Participation of individual entrepreneurs in tenders and government procurements

What do you need to participate?

How can an individual entrepreneur participate in tenders of the year? Preparing for electronic trading is not difficult.

An entrepreneur must:

1. Make an electronic signature, which is necessary for document flow.
2. Get accredited on the trading platform to see current offers. To effectively participate in bidding, it is better to contact specialists to install the necessary programs on your computer and receive support for accreditation.

After choosing an auction, you should begin studying the documentation.

On video: Tender sales in B2B and B2G segments

What is a tender

Tender - translated from English tender - bargaining, competition. In Russian legislation, according to entrepreneurs engaged in franchise business, in principle there is no such concept, but everyone has long been accustomed to this name for purchasing certain goods. That is, a “tender” is an event that is held with the aim of attracting more suppliers of a particular product and selecting a more suitable contractor to complete the assigned tasks.

Today, there are trading platforms on which customers place their orders, and performers, accordingly, place their lucrative offers. You can easily find a list of trading platforms where any organization, company or enterprise can participate in tenders:

• sberbank-ast.ru;
• roseltorg.ru;
• rts-tender.ru;
• etp-micex.ru;
• zakazrf.ru.

There are also platforms where public auctions are carried out. Which one to choose depends on the type of your activity. We also bring to your attention a list of the TOP 20 tender sites in the Russian Federation that use enhanced qualified electronic signatures:

• https://zakupki.gov.ru
• https://gosuslugi.ru
• https://rosim.ru
• https://fcsm.ru
• https://fedresurs.ru
• https://bankrot.fedresurs.ru
• https://nsso.ru
• https://eais.rkn.gov.ru
• https://fedsfm.ru
• https://fgis.minregion.ru/fgis
• https://mos.ru
• https://fips.ru
• https://fsa.gov.ru
• https://gisee.ru
• https://akot-info.rosmintrud.ru
• https://minfin.ru/ru/ismf/pk-bp
• https://vestnik-gosreg.ru
• https://gge.ru
• https://fsrar.ru
• https://estp.ru
• https://rus-on.ru

How to apply

To figure out how an individual entrepreneur can participate in tenders this year, you need to first study the procedure for filling out and submitting an application. The participant must prepare the relevant papers.

The application states:

• organizational and legal form of the participant;
• personal data of the business entity;
• documents confirming the high-quality provision of services and performance of work;
• papers indicating that the activity is carried out legally;
• name and details of the company.

After filling out the form, you must provide an electronic signature.

How to participate in tenders: step-by-step instructions

The procedure for conducting tenders varies depending on their form. Below we will tell you how to take part in the most popular type of trading - an electronic auction.

Where to look for tenders

An electronic auction is the purchase of goods, works or services, which is carried out electronically on an electronic trading platform (ETP). Currently there are eight such sites:

• Agency for State Order of the Republic of Tatarstan;
• Unified electronic trading platform;
• Russian auction house;
• TEK - Bargaining;
• Electronic trading systems;
• Sberbank - Automated trading system;
• RTS - tender;
• GPB electronic trading platform.

All information about upcoming tenders is published in the Unified Procurement Information System (UPI). In addition, the information is duplicated on the ETP mentioned above.

Please note: many experienced suppliers use the special service “Kontur.Purchases” to search for information. There you can search for purchases by type of tender, by industry, by region, by price or customer. But the most important thing is that in “Kontur.Purchases” the supplier can set up templates for requests for tenders for “his” goods (works, services) and receive notifications by email that tenders of interest to him have appeared in the system. Such notifications allow the supplier to make bidding decisions ahead of competitors.

Work at Kontur.Purchases for free

Accreditation on electronic platforms

To participate in an electronic auction, you must obtain an electronic signature certificate and be accredited to the electronic trading platform where the purchase is carried out.

A signature certificate can be obtained from any certification center accredited for compliance with the requirements of Federal Law No. 63-FZ “On Electronic Signatures”. But when choosing a CA, make sure that it has all the necessary licenses and certificates. Having 24/7 technical support will be a definite plus.

To obtain a CA certificate, they usually require:

• passport of an authorized person or head of an organization;
• application for issuance of an electronic signature certificate;
• TIN and SNILS number;
• paid payment document.

It usually takes one day to receive the certificate.

Receive an electronic signature certificate for working in the public procurement system in an hour

To be accredited to an ETP, its operator must submit:

• statement;
• a copy of an extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities or Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs (for individuals - a copy of the passport);
• copies of constituent documents.

If another person is acting on behalf of the participant, then he will need a notarized power of attorney from the participant. The customer has no right to demand other documents and information.

