If you sell to the government in India, most of your opportunities now sit on one portal: GeM, the Government e Marketplace at gem.gov.in. But new sellers open GeM and cannot find where the tenders are, because GeM does not call them "tenders". It calls them "Bids" and "Reverse Auctions (RA)", and they live in a different place from the ordinary catalogue where buyers do direct purchases.
This guide shows you exactly where to look, how to search and filter down to the tenders that match what you sell, and how to place a bid before the deadline. It covers both ways of finding bids: the public search that anyone can use without logging in, and the seller dashboard where you actually participate. The steps are the same whether you are in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi or anywhere else in India, because GeM is a single national portal.
Two places you will actually find GeM tenders
There are two ways to see GeM bids, and knowing the difference saves a lot of confusion.
The first is the public bid search at bidplus.gem.gov.in. Anyone can open it without an account and browse or search every live bid and reverse auction on GeM, filtered by ministry, category, state and closing date. Use this to research the market, check how many bids exist in your category, and read bid documents before you commit to registering.
The second is your seller dashboard after you log in at gem.gov.in. This is the only place you can actually participate in a bid. It shows the same bids, but tied to your seller account and the product or service categories you have listed. If you only want to look, use the public search. If you want to bid, you have to be logged in.
Step 1: Log in as a seller (and why your category matters)
To bid, you need a GeM seller account, and that account must carry the exact category the tender is for. GeM lets you participate in a bid only if the product or service category is already added to your seller profile or catalogue. This is the single most common reason a new seller "cannot find" a bid they know exists: their account is not mapped to that category, so GeM filters it out.
Go to gem.gov.in, sign in with your seller ID and password, and complete the OTP. If you are not registered yet, or you cannot get past the login or OTP screen, follow our GeM registration and GeM login guides first, then come back here. Make sure the categories you sell are listed on your profile before you go looking for bids, or the relevant tenders will not appear for you.
Step 2: Open the Bids section and search
Once you are on the portal, look for the "Bids" area (often shown as "Bid / RA" or "Bids" in the top menu, and as "All Bids" on the public bidplus site). This is where tenders live. The ordinary marketplace catalogue, where buyers do small direct purchases, is separate, do not spend time there looking for tenders.
In the Bids list you can search in two ways. If you know the bid number (it looks like GEM/2026/B/XXXXXXX), type it straight into the search box to jump to that exact tender. If you do not, search by the product or service you offer, for example "housekeeping services", "desktop computer" or "civil work", and GeM will list the open bids in that category. Read two things on every result before opening it: the bid end date and time, and the category, so you are not reading a tender that closes tonight or is for something you do not supply.
Step 3: Use filters and Advanced Search to narrow down
A plain search can return hundreds of bids, so use the filters to get to the ones you can realistically win. On both the public bidplus search and the seller dashboard you can filter by category, by ministry or department, by state or consignee location, and by closing date.
For a precise lookup, use Advanced Search. It lets you find a bid by its exact Bid Number or RA (Reverse Auction) number, and combine filters such as state plus category plus a date range. If you work in one state, filter by that state first, it cuts a national list down to the tenders near you. If you chase a particular buyer, filter by ministry or department. Save the filter combinations that match your business so you can repeat the search quickly each day.
Step 4: Open the bid and check you can actually bid
Finding the tender is only half the job. Before you invest time preparing an offer, open the bid document and check you are eligible.
Read the ATC (Additional Terms and Conditions) and the eligibility criteria: required past experience, annual turnover, OEM or reseller authorisation, and any quality certificates. Check the EMD (Earnest Money Deposit): many GeM bids waive EMD or accept an ePBG or an eDeclaration in place of it, but some still require it, so confirm the exact amount and mode on the bid itself. Confirm the category matches what you supply and that you can meet the delivery period and consignee locations. If any hard criterion rules you out, move on, GeM bids are strict and a technically ineligible bid is simply rejected.
Step 5: Participate and submit before the deadline
When the bid fits, participate from your seller dashboard. Open the bid, click to participate, and prepare your offer: upload the documents the ATC asks for, fill the technical details, and enter your price in the format the bid specifies. Some bids are followed by a Reverse Auction, where qualified bidders compete live on price after the technical stage.
Give yourself time. Submit hours before the deadline, not minutes, because the portal slows down near closing and a last-minute upload failure costs you the tender. After submitting, confirm you have a submission acknowledgement or bid reference. That is your proof the bid went in. If the bid also required anything physical, such as a sample or a hard-copy document by a date, do that separately and on time; online submission does not replace a physical requirement when the bid asks for both.
A faster way to never miss a tender
Searching GeM by hand, one category and one state at a time, works but it is slow, and a bid you never saw is a bid you could not win. This is the gap BidShakti fills. It aggregates live GeM bids from across India (plus state e-procurement portals) into one searchable place you can browse free, shows the key dates, scope and eligibility for each, and gives you a source-grounded Go or No-Go decision checked against your own eligibility. You still bid on GeM itself, but you stop discovering tenders late.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a tender on the GeM portal?
GeM calls tenders "Bids". Open the Bids section (log in at gem.gov.in as a seller, or use the public search at bidplus.gem.gov.in), then search by your product or service category or by the exact bid number, and filter by state, ministry and closing date. Open a bid to read its scope, dates and eligibility.
Can I search GeM tenders without logging in?
Yes. The public bid search at bidplus.gem.gov.in lets anyone browse and search every live GeM bid and reverse auction, filtered by ministry, category, state and date, with no account needed. But you can only participate in a bid after logging in to your seller account.
How do I bid on a tender in the GeM portal?
Log in as a seller, open the bid, check you meet the eligibility in the ATC, then click to participate: upload the required documents, fill the technical details and enter your price in the format the bid specifies. Submit well before the deadline and keep the acknowledgement. Some bids add a live Reverse Auction on price after the technical stage.
Where is Advanced Search, and how do I search by bid number?
On the Bids page (both the seller dashboard and bidplus.gem.gov.in) there is an Advanced Search option. Enter the Bid Number (format GEM/YYYY/B/NNNNNNN) or the RA number to jump to one tender, or combine filters such as state, category and a date range to narrow a long list.
Why can I not find a tender I know exists on GeM?
The usual reason is that the category is not added to your seller profile, so GeM filters that bid out of your dashboard view. Add the correct product or service category to your catalogue, or check the public bidplus search which shows all bids regardless of your account. Also confirm your filters (state, date) are not hiding it, and that the bid is still open.
Do I have to pay EMD to bid on a GeM tender?
Not always. Many GeM bids waive EMD or accept an ePBG or an eDeclaration of a bid-security clause instead, and MSE and startup sellers often get exemptions. Some bids still require a specific EMD amount. Always confirm the EMD requirement and mode on the individual bid document before you participate.
Bidding on a government tender?
BidShakti gives you a Go/No-Go decision and a signed, ready-to-submit bid pack for any live GeM tender across India, or a Gujarat state portal tender.