Keep these ready
- ✓GST registration certificate and PAN
- ✓Udyam (MSME) certificate or DPIIT startup recognition, if you claim exemptions
- ✓Audited balance sheets / CA certificate for turnover
- ✓Past work orders and completion certificates for experience
- ✓OEM authorisation (when you are not the manufacturer)
- ✓ISO / BIS / other quality certificates the category needs
- ✓For manpower: EPF and ESIC registration, labour licence; for security: PSARA licence
Watch expiry dates
An expired certificate counts as missing. Store your documents in Mitra's documents vault with expiry dates and you get a readiness check on every tender.
Where a bid's document list comes from
A bid's document requirement is built from three places: the standard criteria in the bid document (such as turnover, experience and past performance), the specifications of the category, and the ATC the buyer adds. The bid lists the documents required from the seller; the ATC may add more, such as specific licences, test reports or undertakings. Make your checklist from all three for every bid, not from memory of the last one.
Documents by purpose
- ✓Identity and tax: PAN, GST registration, and incorporation or partnership documents if the bid asks
- ✓Eligibility: turnover proof, and experience and past performance contracts with invoices
- ✓Exemptions: Udyam certificate or DPIIT recognition, plus any declaration the bid requires
- ✓Product or service: OEM authorisation, technical datasheets, test reports, approvals or quality certificates
- ✓Compliance: undertakings or declarations the ATC asks for, such as on blacklisting or local content, signed and dated
Document mistakes that get bids rejected
- ✓Uploading a document in the wrong slot, so the evaluator cannot find it
- ✓An OEM authorisation that is generic or expired, or does not name the bidder or the product offered
- ✓Past orders without proof of execution, such as invoices or completion certificates, where the bid asks for them
- ✓Certificates in another entity's name, for example a group company, when the bid does not allow it
- ✓Scans that are blurred, cropped or missing pages
- ✓Unsigned declarations, or declarations in a format different from the one the ATC gives
Build a reusable document kit
Keep one folder of standard documents (PAN, GST, Udyam, incorporation, ISO and similar), named clearly and saved as readable PDFs, and one folder per bid for bid-specific items such as OEM authorisation and signed declarations. Review the standard folder at fixed intervals, for example every quarter, and renew anything nearing expiry well before a bid needs it. When a new bid arrives, tick its document list against the kit and you will know quickly whether you can bid.
Before you press submit
- ✓Every document the bid lists has a file uploaded against it
- ✓Each file opens and is readable
- ✓Names on documents match your GeM seller profile
- ✓Certificates are valid on the bid end date
- ✓Declarations are signed where the bid requires
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Frequently asked questions
Which documents are needed for every GeM bid?
There is no single list: the bid and its ATC decide. Commonly asked are turnover proof, past performance contracts and invoices, OEM authorisation, product certificates, and exemption documents such as Udyam or DPIIT.
In what format should documents be uploaded?
Upload clear, readable PDFs in the slots the bid provides, signed where the bid asks. Avoid password-protected or partly scanned files.
Can I upload a missing document after the bid closes?
Generally no. Upload everything before the end date; do not rely on the buyer asking for clarification later.
Do I need to upload documents already in my GeM profile?
Upload them with the bid if its document list asks for them. The evaluator works from what is attached to the bid, so do not assume a profile document will be seen.
What is an OEM authorisation and when is it needed?
It is a letter from the original equipment manufacturer authorising you to offer its product. Bids ask for it when the bidder is a reseller or dealer rather than the manufacturer. Use the format the bid or ATC gives, if any, and make sure it covers the product you are offering.
Related guides
Rules change. Always confirm the details in the bid document and on gem.gov.in before you bid. · Updated 2026-11-02
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