Minimum average annual turnover
Many bids ask for a minimum average turnover over the last three financial years. You prove it with audited balance sheets or a CA certificate.
Years of past experience
Bids often require experience of supplying the same or similar items/services to government or PSU buyers for a number of years, proved with past contracts or work orders.
MSE and startup relaxation
A bid may state "MSE relaxation for years of experience and turnover: Yes" and similarly for startups. If it does, eligible MSEs/startups do not have to meet those two criteria. If it says No, everyone must meet them.
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Add your turnover, experience and MSE/startup status to your Mitra company profile once. For every tender, Mitra compares them with the bid's criteria and tells you whether you qualify.
How to read the eligibility table in a bid
The first page of a GeM bid document usually lists the key criteria in a table: minimum average annual turnover of the bidder, years of past experience, past performance, and the lines on MSE and startup relaxation. Some bids also list OEM average turnover separately. For each row, note who it applies to (bidder or OEM), how many financial years it covers and what document the bid accepts as proof. Then read the ATC, which may add conditions or describe what counts as similar work.
Past performance is a separate criterion
Past performance usually asks that the bidder, or its OEM where the bid says so, has already supplied a stated share of the bid quantity to government organisations or PSUs in earlier financial years. It is proved with contract copies and invoices. The relaxation lines in a bid may not cover past performance, so do not assume that an exemption from turnover and experience also removes this condition — read it on its own.
Prepare your proof in advance
- ✓Audited financial statements for each recent year, or a CA certificate stating turnover year by year
- ✓A list of government and PSU contracts with order copies, invoices and completion or performance certificates
- ✓Proof that past work is the same as or similar to what is being bought: matching item description, specifications or scope
- ✓A current Udyam certificate or DPIIT recognition if you will claim relaxation
- ✓OEM documents, if the bid lets the OEM's turnover or experience count
A worked example
For example, suppose a bid asks for a minimum average turnover and three years of experience, and states MSE relaxation: Yes, startup relaxation: No. A micro enterprise registered for that item can bid without meeting those two criteria, as long as its Udyam certificate is uploaded and its GeM profile shows MSE status. A DPIIT startup that is not also an MSE would still have to meet both, and so would a medium enterprise.
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Frequently asked questions
How is average annual turnover calculated in a GeM bid?
It is the average of your turnover over the number of financial years the bid states, proved by audited statements or a CA certificate. GeM may also use turnover data linked to your profile.
Does the OEM's turnover count for a reseller?
Only if the bid says so. Some bids ask separately for bidder turnover and OEM turnover; read who each condition applies to.
Can I bid if I have less experience than asked?
Only if a valid exemption applies — for example for MSEs or DPIIT startups where the bid allows it. Otherwise the bid will be rejected at technical evaluation.
What counts as similar experience?
The bid or its ATC usually describes it. Where it does not, the buyer judges whether past work is close enough in nature and scope. Submit contracts whose item description or scope clearly matches the bid, and avoid relying on loosely related work.
Can a newly formed company bid at all?
Yes, if the bid gives startup relaxation and the company is DPIIT recognised, or gives MSE relaxation and the company is a registered micro or small enterprise. Otherwise, start with bids that set low or no turnover and experience criteria and build a record of government orders.
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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