How to get government tenders in Singapore

Step 1: Get set up to bid

Most public sector opportunities are published on GeBIZ, the government’s e-procurement portal. You can browse notices without an account, but to download documents and submit a bid you need to register your company as a GeBIZ Trading Partner, which uses Corppass to log in.

Some work also needs licences or registrations before you can bid. Common ones include BCA contractor registration for building and construction work, an NEA licence for cleaning businesses, a police licence for security agencies and EMA licensing for electrical work. Each tender lists its own eligibility criteria.

Step 2: Find the right opportunities

Agencies buy through two main routes. Smaller purchases usually go out as an Invitation to Quote (ITQ), a quotation with a short response window. Larger purchases go out as an Invitation to Tender (ITT) with fuller documents and longer deadlines. The Ministry of Finance sets the value thresholds for each route.

You’ll also see different tender types:

• Open tender: any eligible supplier can bid. This is the most common type.
• Selective tender: only pre-qualified suppliers are invited.
• Limited tender: the agency approaches one or a few suppliers directly in specific situations.

New notices appear every working day, and quotations can close within days. Checking GeBIZ by hand is the main reason suppliers miss good opportunities.

Step 3: Read the tender documents

The tender documents tell you exactly what the agency wants and how it will judge bids. Look for:

• Requirement specifications: the scope of work, service levels and deliverables.
• Conditions of contract: contract period, extension options, payment terms and penalties.
• Evaluation criteria: how price and quality are weighted.
• Eligibility and forms: licences, track record, financial grading and declarations you must submit.
• Briefings and site showrounds: some are compulsory, and missing one can rule you out.

Most tender documents can be downloaded from GeBIZ once you’re registered. Some tenders charge a document fee, which the notice states. Submit any clarification questions before the stated cut-off.

Step 4: Prepare and submit your bid

Bids are submitted online through GeBIZ before the closing date and time. Late submissions aren’t accepted, so leave time for uploads.

Many larger tenders use a two-envelope system: you submit a technical proposal and a price proposal separately. The agency evaluates the technical proposals first, and only bids that pass have their prices considered. Others score price and quality together, such as the Price-Quality Method used for many construction tenders.

A strong bid answers every requirement in the order the documents ask, shows relevant track record, and prices the full scope including manpower costs such as Progressive Wage Model rates where they apply.

Step 5: Evaluation and award

After closing, the agency evaluates the bids against the published criteria. Evaluation can take a few weeks for quotations and a few months for large tenders. Awards are published on GeBIZ, so you can see who won and at what price. Our guide to tender results explains where to look.

If you lose, ask for a debrief where it’s offered and study the award: the winning price and supplier tell you a lot about how to pitch next time.

Rules to know

Government procurement in Singapore follows principles of transparency, open and fair competition, and value for money. Singapore is also a party to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement, so some large tenders are open to international suppliers.

Agreeing prices or bids with competitors is bid rigging, which is illegal under the Competition Act and enforced by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS). Prepare every bid independently.

Frequently asked questions