Labkafe is proud to state that we are present on the prestigious authority online marketing platform, Government e-Marketplace (GeM). We have 3 years of experience on the GeM portal, and have sold nearly ten crores worth of lab equipment and furniture through the GeM portal only. We have a hefty presence on GeM as “Orientallabs Retail Services Private Limited” ‒ find us there!
GeM, or the Government e-Marketplace in full, is basically an e-commerce portal like Amazon or Flipkart. However, it can only be used by registered government entities to procure goods and services from various registered vendors on the portal.
As per the recent government mandates, the various government institutions like schools and colleges are strongly encouraged to buy their supplies and infrastructure from GeM only. This means the all govt. schools depend upon GeM for their procurement process.
We have been a registered OEM on GeM for the last three years as “Orientallabs Retail Services Private Limited” and we couldn’t be prouder!
- 9.74 Crores worth of lab furniture and equipment sold on GeM
- 98 government schools served on GeM only in last 6 months
- Unbeatable reviews and faith from customers on GeM
The Government eMarketplace has some fixed rules about what and how much you can buy from there, and in what way. Let us go over the most important points.
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1. Who can be a buyer in GeM?
Pretty much any government agency can procure supplies through GeM. This includes both State and Central Govt. bodies and sub-bodies like attached or subordinate offices. Most central and state autonomous bodies and public sector agencies are also authorized to buy from GeM. We advise you to check with your institute head.
Download GeM Guide
We will help you understand all about the GeM Procurement Process.
To know the precise process of becoming a buyer on GeM, please download our Guide to GeM that we have created to help you understand the registration and buying process in GeM.
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2. Why should I purchase through GeM?
Oh, there are a multitude of reasons why you shouldn’t buy from the random guy on the street and buy only from an authorised portal. Let’s cover the most important reasons why procurement through GeM is advantageous to you.
Great Selection:
A rich listing of products spread over neatly in precise categories. You can find mostly everything you can possibly need to run your organization on GeM.
Great Process:
Robust web infrastructure to search, compare, select, and buy products. A unified process for everyone ‒ you won’t ever have to worry about “am I doing it right?”
Online shopping!
You won’t have to move an inch from your desk ‒ throughout the process.
Transparency:
GeM offers a transparent procedure that eliminates the possibility of corruption in the supplies procurement process. There are many loopholes in the offline traditional buying process that can be taken advantage of; GeM is free of that.
Easy Returns:
An effortless return policy is implemented in GeM in case you have to reject the supplied product.
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3. Can I spend any amount on GeM in any way?
Yes and no. You can certainly procure laboratory and school supplies as you need, but there are certain slabs of expense that will direct how you can do this. Let’s explore below:
Below ₹25 thousand:
In this slab you can buy pretty much anything listed on GeM without any restrictions. Use this to fill out small holes in your infrastructure and supplies.
From ₹25 thousand to ₹5 lacs:
You can still use the portal like a general e-commerce site in this slab, but you will have to buy only the lowest priced option. There will have to be at least two, greater priced options available for the same product.
Above ₹5 lacs:
For these large orders, you will have to use the online bidding or Reverse Auction (RA) tool on the GeM site. Only the vendor meeting your requirements of specs, quality, and delivery time will be able to bid, and the lowest priced bid will be selected for your procurement.
This was just a basic outline of the buying rules. If you want to know more about purchase values on GeM, please read this document.
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4. How to make a purchase on GeM?
The purchase process on GeM is fairly complicated and you should be aware of the basics even before trying. Of course, you would have to first register on GeM as a buyer, or else you won’t be going anywhere. For details on how to sign up on GeM, please download our GeM Guide.
All set? Great! Now we can proceed through the purchase process.
1. Choose buying method:
Choose a buying method per the expense slab, as described above. You can also refer to the official rules about it. Make sure you apply proper filters to choose the exact kind of product you need, with the exact specs and quality. There’s a certain way of doing this which we will be happy to assist you with.
2. Add to Cart:
Create a demand for the items you need on the portal by adding them to the cart. Then make the purchase sanction order, and this will lead you to generate the contract. You can place the order now. For bids, this opens up your bid to attract sellers.
3. Shipping and Invoice:
Once we get your order confirmation, we will ship out the products to your facility within the date you mentioned on contract. We will also generate the invoice from GeM and send it to you (or you can download it from your GeM order section directly.
4. Generate PRC:
When you have received the goods, you will have to log in to GeM again to confirm your receipt of goods by means of making a Provisional Receipt Certificate (PRC). You will have to do this within 48 hours of receiving the goods. Please make sure you do this.
5. Verify Shipment:
Now that you have got the shipment, you have the freedom to accept or reject it. If you find the product quality is not per your specifications, or there are some other issues, you can reject it. This rarely happens ‒ a registered OEM on GeM like us isn’t supposed to make mistakes.
6. Generate CRAC:
If you accept the product(s), you have to notify GeM of this within 10 days of receiving the goods. Log on and generate a Consignee Receipt and Acceptance Certificate (CRAC).
7. Make Payment:
Within 24 hours of sending the CRAC, you have to process the bill and send it for payment. You can just pay online for smaller purchases, or you can send through PFMS by DDO.
Download our Handbook on GeM
to know and understand all about the GeM Procurement Process.
Does all of that sound complicated to you? Don’t worry! Our technical support team is always ready to help you out. We will assist you in every step of the process ‒ online or offline.
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5. Can you help me place a bid in GeM?
Gladly! We will be most happy to help you out in every step of the GeM procurement process.
We know the eMarketplace can be complicated and confusing at first. And so, we are happy to share our considerable expertise with you anytime you need. Indeed, we will make the whole process much more streamlined. Seen from your end there will be scarcely any more load on you than buying a TV online.
Download our Handbook on GeM
to know and understand all about the GeM Procurement Process.
