The Government of India has set up a dedicated e-market for various types of goods and services procured by Government Organisations, PSUs and Departments. This called for a transformation in the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) to a digital ecommerce portal for selling and procurement of goods and services. 

The purpose of a Government e Marketplace or GeM is to establish an inclusive platform and bring in transparency, efficiency and a faster pace in public procurements by including options like e-bidding, reverse e-auction and demand aggregation so as to create a sustainable ecosystem for all stakeholders, be it startups, MSMEs or Emporium products.

Why choose GeM?

GeM gives access to the National Public Procurement Market and offers direct access to Government departments and their organisations. It is easy to use and is a fully automated platform with a seller-friendly dashboard where it is easy to monitor supplies and payments. GeM’s mission is to institute a unified procurement policy and to encourage behavioural changes and reforms to set up a dynamic environment that is open to continuous innovation and market-driven decision-making. 

Eligibility criteria for registration on GeM’s portal 

GeM is open to all and especially provides equal opportunities to smaller companies. Any seller can register and sell their products and services on this Government eMarketplace. Any business can bid for tenders on GeM. Once you register on the GeM platform, you will be able to list your products on the portal.

GEM registration fees

The Government of India does not charge any GeM registration fee. It means you can register as a buyer or a seller on the Gems portal for absolutely no cost. You do not have to pay any GST either, since there are no Gem Registration Fees involved.

But if you go through an agent or a consultant who is registering on your behalf, needless to say, even though they will not be required to pay the Gem Registration Fees, you will have to pay their consultation fee which may include GST as well.

Are there any hidden charges?

Gems portal offers a transparent marketplace. Although there is no GeM registration fee, GeM has a Revenue Policy. As per this policy mentioned in the Gems portal, sellers need to pay some GEM transaction charges when their sales reach a particular figure. 

For example, although a company need not pay GeM registration fee, but when its sales reach the SMV or Seller Merchandise Value of ₹20 lakh in a financial year, Gems portal will charge an Annual Milestone Charge of 0.5%. 

P.S. SMV is the progressive number of orders placed or orders accepted by a seller on the Gems portal during a financial year.

Difference between GeM registration fee & GeM transaction charges 

GeM Registration fee is not applicable to any company, whatsoever. However, GEM transaction charges will be applicable to sellers who surpass the threshold limit of SMV. Please note that the GEM transaction charges are applicable only on orders that exceed a value of  ₹5 lakh. The seller can pay the applicable GEM transaction charges at the time of accepting an order. The GEM transaction charges are listed below”

Note – GeM Registration Fee is not applicable for any of the above.

During auctions, GEM transaction charges are applicable as follows for Forward Auction Orders: 

Note – The Gem Registration Fee is not applicable here.

In case of a Forward Auction, the transaction charges are to be borne by the buyer at the time of approval of an order. 

Payment of AMC or GeM transaction charges 

As mentioned earlier, there is no GeM registration fee for any company. However, the other applicable GEM transaction charges involved can be paid online. All you have to do is click on the ‘Pay AMC/TC’ button on the Gems portal. Two options will be provided on the screen, one being ‘Pay bifurcation’ and the second being ‘Pay now’. Click on ‘Pay now’ and choose your preferred mode of payment – NEFT, RTGS or net banking.

Required Documents

The documents required for registration on the Gems Portal are – PAN card, Aadhaar Card of the applicant, Phone number, email ID, MSME certificate or Udyog Adhaar, GST Registration Certificate, a cancelled cheque copy and sometimes support documents like photos, product list and others. If you go through a consultant, remember not to pay any GEM registration fees.

How can BidAssist help you in GeM bidding?

An open massive online marketplace like GeM can get overwhelming with so many competitors bidding for the same tenders. BidAssist offers comprehensive assistance to help you put forth a competitive bid in compliance with a project’s requirements.

BidAssist also helps you sift through thousands of tenders listed by GeM everyday and find tenders based on your profile. You will receive real time notifications to keep you up-to-date with any new relevant tender release. BidAssist also provides document assistance by ensuring all your paperwork is in order.

For any query on GeM, feel free to reach out on BidAssist support and we will resolve any hurdle that you may come across during your search, filing of documents, submissions, results and more.