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 → 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 → What's the difference between selling to a PSU, a ministry, and a smart-city SPV, and does it change how I sell? Completely different buyers wearing the same government badge. A PSU (like BHEL or a bank) behaves more like a slow, procurement-heavy corporate wi... Advanced 3 resources → Do I need to manufacture in India or hit local-content rules to sell hardware or software to the government? Often yes, and it's frequently a hard gate, not a nice-to-have. The Make in India / Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) order and Clas... Advanced 3 resources → How do I keep a government contract for years and not lose it to the next L1 bidder at renewal? Winning is easy compared to renewing, because most govt contracts re-tender and a cheaper bidder can take your seat. Build switching cost the hones... Advanced 3 resources →

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