BHEL tenders: how to bid on BHEL eProcurement and register as a vendor

BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited) buys materials, bought-out items, site works and services for its plants and power project sites through GeM and its own e-tender portal. This guide explains BHEL eProcurement at eprocurebhel.co.in: how to find BHEL tenders, enrol as a bidder, register as a BHEL vendor through the supplier portal, and get help when something goes wrong.

BHEL eProcurement portal: eprocurebhel.co.in

The portal's footer says its contents are "owned and maintained by BHEL" and that it was "Designed, Developed and Hosted by National Informatics Centre". It is a copy of NIC's GePNIC software, the same system as eprocure.gov.in and most state portals, so its menus and bidding steps are the same.

Its welcome text says it "enables the Tenderers to download the Tender Schedule free of cost and then submit the bids online through this portal". Reading and downloading a BHEL tender costs nothing.

The home page also shows the 10 latest tenders and the 10 latest corrigenda.

What BHEL buys through tenders

The latest tenders on the portal give a fair picture of the range:

• Bought-out items and raw materials: fasteners, foundation bolts, stainless steel welded tubes, a canned motor pump of a named make.
• Equipment packages: for example, supply of a steam jet air ejector with its piping.
• Site works for power projects: for example, erection of partly erected FGD (flue gas desulphurisation) tanks at a power station site.
• Township and plant works: for example, replacing door frames and shutters in BHEL's Tiruchirappalli township.
• Consumables and safety items: safety goggles, liquid paraffin bottles and similar.

Most BHEL corrigenda simply extend the due date. Even so, open every corrigendum for a tender you are pricing.

How to find BHEL tenders

1. Open Active Tenders on eprocurebhel.co.in, or Tenders by Closing Date to see what closes soon.
2. Use Tenders by Organisation to see a single BHEL unit's tenders, and Tenders by Location to see work near you.
3. Search by number. Use the search box or Advanced Search with the tender ID, title or reference number. References vary by unit, from item codes such as D3A1Z37130 to file numbers such as BHE/PW/BTPS/FGD/TANKS/F2.
4. Check GeM too. BHEL Trichy's 2024 notice says its materials management department buys "through Government e-Marketplace (GeM) Portal" or through the NIC portal. So look for BHEL bids on GeM as well. Our how to bid on GeM guide explains GeM bidding.
5. Look at tenders.bhel.com, BHEL's tender website, for notices such as supplier registration drives and expressions of interest.

On GovtTenderHub, the BHEL tenders page lists every live tender from eprocurebhel.co.in, free and without a login. The Bharat Heavy Electricals organisation page gathers BHEL tenders from all the portals we read, including CPPP.

BHEL eProcurement registration (bidder enrolment)

Enrolling on eprocurebhel.co.in lets you download tenders after login, pay fees and submit bids. It follows NIC's standard steps, and an account on any other NIC portal doesn't carry over.

What you need

• A Class 3 DSC with a signing certificate, on a USB token with its driver installed. See the DSC for e-tender guide.
• An email ID to use as your login ID (it can't be changed later) and a mobile number.
• Firm details: PAN, registration number, address, year of establishment, legal status and GST details.

Steps

1. Click Online Bidder Enrollment on the home page.
2. Set your login ID (your email) and a password. NIC's portals ask for 8 to 32 characters.
3. Fill in company details, including the company category, such as "Micro Unit as per MSME" if you are one. NIC's manual says the company name can't be changed later.
4. Add the contact person, type the CAPTCHA and Submit.
5. Log in and map your DSC with your GST details. One DSC per account. A new DSC can take up to 24 hours to be recognised, so do this at least a day before you bid.

If you forget your password, use Generate / Forgot Password?. Our NIC bidder registration guide shows each screen, including fee payment and freezing the bid.

BHEL vendor registration (supplier.bhel.in)

Enrolling on the e-tender portal is not the same as being a registered BHEL supplier. Supplier registration puts your firm on a BHEL unit's list for particular material groups after the unit has checked you.

