Railway tenders: Where to find, how to apply, documents and more

 

Indian Railways is one of top government buyers and releases tenders for various procurement needs. It has around 16 zonal railway divisions catering to the nationwide network and these divisions have their diverse requirements that are fulfilled through the tendering process. Additionally, railways have manufacturing units that release tenders with regards to manufacturing and other allied products to be procured. In short, right from catering needs to complex manufacturing requirements, from railway station shops to discarding scrap, most of the needs are fulfilled through tenders by Indian Railways.

Therefore, the likelihood of Indian Railways having a relevant tendering opportunity your business is high. This article will explain where to find Indian railway’s eTenders, how to apply and common documents needed.

Where can you find railway eTenders?

In order to list railways’ procurement needs, it has established the Indian Railways e-Procurement System (IREPS). It is a portal where you can find information on e-tenders, e-auction sale, leasing requirements and so on. Moreover, one can also log on to CPPP to find tenders from the Ministry of Railways.

You can find relevant tenders related to your business on Tata nexarc. You can easily register your business on Tata nexarc and activate a subscription for Tenders & Quotations. This will enable you to receive information on tenders matching to your business needs on regular basis.

How to apply for railway tenders?

• Browse through tenders on IREPS portal and browse through the list of tenders. As mentioned earlier, different zonal railway divisions float tenders for varied procurement needs. These requirements range across catering, platform shop vending, manufacturing, engineering, safety and security, and so on. You can easily apply filters and look for tenders that you can bid for. Shortlist tenders that are relevant to your business.
• Read the tender document carefully. Before you start preparing the response document read through all the documents provided along with the tender. For example, instruction to bidder for e-tenders, general tender conditions, Indian Railways Standard (IRS) conditions of contract, etc. Make a note of eligibility criteria, last day of bid submission, required documents, tender fees amount, etc. Make a checklist of all the things you need for filing the tender.
• Bidders need to fill and submit techno-commercial offer form (consisting of eligibility criteria, terms and conditions, performance statement, deviation statement, checklist and special conditions etc.), financial offer form and attach scanned copy of necessary documents.
• Indian Railways generally request to deposit tender fees and submit the receipt along with the bid document. Schedule money deposit in a manner so that you can submit the receipt on or before the deadline. Check if your business is exempted from depositing tender fee. For example, often, NSIC registered MSMEs are exempted from depositing tender fees however, they need to submit the proof the registration.
• If necessary, pay earnest money deposit (EMD). Save the receipt of the same as you would need it while submitting your bid online. If you do not win the contract, EMD is refunded after finalisation of vendor for the said contract. However, if the bidder withdraws or revises the offer, EMD is forfeited.
• Check the financial offer form and prepare your quote in accordance with the format. While you are crunching numbers to quote a price in tender, work smart. In the attempt to be the lowest bidder, do not quote a price that is unsustainable for your business.
• Once you gather all necessary information such as required documents, quotation, certificates, money deposit receipts, etc., fill in the forms carefully. Review your document before submitting it finally.

Note: In case of eTendering, Indian Railways does not accept physical submission of bid documents. Bidders need to submit all documents online.

Railway tenders eligibility

Eligibility criteria for railway tenders vary depending on the scope of work. For example, some tenders may only be open for companies with a certain turnover. On the other hand, technical tenders require minimum plant capacity and capabilities like quality control and testing. Some tenders are only open for companies having similar work experience and need to produce proof of the same. In simple words, each railway tender is unique, and the eligibility criteria differ. Therefore, bidders should check the criteria beforehand.

Alternatively, bidders also need to check exemption rules. For example, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) registered startups are exempted from the work experience criteria.

Documents required while bidding for Railway tenders

Here is a list of some of the common documents required for government tender application. In the case of railway tenders, the documents requested are usually the same though they may also request for additional documents based on the project:

• Filled-in techno-commercial offer form and financial offer form
• Digital signature certificate class III for digitally signing the forms
• Details of machinery and plant and other facilities such quality management, testing facilities, etc.
• Proofs of depositing EMD and tender fee
• Copy of PAN card
• Udyam registration certificate
• NSIC registration certificate
• Address proof of the business
• Proof of turnover for the specified period
• Scanned copy of Registration and Dealer/Registered Supplier Certificate, Partnership deed, if any.
• Scanned copy of GST returns for the specified period.
• Scanned copy of completed orders for a specified period
• Detailed project plan/ response to tender specifying products, materials, and work required.

Note: It is recommended to check the list of documents for each tender as the list may vary depending on procurement requirements.

Concluding tips

• Keep an eye on new tenders, read them carefully and shortlist at the earliest so that you get more time to collate documents and other required information.
• Indian Railways has around 16 zonal divisions, bid for tenders released by the nearest zonal division to you. If you bid for a tender released by Eastern Railway while your business set up is in the western region, logistical and transportation cost may add up to your quote making it non-competitive. If you do not win the contract, you lose tender fees as well.
• Make sure your documentation is right. Insufficient documentation leads to tender rejection. Eliminate any errors that may cause rejection of the tender application.
• Do not withdraw or revise the details after submission.