Within 5 working days from the date the documents were received from the supplier, the operator accredits the participant in the electronic auction or refuses accreditation.

Opening a special account

Participation in tenders requires certain financial investments from suppliers and contractors. First, they must provide monetary security for the bid, and if they win, security for the performance of the contract. This is a kind of insurance in case the winning bidder changes his mind and does not sign the contract.

Application security for participation in tenders must be transferred from a special account. It can be opened in one of the 18 banks that are included in the list (approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated July 13, 2018 No. 1451-r). These are, in particular, Sberbank of Russia, VTB, Gazprombank, etc.

Preparation and submission of an application for participation in the tender

The next step is submitting an application to participate in the electronic auction.

The application for participation in the electronic auction consists of two parts. The first part contains the participant’s consent to supply the goods on the customer’s terms, as well as specifications and technical characteristics. The second part of the application contains information about the participant: name of the organization, TIN, postal address, etc. Along with the second part, a number of documents are submitted, such as TIN of the founders, declarations of conformity, licenses and other papers necessary for delivery.

The supplier must sign the application with his electronic signature and submit both parts simultaneously from his personal account on the ETP.

IMPORTANT. You can submit an application at any time, from the date of publication of the notice in the Unified Information System until the closing date for applications. The participant simultaneously sends both parts of the application to the ETP operator. Only one bid can be submitted per auction.

What documents need to be provided

Is it possible to participate in individual entrepreneur tenders, and what documents will an entrepreneur need this year?

The participant must have on hand:

• registration documents (notarized copies);
• list of employees, if any, to represent the interests of the participant, copies of orders of appointment;
• an accounting report on the financial position of the entrepreneur, statements of income and expenses, absence of tax arrears;
• extract from the state register;
• an extract from the bank about the existence of an account.

An entrepreneur can take part in an electronic tender if the documents provided meet the requirements of the law. Otherwise, the request may be rejected. By law, every individual entrepreneur participates in electronic trading.

However, it is important to confirm the financial viability of a business entity. The individual entrepreneur must be ready to provide guarantees.

Most often, the security amount is from 0.5 to 5%. Electronic trading without a guarantor is rare. Such a guarantor can be a bank that agrees to provide tender lending. This will allow the business entity not to waste personal working capital. An individual entrepreneur has the right to submit several applications for participation in tenders.

On video: How to participate in electronic auctions (Tenders, Government procurement, State order)

Collection of documents for the tender

Before an individual entrepreneur can participate in the tender, he needs to collect all the necessary documents.

The list of required documents includes:

1. Notarized copies of the company's constituent documents.
2. A list of authorized persons who have the right to represent the interests of the entrepreneur at the auction and copies of orders on their appointment to their positions.
3. Copies of the certificate of state registration of the business of this entrepreneur. It is also necessary to provide documentary evidence that the organization has been added to the register of taxpayers.
4. Copies of accounting documentation with data on the company’s balance sheet. Statements of existing expenses and profits for two reporting periods preceding the month the statement was compiled. You should also submit documents with a tax inspector’s note indicating that there is no tax debt.
5. General reporting on the use of financial resources of a given company.
6. Extracts from all financial institutions in which the entrepreneur has bank accounts.

An individual entrepreneur can participate only if all available documentation complies with the tender. If the list of certificates and supporting papers is incomplete, the application for participation in the auction will be rejected.

A practical guide to bidding

The bidding process selects the best bidder from among the bidders who offer their goods and services. Any company can participate in paid and free electronic auctions. The organizer has the right to adjust the requirements and rules of the process. How can a new entrepreneur participate in the tender this year ? It is important to immediately prioritize taking into account risks and shortcomings.

The assessment criteria for a beginner should be:

• necessary equipment for the implementation of the project;
• qualified employees;
• the time required to fulfill customer requirements.

You need to prepare carefully, providing employees with the necessary information and materials. A beginner must be willing to participate in electronic trading constantly in order to achieve results. Active participants gain experience and earn more.

Victory at the auction

In addition to answering the question of whether an individual entrepreneur can participate in a tender, most newcomers are interested in the development of events after winning the tender.

After winning the tender, a businessman will need to seek help from specialists who will monitor the drafting of the contract and check its compliance with legal norms.

To fulfill the terms of the contract between the winner and the customer, the contractor will need to provide contract security (as in the case of submitting an application to participate in the auction). Basically, the amount of contract security varies within 30% of the order value - these funds are transferred by the contractor to the customer’s bank account. Such financial resources are a guarantee that the contractor will cope with his responsibilities, and their payment is a mandatory procedure for all individual entrepreneurs who win the tender.

