharkhand eTender, or the Telangana government portal, EMD payment may go through a different gateway or may require a bank guarantee in certain cases. Always confirm the accepted payment modes in the tender document rather than assuming the same method works everywhere.
Submit, Verify and Track Your Bid
Once all sections of the Technical Bid and Financial Bid are filled and the EMD is paid, click the final Submit button. GeM will display a bid submission acknowledgement with a unique reference number. Save or print this acknowledgement immediately. Then go back to your dashboard and confirm that the bid appears under your Submitted Bids list with the correct bid number and a status of Submitted. Do not assume submission was successful just because you clicked the button; portal timeouts or session errors can sometimes prevent the final save.
After submission, monitor the bid for any corrigenda or clarifications issued by the buyer. If the buyer extends the deadline or changes a specification, you may need to revise and resubmit your bid before the new deadline. On GeM, you can withdraw and resubmit a bid before the closing time if you need to correct an error, but you cannot edit a submitted bid in place. On state portals such as nProcure, Haryana eTender, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Delhi NCR, Himachal Pradesh and others, the revision and withdrawal rules vary, so check the portal's help section or the tender document for the specific process.
After Submission: What Happens Next
Once the bid deadline passes, the buyer opens Technical Bids first and evaluates compliance. Bidders who pass the technical stage are then shortlisted for Financial Bid opening. On GeM, this process is largely automated for standard product categories, and you can track the bid status from your seller dashboard. For service bids or custom categories, the buyer may conduct a manual evaluation, which can take longer.
If your bid is selected as L1 (lowest price among technically qualified bidders) or wins on other evaluation criteria, GeM will generate a purchase order that appears in your seller dashboard. You must accept the order within the time limit shown, failing which it may be cancelled and awarded to the next bidder. Keep your contact details and dashboard notifications active throughout the bid period so you do not miss a time-sensitive update.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fill a GeM tender if I am registered on a state portal like nProcure or Haryana eTender?
No. GeM registration is separate from state e-procurement portals. You need a GeM seller account on gem.gov.in to bid on GeM tenders. State portals such as nProcure, Haryana eTender, Jharkhand eTender and others have their own registration processes, and a GeM account does not grant access to them.
How do I search for tenders on the GeM portal across states like UP, MP, Rajasthan or Delhi?
Log in to gem.gov.in, go to the Bids section, and use the search filters to select the relevant state, ministry or product category. The GeM portal tender search covers buyers from all states and union territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
What documents are typically needed to fill a GeM tender?
Common documents include your GeM seller certificate, GST registration, PAN, Udyam or MSME certificate if applicable, audited turnover proof, and product certifications or test reports relevant to the category. The exact list is stated in each bid document, so always read it before preparing your submission.
Is the EMD process the same on nProcure and other state portals as it is on GeM?
The concept is the same but the payment method and exemption rules can differ. On GeM, EMD is paid online through the portal gateway. On nProcure and state portals for Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan or other states, EMD may be paid via NEFT, RTGS or a bank guarantee depending on the tender. Always confirm the accepted mode in the specific tender document.
What happens if I make a mistake in the financial bid on GeM?
If the bid deadline has not yet passed, you can withdraw your submitted bid from the GeM dashboard and resubmit a corrected version. Once the deadline passes, no changes are possible. This is why it is critical to verify all figures before clicking the final submit button.
Do Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi NCR tenders follow the same filling process as GeM?
State tenders from Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Delhi NCR buyers may appear on GeM if the buying department uses GeM, or on the respective state e-procurement portal. The broad process of technical bid, financial bid and EMD payment is similar, but the specific portal interface, field labels and document requirements will differ. Always read the tender document for the portal in question.
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