The GeM Glossary: Every Term, In Plain Language

Additional Terms and Conditions. Bid-specific conditions a buyer adds on top of GeM's standard GTC: extra certificates, samples, experience proofs, site requirements. Missing one ATC item = technical disqualification regardless of price.

GeM's public bid publication system (bidplus.gem.gov.in) where all bids and reverse auctions are listed and searchable — no login needed to browse.

Multiple similar items clubbed by the buyer into one bid. You respond to the bundle; evaluation treats it as one procurement.

Historical term: the refundable seller deposit (₹5,000–₹25,000 by turnover) that GeM abolished around August 2025 under the pay-as-you-grow model. New sellers deposit nothing; old deposits are withdrawable from the dashboard.

Controller General of Defence Accounts — the defence payments authority; appears in defence-buyer transactions and payment flows.

The person/office designated to receive the goods — often different from the buyer who ordered them. The consignee's receipt starts your acceptance clock (see PRC/CRAC). Delivery address = consignee address, always.

An official amendment to a published bid — changed dates, quantities, specs. Track corrigenda on bids you're pursuing; they can transform a no-go into a go (and vice versa).

Central Public Procurement Portal (eprocure.gov.in) — the other government tender platform. Many works/services tenders live there, not on GeM. Different registration, different process.

Consignee Receipt and Acceptance Certificate. The buyer-side confirmation that goods were received and accepted — the trigger for your payment timeline. No CRAC, no payment clock.

Drawing and Disbursing Officer — the buyer-side official authorized to draw funds and make payments. Appears in your order's payment chain.

A non-manufacturer treated as OEM because it holds OEM-equivalent rights: exclusive importer, brand owner with outsourced manufacturing, exclusive distributor.

The recognition number for registered startups (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade). Unlocks startup provisions on GeM including relaxed criteria and Startup Runway.

Buyers purchasing straight from the catalogue without a bid, within value limits. Your listing quality and price do all the selling.

The barcode identifier (European/International Article Number) some categories require on branded products — part of listing/SKU discipline.

Earnest Money Deposit. Refundable security some bids require with participation; forfeited on withdrawal or default. MSEs and DPIIT-recognized startups enjoy exemptions — the bid document states amount and applicable exemptions.

Electronic Performance Bank Guarantee. Post-award security some contracts require, guaranteeing performance; a bank instrument, returned after obligations complete.

Bid eligibility requiring proof of similar past supplies/work (completion certificates, order copies). MSE/startup relaxations sometimes apply.

Government e-Marketplace Special Purpose Vehicle — the entity that operates the GeM platform under the Ministry of Commerce.

General Financial Rules — the government's procurement rulebook. GFR Rule 149 is why departments must procure through GeM; procurement officers live by it.

The mandatory key specifications per category (e.g., processor generation, steel gauge) that buyers filter and compare on. Vague golden parameters = invisible listing.

Goods Physical Acceptance / e-GPA context — verify precise GeM operational usage before publish in physical delivery verification flows.

General Terms and Conditions. The standard contract framework governing every GeM transaction — obligations, delivery, payment, penalties, disputes. Non-negotiable; accepted at registration.

Integrated Finance Division approval on the buyer side for the purchase — an internal financial sign-off step; relevant to sellers only as a source of buyer-side delay.

Lowest quoted price among technically qualified bidders. "Making L1" = having the lowest valid quote. L1 wins most price-decided procurements; quality/technical screening happens first.

Public-procurement preference for local content under the PPP-MII policy — bids may specify minimum local content and give local suppliers purchase preference. Documentation: local-content certificates.

₹10,000 + GST levied once per financial year when a seller's cumulative GeM order value crosses ₹20 lakh (Revenue Policy v1.6). Below ₹20L/year: nothing. The companion transaction charge: 0.30% on orders above ₹10 lakh.

The marketplace subdomain (mkp.gem.gov.in) — where listings, seller dashboards and transactions live. If BidPlus is the noticeboard, MKP is the shop floor.

Micro & Small Enterprise (per Udyam classification). MSEs get procurement preference, bid set-asides and frequent EMD exemptions.

Certificate that an item wasn't available on GeM, enabling a buyer to procure outside the portal — sellers meet it when buyers cite it; process is buyer-side.

The control dashboard verified OEMs get: catalogue ownership, reseller authorization, brand management.

Proprietary Article Certificate. The buyer's justification route for purchasing a specific brand/product when equivalents won't serve. PAC-eligibility is a seller moat.

Pay and Accounts Officer — the buyer-side payments authority in the post-CRAC payment chain.

Bid criterion weighing your history of similar supplies — proven via completion certificates and order documents; builds bid-by-bid, which is why early small wins matter.

Public Financial Management System — the government payment rails; GeM payments flow through PFMS-linked processes. Your bank details must match PFMS validation.

Provisional Receipt Certificate. The consignee's acknowledgment that goods arrived — precedes inspection and CRAC (which confirms acceptance). PRC ≠ payment trigger; CRAC is.

Reverse Auction. Live, time-bound price competition among technically qualified bidders — prices only move down. Strategy: know your floor before the timer starts.

Service Level Agreement — the defined performance terms on service listings (response times, staffing, uptime). Contractually binding on every order; write them like you'll be held to them, because you will.

GeM's program for DPIIT-recognized startups to list innovative products with relaxed requirements.

The qualification stage where your offer/documents are checked against bid requirements — before any price comparison. Most new-seller losses happen here, not on price.

Technical and financial responses submitted together, opened sequentially: technical first, financial only for qualifiers.

The MSME registration (udyamregistration.gov.in). Linking Udyam to your GeM profile is the switch that activates MSE preferences — unlinked = benefits silently off.

TPA-conducted verification of OEM sellers required in designated (Q1/Q2) categories — capability, quality systems, credentials. Valid 3 years.

Vendor Assessment Exemption — qualifying credentials that substitute for the standard assessment criteria list.