In order to avoid getting into an awkward situation, before an individual entrepreneur participates in tenders, he must carefully study all the requirements of the organizing commission, calculate his financial strength and only then submit a request. In the event that an entrepreneur has received notice of his victory at the auction, but at that moment he does not have money to secure the contract, the decision of the auction organizer will be canceled and the participant will be deprived of the opportunity to conclude a profitable contract with the customer.

Types of tenders and their purpose

Conducting electronic bidding is an opportunity to choose a worthy candidate in fierce competition in order to obtain high quality and a favorable price for the services and goods provided.

There are tenders:

• closed ones, to which participants are specially invited;
• open, in which any company can participate;
• two-stage procedures are carried out without specifying a price.

Requests for price quotes are carried out for orders worth more than 250 thousand rubles. No one acts as an intermediary during the purchase, but there must be at least three suppliers. Any interested business entity can take part. The procedure is characterized by transparency and healthy competition. Each participant has the same requirements. You can submit your application remotely. Depending on the location of the company and type of activity, you can participate in a competitive selection.

Guarantees for individual entrepreneurs

According to Russian legislation, each individual entrepreneur intending to take part in the auction must provide confirmation of his financial solvency to the organizing commission, that is, providing a tender guarantee. In most cases, this amount is 0.5-5% of the lot amount. There are lots without a guarantor, however, they are in the minority.

In this case, a bank that provides tender lending services can act as a guarantor in this case. By taking advantage of this offer, you will be able to submit an application for your favorite individual entrepreneur tender. The advantage of using lending in trading is that you do not need to spend your working capital. In addition, you can submit applications for participation in several auctions at once.

Participation in the construction tender

A tender for construction work is held between the customer and the contractor. Companies with an SRO can take part in tenders for the construction, major repairs of buildings, their commissioning, as well as for the renovation of premises.

There are several types of work provided:

• calculation and carrying out construction and installation works;
• supply of building materials;
• development of projects and calculation of estimates.

Taking into account the specifics of the industry and complying with regulatory requirements, a company can take part in a construction tender. However, according to the law, an individual entrepreneur must have proven experience in the construction of facilities. In addition, the entrepreneur must be a member of a self-regulatory organization. Information about it must be displayed in the state register. Individual entrepreneurs will not be allowed to participate without an SRO.

Any entrepreneur can win the tender. According to Federal Law 223, not only an LLC or individual entrepreneur can participate, but also interested persons without the status of an entrepreneur. An individual, without VAT, can act as a participant in the procurement, as well as be the only contractor (performer).

In the video: Individual without individual entrepreneur in the tender. New information

Who can participate in tenders

Law No. 44-FZ imposes a number of requirements on suppliers and contractors wishing to participate in tenders. Any individual (including an entrepreneur) or any organization can become a supplier or contractor if they:

• are not in the process of bankruptcy or liquidation;
• has no tax debt;
• do not have an outstanding or unexpunged conviction for economic crimes;
• not affiliated with the customer;
• are not offshore;
• were not brought to administrative responsibility on the basis of Article 19.28 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation “Illegal remuneration on behalf of a legal entity.”

In addition, the customer may demand that the supplier not be included in the register of unscrupulous suppliers (maintained by the Federal Antimonopoly Service).

Check the company or individual entrepreneur against the register of unscrupulous suppliers

Final provisions

The tender, which is supported by specialists, is held in compliance with all the rules, taking into account the filling out of the application, acceptance of participation and signing of the contract. If a participant has questions, he can ask them to the auction organizers. They will help resolve controversial issues or complaints. You can find out which tenders an individual entrepreneur can participate in on special platforms. The official government procurement portal provides all the necessary information.

On video: Participation in tenders for beginners. Introduction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4r2VaKa2HA

How to organize a business through tenders: ideas, prospects, real-life examples

Tender – this word is painfully familiar to many. State-owned companies, auctions, bids, corruption immediately come to mind... Everyone has a lot of excuses not to participate in the tender. Many companies believe that everything is divided in advance, and the terms of reference (technical specifications) specifically state conditions that are suitable only for “their” customers. However, myths about tenders are greatly exaggerated. And if you understand this “kitchen” well, you can build a successful and promising business through tenders.

What is a tender?

This is a procedure that the customer carries out to find the best supplier. He invites everyone to participate and announces a so-called competition. The winner is the one who offers the product with the best characteristics (price, quality, parameters, etc.). The company that beats the rest of the competitors gets the right to sell its goods or services.

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Despite the rather complicated process, you should not refuse to participate in tenders. After all, this is the only way to sell a large batch of products to state-owned companies and large private individuals. For example, a batch of gowns for a clinic or several dozen computer desks for a school. Such goods are purchased only through auctions. It turns out that many companies voluntarily refuse a huge number of clients.