BHEL Trichy's notice of 10 July 2024 sets out the route:

1. Go to the Online Supplier Registration Portal. Open bhel.com, then Supplier Registration, then Online Supplier Registration Portal, or go straight to supplier.bhel.in.
2. Find the material groups you can supply. Use Material Search on the supplier portal and select the plant (BHEL unit) you want to supply. Each unit lists the groups it enlists vendors for.
3. Read the help file. The notice links a help PDF on the supplier portal (menu_help.pdf) with the steps for filling in the online application form.
4. Apply online for the unit and material groups, with the documents the form asks for.
5. Follow up with the unit's Supplier Development Cell (SDC). The SDC handles questions on vendor enlistment. Its contact details are in the unit's own registration notice.

Some points to keep in mind:

• Unit by unit. BHEL has many manufacturing units and power sector regions. Registration is for a unit's material groups, so apply to each unit you want to supply.
• Who can apply. BHEL takes new suppliers, and traders who are sole or authorised representatives of manufacturers.
• MSEs and others. The notice says MSEs, SC/ST vendors and women entrepreneurs in the MSE category "are encouraged to apply for vendor registration" to get the benefits under the MSME Ministry's guidelines.
• Registration doesn't replace bidding. You still enrol on eprocurebhel.co.in (and GeM) to take part in tenders.

The vendor empanelment guide explains what supplier registration usually involves: capacity checks, validity, renewal and removal.

How to submit a bid on BHEL eProcurement

1. Log in with your DSC, find the tender and click Set Open Tender as Favorite so it moves to My Tenders.
2. Read the tender page: covers (which file goes where), tender fee, EMD and exemption rules, and critical dates.
3. Click Proceed for Bid Submission. To claim an EMD exemption, select Yes and upload the signed certificate. It can't be changed after you click Confirm.
4. Pay any fee and EMD the tender asks for. The CPPP guidelines advise paying online at least one day before closing.
5. Encrypt and upload each cover with your DSC. If the price cover uses a BOQ sheet, fill in only your name and rates and don't rename the file.
6. Click Freeze Bid Submission and print the acknowledgement.

You can resubmit before the deadline. If you withdraw, you can't bid in that tender again. A bid that isn't frozen is not evaluated.

EMD, fees and MSE benefits in BHEL tenders

• Tender documents are free to download from the portal.
• EMD is set in each tender, with the instruments it accepts. See EMD in tender.
• Performance security is set in the contract. MSEs are not exempt from it.

BHEL is a central PSU, so the Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises applies to its purchases of goods and services:

• Free tender sets and no EMD for registered MSEs.
• Matching L1: an MSE quoting within L1 + 15% can supply up to 25% of the order by bringing its price down to L1.
• Udyam registration is needed to claim the benefits.
• Not covered: traders and distributors, and works contracts such as erection or civil works.

The MSME benefits guide has the full rules.

BHEL eProcurement helpdesk

BHEL Trichy's 2024 notice gives NIC's support contacts for problems with the BHEL e-procurement portal: 0120-4001002, 0120-4001005 and 0120-6277787, and support-eproc@nic.in. It adds that these details are on the portal's Contact Us page, so check there for the current numbers.

The portal itself links Help For Contractors, FAQ, the Bidders Manual Kit, Information About DSC, Site compatibility and Guidelines for Hassle Free Bid Submission. For supplier registration questions, contact the Supplier Development Cell of the BHEL unit concerned.

Common questions

What is BHEL eProcurement?

It is BHEL's e-tender website at eprocurebhel.co.in, built and hosted by NIC. BHEL units publish tenders there, and bidders enrolled with a Class 3 DSC download documents and submit bids online.

How do I register as a vendor with BHEL?

Apply on BHEL's Online Supplier Registration Portal, supplier.bhel.in, reached from bhel.com through Supplier Registration. Choose the BHEL unit and material groups you can supply and fill in the online form, using the help file on the portal.

Is BHEL eProcurement registration free?

Downloading tenders is free, and NIC says it doesn't charge bidders to enrol, though an organisation may set its own policy. BHEL Trichy's 2024 supplier registration notice mentions no fee. Pay only what BHEL's own portal or tender asks for.

Do I need to be a registered BHEL vendor to bid?

Not always. Each tender's qualifying requirements say who can bid. Some enquiries go only to registered vendors, while open tenders are generally open to any firm that meets the conditions.

Does BHEL buy on GeM?

Yes. BHEL Trichy's notice says its materials management buys through GeM or BHEL's NIC portal, and advises suppliers to register on both.

Can traders register with BHEL?

BHEL accepts traders who are sole or authorised representatives of manufacturers. Traders do not get the MSE benefits, even with a Udyam certificate.