A step-by-step guide to getting your startup listed under Startup Runway programme on GeM

The government wants more startups to join the national procurement portal Government eMarketplace (GeM), following the launch of a new programme called Startup Runway on the government e-marketplace.

With Startup Runway, Indian startups will be able to offer their products to government and PSU buyers. However, only the Department of Promotion for Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)-certified startups will be eligible for the listing.

Startup Runway will enable startups to conduct market trials with government buyers, seek time-bound feedback and gain realistic product and price comparison and market valuation from potential buyers and investors.

Here is a step-by-step guide to get started:

1. Register the startup as a seller/service provider on GeM, the DIPP number would be mandatory for registering.
2. To list products, startups shall login using their newly registered / existing GeM login credentials. All startups having a valid DIPP number will see a #Startupindia blinking logo on dashboard. Clicking on #Startupindia logo will open a form which needs to be completed for further evaluation.
3. After the submission of the form, the government will do the screening of the products within seven days.
4. After screening is successfully done, ministries and departments will be notified through system generated messages and alerts in marketplace about availability of such products on the portal.
5. After that, potential buyers can evaluate these products and services with respect to their utility, uniqueness with respect to design, process and concept, and provide feedback in a time-bound interval and manner. The timeframe for product trial is 15 days and service trials from 8 to 16 weeks.

If any startup's product or service receives more than three ratings from atleast three buyers under Startup Runway programme, those products and services will be eligible to be listed for all the buyers in the regular GeM.

To bring key stakeholders closer within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem, the government has also launched an initiative called SWAYATT (Startups, Women and Youth Advantage Through eTransactions), which will promote inclusiveness by catapulting various categories of sellers and service providers.

For this, the government will facilitate the training and registration specific categories of manufacturers and sellers, by promoting women entrepreneurship and encourage participation of MSME sector and startups working in public procurement.

About 1,516 startups have already registered on GeM with 12,915 products and have received more than 5,000 orders till date.