Real-World Scenarios & Access

Selling to government

GeM, tenders, and the public-sector playbook.

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Who's asking Everyone Idea-Stage Founder Builder Launcher Grower Indie Hacker Technical Solo Founder Non-Technical Founder Domain Expert Women Founder Tier-2/3 India Founder Repeat Founder
How do I actually sell to the government, where do I find the buyers? Two doors: GeM (gem.gov.in) for catalog-style buying of products and services, and the tender portals (eprocure.gov.in for ministries, plus defproc... Intermediate 3 resources → What is GeM and how do I get my product listed on it? GeM (Government e-Marketplace) is the Amazon of government buying, a Section 8 company under the Ministry of Commerce where 50,000+ government buye... Beginner 2 resources → How do government tenders and procurement actually work for a tiny startup? A tender (RFP/bid) is published on eprocure.gov.in or GeM with eligibility criteria, technical specs, and a bid deadline; you submit a technical bi... Intermediate 3 resources → Do I need certifications or empanelment to sell to a ministry? For GeM, no upfront empanelment, you register, complete vendor assessment for OEMs, and list. For tenders, the tender document itself dictates what... Intermediate 2 resources → I'm a DPIIT-recognised startup, what procurement relaxations do I actually get? DPIIT-recognised startups are exempted from the three biggest barriers: prior turnover, prior experience, and Earnest Money Deposit (EMD), on both ... Beginner 3 resources → Are there quotas or preferences that tilt tenders toward small players like me? Yes, the MSME Public Procurement Policy mandates every central ministry and PSU to source at least 25% of purchases from Micro and Small Enterprise... Intermediate 2 resources → Government pays slowly, how do I survive the cash-flow gap? Assume 60-180 day payment cycles and price for it, don't win a tender that bankrupts you on working capital. Use TReDS platforms (RXIL, Invoicemart... Advanced 2 resources → How do I turn one government pilot into a repeatable business? The GeM Startup Runway is built for exactly this, a 15-day product trial (or 8-16 week service trial) that, once rated by at least three government... Advanced 3 resources → Is selling to government even worth it for an early-stage startup? It's worth it if you can stomach long cycles and love reference-driven markets, a single ministry win is a logo that opens every other department, ... Beginner 3 resources →