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Access, sales & scenarios

Selling to government

GeM, tenders, and the public-sector playbook.

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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 → 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 → 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 → How do I actually price a bid so I win the tender but don't lose money on the contract? Most government tenders are L1 (lowest bid wins), so founders panic and quote below cost, then bleed for two years. Don't. Price to your true deliv... Intermediate 3 resources → What is an EMD and a performance bank guarantee, and how much cash will they lock up before I earn a rupee? Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) is the deposit you post just to be allowed to bid, and a Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG) is the chunk (often 3 to 10 p... Intermediate 3 resources → How do I write a tender bid that doesn't get thrown out on a technicality? Government bids are rejected on form, not merit: a missing self-attested page, wrong stamp, an unsigned annexure, an EMD in the wrong format. Treat... Intermediate 3 resources → Is state government and municipal procurement easier to break into than central ministries? Usually yes for a first deal, and that's where most startups should start. State startup missions, smart-city SPVs, and municipal bodies buy faster... Intermediate 3 resources → A government buyer wants me to run a free pilot or PoC. Should I say yes? 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 unf... Intermediate 3 resources → Should I hire a liaison agent or consultant to handle government sales, or do it myself? Do the first deal yourself so you actually learn how the buyer thinks, then decide. A good consultant knows the portals, the paperwork, and which o... Intermediate 3 resources →

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