In the tender, the winning company receives a large order

How to use tenders for small businesses?

The plan for implementing this business idea is quite simple. You thoroughly study the process of participating in tenders, learn all the pitfalls, get acquainted with the legislative framework, and then offer mediation services to companies that do not risk participating in tenders on their own.

Both parties benefit. The company will not have to employ an independent unit (a specialist in participation in tenders), and you will have the opportunity to earn a fee for providing such a service.

To open such a business, you only need a computer with Internet access and your desire to earn money. You can run this business right at home, and hold meetings with clients on their territory.

The implementation of the idea comes down to two stages:

1. Search for existing tenders
2. Participation in the tender on behalf of the company.

So, you regularly look at all the sites where electronic tenders are held, and then invite companies to participate in a particular purchase.

As for making money on tenders, it is important to set a price category that will be beneficial to sellers. Many companies subscribe to Internet sites where the latest information about tenders appears. Such a subscription costs from 8 to 20 thousand rubles. The intermediary is ready to cooperate for 600 rubles per month. This amount may seem too small to you, but there will be more than one client. And this price only includes the search for suitable tenders. If you also take a fee for participating in bidding on behalf of the company, then the prices will be much higher.

Intermediaries with experience, as a rule, simultaneously work with 40-50 companies. It is easy to calculate that anyone with a competent approach will receive a very good profit.

In pursuit of government orders, companies are ready to do a lot

How to advertise yourself?

If you want as many companies as possible to cooperate with you, it is important to create a suitable image. And a competent advertising campaign will also help with this.

First of all, you will need your own website with high-quality content and design. You can offer your services not only on the website, but also in business magazines and on the Internet.

Another way is email newsletters and cold calls.

Stages of cooperation

So, the approximate steps of your mediation activities in implementing the tender plan will look like this:

1. Search for tenders.

Selection of current tenders for our clients based on various criteria: product characteristics, price ranges, location, etc.

1. Obtaining an electronic signature and accreditation.

For your client, you receive an electronic signature, without which it is impossible to participate in tenders. You also undergo accreditation on trading platforms.

1. Preparing an application.

Submit an application, request proposals, quotes, etc. Provide advice to clients at all stages of bidding. You perform the main actions; the client only requires information support about his activities and products.

1. Participation in the tender.

Bidding takes place online. The decision on the price offer is made by the client. Moreover, he can be anywhere during the tender. You go through all the stages yourself and act on behalf of the company.

1. Conclusion of a contract.

If you successfully participate in the tender, you draw up procurement documentation for the company.

An intermediary is the main actor when participating in a tender.

Personal experience

Denis:

Several years ago, my wife and I decided to open a business that participated in tenders on behalf of various companies. We didn’t need an office, we looked for clients ourselves, that is, we didn’t spend any money on advertising. The wife did accounting and communicated with manufacturers and suppliers of goods. By the way, direct contacts have given us an excellent customer base with low prices and minimal delivery times. For the first year we worked on prepayment, then, when they found out about us, we began to receive trade credit.

I was involved in communicating with clients, traveling to suppliers. Overhead costs were minimal. We agreed in advance to work from the supplier’s warehouse or make 2-3 shipments. This allowed me to avoid buying a truck and renting a warehouse. If necessary, hired delivery drivers. The financial part amounted to 600,000 rubles of borrowed funds. Taxation is a simplified system.

At first there were concerns that this business was too complicated. But everything turned out to be much simpler. I copied the competition announcements and technical specifications, after which I sent a request to the suppliers if they had such products and at what price. And it immediately becomes clear whether there is any point in participating in the competition.

At first we worked through trade.su. We paid for the subscription. It cost 100 thousand rubles a year, but they also received consultations, as well as assistance in preparing documents for participation. The website displayed information about the customer: who previously played in his tenders, who won, under what conditions, whether the terms of the contract were met.

There were different situations with dishonest participants. For example, a delivery is worth 300,000 rubles, and the participant wins with a difference of 50 rubles. It immediately becomes clear that this is far from an accident. In general, tenders are a huge field for various dishonest actions on the part of the customer. Even if you submit an application with a good offer, this does not provide any guarantees. One day before the deadline for accepting applications, the secretary or other specialist who collects competitive proposals can inform the company with which the contractual relationship is being established what price should be included in their application. But all these frauds can be noticed if you constantly analyze and collect information.

In fact, everything is not as scary as it seems. And my experience says that it is best to cooperate with healthcare institutions. Such organizations are really interested in price, but without sacrificing quality.

If you have any questions about this type of business or have your own experience in this area, we are waiting for your comments. Your opinion is important to us!

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