How to become a supplier of a government customer

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Every year, budget companies purchase a huge amount of goods and services. Moreover, 15% of their purchases must involve representatives of small businesses. Government purchases have already helped many entrepreneurs to expand their sales market. And for those who are hindered by the lack of information from participating in tenders, we offer a guidebook of 11 points.

We recently shared an article from which you learned who and how can figure out a business without registering. Today we want to share with you a post from Marina Savukova, an expert analyst of the search service "". Marina will tell you how to become a supplier to a government customer.

Item 1. Check if the company complies with legal requirements

The main thing is that the supplier does not have debts in taxes, fees and convictions for crimes in the economic sphere. The company should not be in the stage of bankruptcy and liquidation.

Neither the size of the company nor the type of legal entity is of fundamental importance. Only in some cases do customers set special requirements, for example, to the availability of licenses, certificates and approvals. However, if you are already running a business, then you know which of the services are subject to mandatory licensing.

Point 2. Start searching

To assess the government procurement market, you can use the official government procurement website or specialized search systems. The official portal does not have the task of making the search for notifications easier (besides, it is periodically unavailable), therefore, resources are actively developing in which it is much more convenient to work:

• more precise search is configured;
• you can create templates for the selection of purchases;
• to bring information from notifications into a single table;
• analyze purchases and so on.

Point 3. Analyze customers and competitors

Found some interesting purchases for yourself? Do at least a little analysis. The simplest thing is to find all purchases placed by the customer using the customer's tax number. Look at the results: at what cost did the winners win, who exactly? This will allow you to determine a competitive price for your goods and services, assess the chance of winning the purchase of a particular customer. If there have been many complaints against him to the Federal Antimonopoly Service, the same supplier often wins, the prices of the signed contracts seem to be unreasonably high or low, it is better to bypass his purchases by the party.

Point 4. Make a decision: to participate or not

Once again, carefully study the procurement documentation, the draft contract, evaluate your capabilities and the price you can offer in the application (or to which you can decrease during the auction). If you have any questions, you have the right to send a request for clarification of the provisions of the procurement documentation to the state customer. Are you ready to participate? Submit your application.

The most popular competitive types of procurement are:

• Auction. Its winner is determined by the results of electronic bidding for the most advantageous offer. The price offer is submitted during the auction and may change several times. The auction is held electronically only (see clause 6).
• Contest. The winner here is determined by the maximum amount of points according to several criteria (for example, price, terms, reviews on already completed orders, functional and quality characteristics, operating and repair costs, qualifications of procurement participants). These criteria are determined by the customer and specified in the requirements.
• Request for quotes. In it, the main criterion for choosing a winner is the price. The price offer is submitted once before the start of the auction. Therefore, it is important to immediately calculate the lowest price.

In addition, the customer has the right to purchase certain types of goods from a single supplier. It is also possible to become the only supplier in competitive procurement, if by the time of selection of the winner all other bids were rejected (or they simply were not there). Then the customer, in agreement with the supervisory authority, can sign a contract with a single participant.

Item 5. Submit the application security for participation in the electronic auction and tender

From the participants of these types of procedures, state customers require a financial guarantee that the winner will sign the contract. The security deposit (cash or bank guarantee) ranges from 0.5 to 5% of the initial minimum price. The deposit is not refundable for only two categories of participants:

• the winning participant, if he deviated from the conclusion of the contract;
• to the participant, if during one quarter the second parts of his applications thrice did not meet the requirements of customers.

In all other cases, the deposit is refunded.

Clause 6. Submit your application within the deadline

In paper form, the application must be delivered to the customer in a sealed envelope (by courier, mail, in person). In the electronic format - download through the electronic trading platform (ETP) by signing with an electronic signature.

If you are participating in the electronic procedure, you will need:

• Obtain an electronic signature from the certification center. An unqualified electronic signature is used for trading.
• Set up a workplace. Specify how the configuration is carried out in the certification authority that issued the signing certificate.
• Pass accreditation on the ETP where the auction is held. The rules on each of them may differ, so you need to carefully read them.
• Send an application electronically on the ETP.

Clause 7. Do not miss the appointed time of the competition

When holding an open tender or requesting quotations, a commission is assembled on a certain day, which opens all envelopes and determines the winner. The selection takes place according to the criteria stated in the procurement documentation or at the lowest proposed price. Any participant has the right to be present at the opening of envelopes with applications.

When conducting an electronic auction, you need to obtain admission to participate in it. This happens after the customer has considered the first parts of the application. After gaining access on the specified day, you must go to the auction hall on the electronic site where the purchase is carried out and submit your price offer.

Point 8. Wait for the results

Option 1. You won. In this case, go to step 10.

Option 2. You have not won. Be sure to analyze the completed purchase. Based on the results of all competitive procedures under Federal Law No. 44-FZ, the final protocols are published on the official website of public procurement or in specialized services (see paragraph 2). They show who became the winner and with what amount of the contract. The information will help to understand which of the competitors will be engaged in the execution of the contract for the near future, and to adjust the price offer for participation in the next purchases.

Option 3. You didn't win, but you finished second. Don't relax. It happens that the customer rejects the application of the winning participant due to the inconsistency of the second parts of the applications (it does not contain the required certificates or admissions). This means that you automatically become the first.

Absolutely all participants in the tender have the opportunity to appeal its results to the Federal Antimonopoly Service. The results of the procurement may be canceled if the complaint is found to be justified.

Clause 9. When participating in an auction or tender, submit the security for the contract

According to the law, the winner of these procedures is obliged to provide financial security for the fulfillment of the contract by providing a bank guarantee or transferring a cash collateral to the customer's account. The amount of collateral is from 5 to 30% of the initial maximum price.

In early March 2015, the Russian government approved a number of conditions under which customers have the right not to demand security for the contract. The decree applies to socially oriented non-profit organizations and small businesses.

Clause 10. Sign the contract

The winner must sign the contract within the time period specified by law and, if necessary, provide security for its implementation (see clause 9). The contract is signed on paper. The only exception is an electronic auction: in this case, you need to sign the contract with an electronic signature in the interface of the trading platform where the auction was held.

Item 11. Complete the contract and get paid

After the security is made and the contract is signed, the most important thing remains - to carefully monitor the progress of work, the timing and quality of the provision of services or the delivery of goods. After signing the act of completed work, the supplier is paid for the work and the security is returned (if at the stage of signing the contract it was provided in the form of cash).

If you have objectively assessed your capabilities and found interesting lots, start participating in public procurement. If you are not yet confident in your abilities, just follow the market: study new purchases, prices of the winning participants. Even if today it seems that there is no chance of winning, tomorrow everything can change in your favor: competitors will be busy fulfilling the order, and your offer will become a winning one.