Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can always use more growth opportunities, and undertaking a government project is one option that can bring them more credibility, income, and a slew of other benefits. Thanks to the internet, finding a government contract that matches your industry and capacity is now easy.
Still, most business owners assume that you need a lot of requirements and special connections to win government contracts. In fact, you only need a PhilGEPS Red Membership, or a PhilGEPS Platinum Membership.
PhilGEPS, which is short for the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System, is the Philippine government’s official online procurement portal. It provides business-to-government (B2G) opportunities to local SMEs by automating the procurement process.
All government-related procuring entities such as local government units (LGUs) and agencies must use PhilGEPS to procure their business needs through government bidding.
Government entities post their procurement needs, also called bidding opportunities or bidding notices, on the PhilGEPS system. These notices span across all Philippine regions, and include the following details:
The projects can be as simple as the procurement of cleaning supplies, or as large as the construction of an entire public facility. There are over two hundred PhilGEPS opportunities daily, ranging from simple supplies worth less than ₱100,00 to complex multi-million projects.
To access notices and qualify for bidding, SMEs must register on the PhilGEPS portal. If you are already registered, see our full 5-step guide for bidding on PhilGEPS contracts.
PhilGEPS has two types of membership: Red Membership and Platinum Membership.
Any SME with valid requirements can apply for free in PhilGEPS. The default membership after registration is called a PhilGEPS Red Membership. This membership has no expiration and lets you view bid abstracts; however, you cannot bid directly on the PhilGEPS portal.
Aside from bid abstracts, red members can also see open and closed opportunities, award notices, and procurement service catalogs. You can also order bid documents and view bid matching. To make a bid directly on the PhilGEPS Notices section, the merchant must upgrade to the paid Platinum membership.
· Valid email address
· Company Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
· Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) license
· Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Certification, or a Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Registration Number
· Other pertinent information to prove your company has legitimate business operations
Take note that these PhilGEPS registration requirements for 2022 are also prerequisites for upgrading to a Platinum Membership.
Step 1. On the PhilGEPS website, hover over the Sign Up button on the upper right-hand corner. Then, click Merchant Supplier.
Step 2. Fill the required details in the Merchant Registration Form, then click “Send OTP to Email.”
Step 3. Check your email for the PhilGEPS OTP (one-time password). Type this on the OTP field that appeared in the registration form.
Step 4. Proceed to the PhilGEPS login page. Select ‘Merchant’ from the dropdown options and enter your login credentials.
Step 5. After login, click ‘Apply for Red Registration’. Complete your business details and upload the required documents.
Step 6. Finish by ticking the confirmation box, then clicking ‘Submit’.
PhilGEPS will send you the approval or rejection notification via email within 24 business hours. As soon as you can access the PhilGEPS Portal with your Red Membership, you will see an option to upgrade to the PhilGEPS Platinum Membership.
PhilGEPS Platinum Membership is a paid annual membership that lets you submit bids directly on the PhilGEPS portal. Once the membership is paid for and approved, you also get a Certificate of PhilGEPS Registration. This certificate must be presented to procuring entities whenever you enter into a bid.
As of 2022, PhilGEPS Platinum Memberships cost ₱5,000 per year. This must be paid along with your document submissions. You can also renew your membership via PhilGEPS portal; if you let it expire, your status will go back to Red Membership.
· Audited Financial Statement (AFS)
· Tax Clearance Certificate
· Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) license; for contractors only
· Mayor’s Permit, Business Permit, or any equivalent document
· PhilGEPS Sworn Statement
· DTI, SEC, or CDA Business Registration Certificate
Step 1. Visit the PhilGEPS website and log in with your Red Membership credentials.
Step 2. Under ‘Pending Task’, click the number across ‘Upgrade Platinum Registration’. Alternatively, you can also click ‘Menu’ > ‘Organization’ > Upgrade to Platinum.
Step 3. Complete the application form and upload the necessary documents. Then, tick the checkbox and click ‘Save and Continue’.
Step 4. Choose a mode of payment for the ₱5,000 membership fee. There are 2 ways to pay: via Cashier at PhilGEPS branches, or via Oncoll Pay at any LandBank branch.
Step 5. After choosing between Cashier or Oncoll, click ‘Print’ to print your payment slip. This will contain details that you need to present upon payment.
From here, your application will be saved as a draft until you have paid your membership fee. After payment, follow these steps to finish your Platinum application:
Step 6. Visit the PhilGEPS website and log in.
Step 7. Under ‘Pending Task’, click the number across ‘Platinum Registration Under Preparation’.
Step 8. Complete your payment details and upload a scanned copy of your Payment Receipt.
Step 9. Click ‘Submit for Approval’. From here, the documents you submitted will be validated within three (3) working days.
You will receive an email confirmation as soon as your membership upgrade has been approved. You can also check your application status under Pending Tasks > View Platinum Registration. PhilGEPS requests applicants to wait 2-3 working days for processing.
PhilGEPS Red is the default PhilGEPS registration for new members. Red members cannot submit bids directly on the PhilGEPS platform. They can only view bidding notices with small amounts of money involved, usually below ₱1 million. This process of viewing bids is called "shopping". When they want to bid for a project, red members need to send their quotations directly to the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairperson.
Opportunities for red members are also limited to these procurement modes: direct contracting; take-over of contracts; highly technical consultants; lease of real property; and scientific, scholarly, or artistic work, exclusive technology and media services.
Platinum members, meanwhile, can bid on any open notice directly via the PhilGEPS system. Platinum members are also preferred suppliers, because they immediately get a PhilGEPS Certificate of Registration to strengthen their bids. In lieu of this important bidding document, Red members will have to submit more documents, called Class “A” Eligibility Documents.
If you’re just starting out on your B2G journey, a Red Membership is enough to let you discover, filter, and gauge government opportunities that might fit your business expertise, budget, and location. SMEs that cannot handle projects worth more than ₱1 million will also find plenty of opportunities within their means using the Red Membership.
This membership lets you view the bid abstracts for a lifetime because it has no expiration date. You can also see open and closed opportunities, award notices, and procurement service catalogs. You can also order bid documents and view bid matching. With access to this basic information, you can assess whether there are enough opportunities to make your annual Platinum upgrade of ₱5,000 worthwhile.
The Platinum Membership is best for SMEs that are familiar with PhilGEPS or the general B2G process in the Philippines. The annual membership will also be worth it if you are equipped to handle projects worth more than ₱1 million.
In summary, the Red Membership is helpful for smaller businesses which have smaller capacity. It’s a good platform for introducing yourself to government projects, learning the bidding process and opportunities they can offer.
As your business grows, you can take on bigger government projects with larger numbers of product or service end-users. If your business is already established or has a high capacity, you can try Platinum Membership to expand your network and bring in millions in revenue.
For other information related to PhilGEPS, including the bidding process, visit https://www.firstcircle.ph/tags/philgeps.
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