Guides · The bid process
What is a reverse auction on GeM?
A reverse auction is a live round after technical evaluation in which the qualified bidders lower their prices against each other within a fixed window, and the lowest price at the close wins. On GeM a bid marked "Bid to RA" goes through this round; a plain bid is decided on the sealed prices alone.
How it runs
- The buyer publishes a bid with reverse auction enabled. Bidders submit technical documents and a sealed price as usual.
- After technical evaluation, the qualified bidders are invited to the auction. The lowest sealed price often sets the starting point.
- During the window, each bidder can lower its price in steps the buyer has set. A bid placed in the final minutes extends the window automatically, so an auction can run longer than scheduled.
- At the close, the lowest price is L1. The buyer awards to L1 or, where the bid allows, splits quantity among the lowest bidders.
What to decide before the auction
- Your floor price: the number below which the contract is not worth winning, fixed before the auction starts and not revised under pressure.
- Your step: how much to drop when you must, and how many times.
- Who has the authority to bid live, and that they are at the keyboard for the whole window.
Where iBid.Win helps
Every bid page shows whether the bid goes to a reverse auction. Filters can match on it, so a team that avoids auctions, or one that specialises in them, sees the right bids.
Frequently asked
Is every GeM bid a reverse auction?
No. The bid document says whether reverse auction is enabled. Many bids are decided on sealed prices.
Can I raise my price during a reverse auction?
No. Prices only go down during the auction, and a submitted price is binding.
What if nobody bids during the auction?
The sealed prices stand and the lowest qualified one is L1, subject to the bid's terms.
Last checked 08 September 2026. Written from GeM's published process and this platform's own rules; the bid document and the GeM portal are the authority on any date or amount.