Mahatenders: how to register and bid on Maharashtra's e-tender portal

Mahatenders is the e-tender portal of the Government of Maharashtra, at mahatenders.gov.in. State departments, municipal corporations, zilla parishads and state bodies publish their tenders there and take bids online. This guide explains what is on Mahatenders, how to register, what you pay per bid, how the tender fee and EMD are paid, and where results appear, from the portal's own pages.

What is Mahatenders?

The portal's title is eProcurement System Government of Maharashtra. Its footer says the contents are owned and maintained by the departments concerned, in coordination with the Finance Department, and that the system was designed, developed and hosted by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

So Mahatenders is a state copy of NIC's GePNIC software, the same system behind eprocure.gov.in and most state portals. The welcome text says you can download the tender schedule free of cost and then submit bids online.

Without logging in, the menus let you browse:

• Active Tenders, Tenders by Closing Date, Search and Advanced Search.
• Tenders by Location, Tenders by Organisation and Tenders by Classification.
• Corrigendum, Results of Tenders, Tenders Status, Cancelled/Retendered and Tenders in Archive.
• Debarment List, Announcements, MIS Reports and Downloads.

The help links include Help For Contractors, Information About DSC, Guidelines for Hassle Free Bid Submission, the FAQ and the Bidders Manual Kit, which has the manual for online payment.

Who publishes on Mahatenders

In the live tenders we tracked from Mahatenders in late September 2026, the busiest buyers were:

The tenders range from civil works and maintenance to supplies and services. Municipal corporations alone account for a large share, so contractors who work for city bodies should watch Mahatenders closely.

Not every tender in Maharashtra is on Mahatenders. Central offices in the state use central portals such as eprocure.gov.in (listed on CPPP), railways use IREPS, and many buyers purchase goods and services on GeM. The portals guide explains which buyer uses which system.

Mahatenders registration

Registration on Mahatenders follows the common NIC steps. Our NIC registration guide walks through every screen; here is the short version.

What you need

• A Class 3 DSC (signing certificate) on a USB token, issued to the person who will sign bids. NIC portals don't ask bidders for an encryption certificate. See the DSC guide.
• An email ID to use as your login ID. It can't be changed later, so use one your firm will keep.
• A mobile number and a correspondence email.
• Your firm's details: PAN, registration number, address, legal status, establishment year, and your Udyam certificate if you're a micro or small enterprise.

Steps

1. Open Online Bidder Enrollment on mahatenders.gov.in.
2. Fill in the login, company and contact details, type the captcha and submit.
3. Log in and enrol your DSC when the portal asks. You become a valid bidder only after this step.
4. Wait up to 24 hours if your DSC is new; it can take that long to be recognised.
5. Choose product categories under My Accounts to get emails about new tenders in your line.

A Mahatenders account works only on Mahatenders. To bid on the central portal or another state's portal, enrol there too. The same DSC can be mapped on each.

Mahatenders fees: what you pay per bid

There is no charge to enrol; NIC's FAQ says it doesn't charge bidders for enrolment. What you pay on Mahatenders comes with each bid:

The portal's notice reads: "From 15th August 2024 application fees of Rs 500 per bid shall be charged from the bidders". Check the Announcements page before you bid, in case the amount changes.

Paying tender fee and EMD on Mahatenders

Each tender's page shows the Payment Mode (Online or Offline), the Tender Fee Details and the EMD Fee Details, including whether exemption is allowed.

Online payment on Mahatenders runs through SBI MOPS, State Bank of India's multi-option payment system. The NIC manual describes two ways to use it: net banking, or a challan you pay by NEFT/RTGS. Timing matters:

• Pay at least two days before closing, as Mahatenders' payment guidance advises.
• If you use another bank's internet banking through SB MOPS, the portal asks you to pay four days in advance.
• A NEFT/RTGS challan takes the longest to show as paid. Pay the exact challan amount.
• You can freeze your bid only when Payment Verification shows success.

If money leaves your account but the portal doesn't show it as paid, Mahatenders asks you to email merchant@sbi.co.in with your bank reference number.

Offline payment: where a tender asks for a demand draft or other instrument, enter its details, upload a scan, and deliver the original to the office by the stated time.

EMD amount and exemption: each department sets the EMD in its tender. The central rule of 2% to 5% (GFR Rule 170) and the central MSE exemption bind central buyers, not Maharashtra's departments, so read each tender's EMD line and exemption setting. Our EMD guide explains refunds and forfeiture.

How to bid on Mahatenders

1. Log in, search for the tender and mark it as a favourite, so it moves to My Tenders.
2. Download the NIT, tender documents and BOQ. The BOQ (bill of quantities) is the Excel price sheet.
3. Click Proceed for Bid Submission, pay the application fee, tender fee and EMD as the tender requires, or claim exemption with the certificate.
4. Upload each cover with Encrypt & Upload, signing with your DSC. In the BOQ, fill only your name and rates, and don't rename the file.
5. Click Freeze Bid Submission and save the acknowledgement.

A bid that isn't frozen is not evaluated. Before the deadline you can resubmit as often as you need; the latest upload replaces the earlier one. If you withdraw a bid, NIC's guidelines say you can't bid in that tender again.

Tender search, corrigenda and results

Search: Tenders by Organisation lists every buyer with a count; Tenders by Location helps you find work near you. Each search and document download asks for a captcha. Tender IDs on Mahatenders look like 2026_NASHI_1341416_1.

Corrigenda: changes to dates, quantities or terms are published under Corrigendum. Favourite tenders also send you emails, but don't rely on them alone.

Results: Tenders Status shows where a tender stands after opening, and Results of Tenders shows the outcome. After logging in, check My Active Bids for your own bids. The tender status guide explains the stages.

GovtTenderHub reads Mahatenders through the day. Our Maharashtra tenders page shows them together with central tenders in the state, so you can search all live tenders in Maharashtra in one list.

Mahatenders helpdesk

The Contact Us page lists:

• 24 x 7 helpdesk for technical queries: 0120-4001002, 0120-4001005 and 0120-4493395. Bidders calling from abroad add 91.
• Technical email: support-eproc(at)nic(dot)in.
• Online payment problems: merchant@sbi.co.in, with your bank reference number.
• Questions about a tender: the tender inviting authority named in the tender.

Common questions

What is Mahatenders?

It is the eProcurement System Government of Maharashtra at mahatenders.gov.in, built and hosted by NIC. State departments, municipal corporations, zilla parishads and state bodies publish e-tenders and take bids on it.

What is the Mahatenders bid fee?

₹500 per bid, charged from 15 August 2024 as an application fee. It is separate from the tender fee and EMD. Check the Announcements page for the current amount.

Is Mahatenders registration free?

Yes. Enrolment has no charge, but you need your own Class 3 DSC, and each bid carries the ₹500 application fee.

How many days before closing should I pay on Mahatenders?

At least two days. If you pay through another bank's internet banking via SB MOPS, the portal asks for four days.

Can I use my Mahatenders login on eprocure.gov.in?

No. Each NIC portal keeps its own bidder list. Enrol separately and map the same DSC on each.

Where can I see Mahatenders results?

Under Results of Tenders and Tenders Status on the home page, and under My Active Bids after logging in.