GeM/Government eMarketplace is an online marketplace for MSMEs/manufacturers and sellers to register themselves to participate in public tenders and secure government procurements.

The Aim of establishing GeM is to promote the participation of MSMEs in procurement and make a transparent and efficient public procurement process.

Therefore sellers first need to register themselves on the Gem portal and undergo a mandatory Gem vendor assessment undertaken by the quality council of India. However, a certain category of sellers is exempted from the assessment process, such as MSMEs having NSIC certification.

1. Access to Pan India market
2. Multiple invoices for orders
3. Security against delayed payment
4. Dynamic pricing based on market
5. Participate in the reverse auction or bidding
6. Easy access to Government entities and departments
7. Benefit for sellers from North-eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir

1. Email ID of the applicant
2. PAN number of business entity
3. GSTIN along with billing address
4. Bank account details of the entity
5. Registration certificate of the business
6. Aadhar and PAN detail of the applicant
7. Income tax return (ITR) filing for the last 3 years
8. CIN number is required (in the case of the company)

GeM portal registration is free, but the registered MSMEs must deposit caution money and pay for non-refundable vendor assessment fees, which are held by the quality council of India.

Only after approval and brand listing can list any product or service, these are the following steps involved in listing products or services on the GeM portal.

Step-1: Basic information about the product

1. Category & sub-category of the product
2. Name of the product
3. Product description
4. Brand of the product
5. Product model
6. HSN Code
7. SKU ID

Step-2: Quantity of the Product

Sellers are required to provide the quantity details of the Product. This helps government buyers before making any procurement.

Step-3: Price of the product

Price is a crucial factor during procurement, so the seller is required to Quote the price of their products and services in INR. As per the guidelines, sellers need to provide the following pricing details:

1. Maximum retail price (MRP)
2. Offered price should be atleast 10% less than the MRP, including all taxes.

Step-4: Images of the product

Vendors need to upload clear pictures of their pictures and services in GeM catalogues along with other important details such as size, height, weight etc.

• Single product images are allowed
• Accepted formats are JPG or PNG only
• Product image must fulfill technical criteria
• 3 pics are required to be uploaded from three different angles
• The maximum size of the img should not be more than 300KB
• The products should be uploaded without a description, only certificates are allowed
• The image of the product should be clear and should have no watermark or brand logo on it

The GeM initiative offers micro, small, and medium manufacturing and service industries a level playing field. MSMEs can gain a significant advantage by registering on the GeM portal and becoming eligible for government tenders, bidding, and purchase orders. The GeM bidding process is transparent and unbiased, giving small businesses an equal chance to thrive.