GeM Bid Number

A GeM Bid Number is the system-generated unique reference code assigned to every competitive procurement event on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), the platform's equivalent of a Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) number, used by buyers to float requirements and by sellers to find, track, and respond to procurement opportunities.

What is a GeM Bid Number?

When a government buyer on GeM decides to procure goods or services above the direct purchase threshold (INR 25,000 per item or INR 5 lakh total, depending on category), they create a bid event on GeM. The system automatically assigns a GeM Bid Number in a structured format that encodes information about the buyer organisation, category, and date.

A typical GeM Bid Number format: GEM/2025/B/XXXXXXXX

The Bid Number identifies:

• The bid type (B for bid, RA for reverse auction)
• The year and sequence
• The specific buyer and category (encoded)

Once created, the bid is visible to all registered sellers in the relevant GeM category. Sellers can search for bids by category, bid number, buyer organisation, or status (open, under evaluation, awarded, cancelled).

A GeM Bid covers:

• Technical requirements (based on Golden Parameters)
• Delivery location, timeline, and quantity
• EMD requirement (if applicable)
• Evaluation methodology (L1, QCBS, etc.)

After bid response closes, the buyer evaluates responses and awards a GeM Contract to the successful seller.

Why GeM Bid Numbers matter for Indian government suppliers

GeM Bid Numbers are your primary prospecting tool for competitive procurement on GeM. Sellers should monitor open bids in their product categories daily, bid windows can be as short as 3-5 days for standard categories. Setting up alerts for new bids in your registered categories (available through the GeM seller dashboard) ensures you never miss a relevant opportunity. Our GeM tender search guide covers how to set up automated bid monitoring.

Example

A Delhi-based IT distributor registers alerts for new GeM bids in the Laptops sub-category. On Monday morning, a new bid, GEM/2025/B/41823768, appears for 150 business laptops from a central ministry, with bid closing date Thursday 5 PM. The distributor reviews the Golden Parameter requirements (Core i5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD), checks its inventory, submits a compliant bid at INR 58,500 per laptop, wins as L1, and receives a GeM Contract Number for the INR 87.75 lakh order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find all open GeM bids for my product category?

On the GeM seller portal, go to "My Bids" > "Find Bids" and filter by category. The public GeM homepage (gem.gov.in) also shows recently listed bids. Third-party tender aggregation tools also index GeM bids.

What is the minimum response time GeM gives sellers for a bid?

GeM specifies minimum bid duration by category and value. Small bids (below INR 5 lakh) may close within 3 days of posting. Large bids (above INR 25 lakh) typically must be open for at least 7-10 days. Emergency procurement bids can have shorter windows.

Can a seller withdraw a bid response after submission?

Sellers can revise their bid response before the closing date. After the closing date, bid responses are locked. Withdrawal after closing is not permitted and may attract penalties under GeM terms.

Is the GeM Bid Number the same as the contract number?

No. The GeM Bid Number identifies the competitive procurement event. On award, a separate GeM Contract Number is generated that governs the actual purchase order and payment terms.