The Government of India has made it mandatory for all government tenders to be uploaded on the e- tender portal of India, The Central Public Procurement Portal. The e-portal  is quite dynamic, active and certainly the best for searching and applying for all state and government tenders.Contractors can acquire specifications and can submit bids against a tender via the portal itself. As compared to other private tenders the government tenders are secure against liabilities. Getting a government tender is not an easy task as it is quite complicated and needs to be submitted in a period of time.

Applying for a Government tender

The basic steps followed to acquire government tenders are :

• Registering under CPP Portal

The first step in applying for government tenders is that a  contractor has to register himself on the e-tender portal with his personal and contact details. The details of the tender- receiving firm has to be filled up also. At the end a valid Digital Signature certification has to be provided as well which will both the signature and encryption code, that can be further used for validation.

• Technical Criteria - This section asks details about the technical status of the contractor's firm

which are :

• Constructing/manufacturing capacity of the firm
• Turnover of the firm
• Certification documents of the firm
• Surety of Quality control
• Standing in the market
• Machinery and equipment available at the firm's end
• Record of financial background
• Financial Criteria - After analysing the estimated cost of the contract, the contractor quotes a particular amount at which would complete the project within the specified timeframe and set of resources available. This quoted amount has to be paid by the client if selected. Generally the bid with the lowest quote gets the nod for a government tender but sometimes where quality is of the essence the above may not be true.
• Some Miscellaneous Criteria - Some other documents need to be submitted as well to verify the authenticity and surety of the contractor. This includes solvency report from the banks and registration certificate under various applicable laws and liabilities such as ESI, IncomeTax, SPF, service and goods tax, etc. A photocopy of this has to be attached along with other documents in the sealed bid.

The tenderer also has to submit records of their previously allocated tender and work experience. A non-refundable tender fee also has to be paid.

All these documents should be carefully filled and submitted much before the last date of submission or else it could be rejected by the authorities in charge.

Best Practices to apply for a Government tender

In order to secure a government tender a contractor has to have proper experience and resources at hand to accomplish the project's objectives. One should be aware about the various tenders that are being invited by the government. Some suggestions to acquire government tenders can be :

• The full information of the tender must be acquired as soon as possible before others. The sooner the details are received, the better as more time can be used in preparation.
• One is more likely to secure a tender due to his bids on previous government offerings.
• The information required in the tender documents must be filled with utmost care. Work experience documents should be compiled in a proper manner. Make a point to project your firm as the best suited option and try to stand out from the rest.
• Before submitting the tender it is best to go through the terms and conditions for better understanding of what the client needs are. Only if your service will be able to fulfill the client's needs, is it better to apply or else not.
• Since it is a government tender, one should not try to bid at the lowest cost possible which is likely to be selected. A complete cost analysis should be performed before quoting a price. Most of the government agencies evaluate tenders based on value for money rather than money itself. Therefore a contractor who has proper industry experience, maintenance and support, safety standards and better warranty provisions is likely to be considered.
• Punctuality is one of the greatest practices to get a government tender. The sooner you receive the information the more time you will get to prepare it and respond at the earliest.
• Never stay back in providing services as per the current market standards. You have to make them believe that you can provide the most relevant, advanced and quality services.
• Lastly, never try to jump steps in securing tenders. Go from small to big, try to acquire small tenders in the beginning of your career to build a firm work experience. This will certainly boost your chances in securing a government tender.