Multiple authorities, agencies and government undertakings like Coal India (Coal India Tenders) or Military Engineering Services Tender (MES Tenders) have revolutionised their bidding and procurement processes by going online to ensure smoother transactions and ease of availability and business for the new entrants into the market but many businesses who are used to the traditional pen and paper method often have to take a back seat or are at a disadvantaged position due to lack of awareness and technological literacy.
To help you with the same, we are listing below the process of registration to give you a head start and in the second half, we discuss the tips you need to have in mind while making any government bid. However, you can take help from BidAssist, a tender aggregator, by buying a plan in which you’ll be given assistance in bidding for tenders like MES tenders related to the Military Engineering Services in various states like Punjab, UP and Meghalaya etc.
THE ONLINE REGISTRATION SYSTEM:
Lets take Coal India Tenders as an Example
The online e-bid submission Tendering System for the government is effectively being implemented through the website https://coalindiatenders.nic.in. Different divisions’ bids are being posted, their proposals are being filed, and the same are being published electronically.
By registering with the aforementioned homepage, bids for different tenders that are announced on the online platform of Coal India Limited and its affiliates can be submitted online.
The button “Click here to Enroll” on the portal coalindiatenders.nic.in allows candidates to enlist directly. At this time, there is no cost to enroll.
To register and participate effectively in the bid submission processes through this website, you must have a valid Class III Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) in the form of a smart card/e-token in the company’s name. The approved certification institutions, whose details may be found on the website https://coalindiatenders.nic.in under the link “Information about DSC,” can provide digital signature certificates.
Additionally, there are user guides on this website that provide comprehensive instructions for signing up and taking part in the electronic tender process. You can obtain the instruction booklets for quick access. Additionally, vendors may participate in the recurring online preparation sessions on the e-tendering system offered by the Government eProcurement System in collaboration with NIC.
The progress of the bids for which the candidates have filed quotations will be made available to them, and they will also be notified by email of that progress. Data about all the bids in which they are considering in participating will be delivered via email to candidates who have enrolled themselves on the portal using the “Stay Updated” option. In the long term, only enrolled suppliers will be permitted to partake in the competitive bidding, and any bids above a certain amount will only be released through the e-Tendering system.
TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE BIDDING AFTER REGISTRATION:
Now that the registration is done and you’re ready to bid, you must keep in mind certain things while dealing with government affiliates.
1. Carefully read the tender document:
The first thing to do after receiving the government tender paperwork is to painstakingly go over the tender specifications. The worst error a bidder can make is to forget about some important requirements when they are being prepared for your bid proposal before you formally submit it. The fact that you haven’t thoroughly read the tender document will be detected by the purchasing organization/tenderer very quickly. In order to prevent missing out on the opportunity to react to some of the requirements requested in the government procurement document, read each requirement very attentively.
2. Be listed as a supplier in the necessary government agencies’ databases:
You may say that you are halfway there if you are included in the supplier pools of all important and prominent organisations and governmental entities. Your next thought would be, “How do I get to this pool?” First off, your prior work speaks for itself; therefore, make sure that the tasks you take on flow smoothly. Second, make sure that your sales representatives—if you have a sales team—have successfully pitched the appropriate organisations and bodies over the course of a few years, sharing their business cards and contact information, which most organisations keep on file for future use. Making sure you are listed in the supplier databases of all governmental authorities and organisations is a good idea.
3. Pay attention to the dates of tender release:
You must be on time for all potential tenders for your company as a bidder. Employing workers who are always looking for new, attractive tenders, whether online or offline, is almost impossible. You must be informed of the public media opening of the government tender. Being timely and informed about your pertinent tender is really important for the filing of your tender proposal bid. There are several websites that offer specialised services on the tenders that are often posted and relate to your company or area. Therefore, spending time and money to establish a corporation online with reputable aggregators is strongly advised. One such aggregator that makes the process a lot simpler through its business friendly tools is the BidAssist.
4. Conduct in-depth research:
Nowadays, we spend a lot of time researching items for our homes before making a purchase. Then submitting a proposal for a government contract is a requirement, something so significant and important. Always do your homework on the customer. Start by going to their website and keeping an eye out for the company’s objectives and overarching vision and mission. Are they searching for a vendor with a particular USP for their recently published tender? Comparably, doing a thorough analysis of your rivals is also beneficial. Ask queries such, “Are your competitors up to something new?” and get responses. What are their advantages and disadvantages? Although it may seem unimportant to you right now, this knowledge is really important to you.
If these processes seem really technical and incomprehensible, it is a wise action to seek help by registering yourself with online advisory, consultancy and aggregator portals like BidAssist. They shall provide you with real time information about the latest tenders like coal India tenders & other tenders in your region and in your area of interest. Also, you can search using the filters and their separate sections of government listings which is a time saver.