Real-World Scenarios & Access

A government buyer wants me to run a free pilot or PoC. Should I say yes?

A starting point

Say yes only with a written scope, a fixed end date, and a named path to a paid tender if it works, otherwise you're donating engineering to an unfunded experiment forever. Free pilots are how the public sector de-risks, so use them, but cap the free work and make the success criteria explicit in email. The real trap isn't doing it free, it's a pilot with no budget line behind it: before you build, ask which scheme or budget head funds the rollout. No budget behind it means it's a demo, not a deal.

Go deeper

Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time.

3 resources 3 link-checked

Read

📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Intermediate

Why we picked it This is the sharpest playbook for the exact thing your government buyer is asking for: define numerical success criteria upfront (query time under 24 hours, cost cut by X percent, not vague "efficiency gains"), keep scope tightly defined so you don't become a free professional-services arm, and cap the pilot at 2 to 3 months. It also names the escape hatch you need with a public buyer: a well-scoped pilot converts because you deliver the metric, they see the impact, they pay, so a pilot that can't convert is a scoping failure you can catch before you build.

The technical founder's guide to pilots and POCs

From Amplify Partners by Amplify Partners 18 min read

  • Set tangible, numerical success criteria in writing before you start, because vague "efficiency" targets are how a pilot runs forever
  • Keep scope tightly defined and split integration responsibilities, or you become an unpaid professional-services arm
  • 2 to 3 months is the right length; a 6 to 12 month pilot signals a scoping problem or a bad-fit buyer
Open amplifypartners.com →
✍️ Essay
✓ Link checked Free Intermediate

Why we picked it This is the budget-head check the answer hinges on, made concrete. It gives you a compatibility table with an explicit red flag to look for before you build: budget marked "TBD after the PoC" means it's a demo, not a deal, versus a green light of "confirmed and ring-fenced" budget. It insists you get payment terms in writing and find a champion with actual budget authority, not a rotating innovation team, and lands the line you need in your head: a pilot without a funded owner is a science experiment with no funding round.

Startups and Corporates: The Brutal Truth No Accelerator Will Tell You (the pilot trap)

From mean.ceo blog by mean.ceo 15 min read

  • "Budget TBD after the PoC" is the red flag; "confirmed and ring-fenced" is the only green light before you build
  • Get payment terms in writing, because a verbal yes is worthless when their accounts payable pays quarterly
  • A named champion with real budget authority is non-negotiable; an innovation team that rotates cannot fund your rollout
Open blog.mean.ceo →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked India Free Beginner

Why we picked it The authoritative, government-hosted explanation of exactly what a DPIIT-recognised startup gets in public procurement. If you want to know your real rights before you bid, this is the primary source, not a blog's interpretation of it.

Procurement by Government, Public Procurement Benefits for DPIIT Startups

From startupindia.gov.in by Startup India (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry single-page policy explainer

  • DPIIT-recognised startups are exempted from prior experience, prior turnover, and Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) on both GeM and CPPP.
  • The GeM Startup Runway lets you list innovative products without a matching category and run trial orders with buyer feedback.
  • These relaxations flow from General Financial Rules 2017 and apply across central procurement, consultancy, and works contracts.
  • Get DPIIT recognition first (using your DIPP number), then register as a Preferred Bidder to claim the benefits.
Open startupindia.gov.in →

People also ask

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 →