The current digital age has seen government departments and other organizations in the public sector in India adopt the e-Procurement market trends in a bid to make the tendering process quick, transparent, and safe. The Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is one of the major features of this digitalization process, particularly the Class 3 DSC for Tender, which is the key to being a part of the e-tendering process on different portals.
As a vendor or a contractor who wants to bid online, it is ideal and vital to have how DSC for Tender process works and its importance and what to do to get your Digital Signature registered in dealing with e-Tendering.
What is a Digital Signature Certificate?
Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) has been given as a secured digital key by the Certifying Authorities (CAs), which is used to authenticate the identification of the holder of the certificate. It is an online version of a handwritten signature or a paper seal that provides increased safety for online transactions.
The DSC applies the public-key encryption protocol to generate a special identification of the user and has the legitimacy status as per the IT Act 2000. It provides authenticity and integrity of online documents and online transactions.
Why is a Digital Signature Certificate Mandatory for e-Tendering in India?
In India, almost all government and public sector units (PSUs) use e-Tendering portals for procurement. These portals, such as eprocurement.gov.in, GEM, and various state-level tender websites, require bidders to prove their documents and dialects using a digital signature for the tender.
Here’s why a DSC for e-Tendering is mandatory:
Authentication: Verifies the identity of the bidder submitting the tender documents.
Integrity: Ensures that the bid or proposal hasn’t been altered after submission.
Non-repudiation: Prevents the sender from denying the submission of the tender at a later stage.
Legality: A DSC is legally recognized as a valid form of signature in India for online submissions.
Benefits of Using DSC for Tender?
A digital signature for e-Tendering has made it easier and safer for the bidding process with government and public contracts. A Class 3 DSC for Tender is necessary for verification that the bid is genuine, confidential, and not tampered with during the submission process. It offers fast, legal validity, and convenience.
Key Benefits
- Ensures secure online bid submission
- Provides legally valid authentication
- Saves time and reduces paperwork
- Prevents bid tampering or forgery
- Enables faster approval of tenders
- Offers identity proof of the bidder online
Which Digital Signature is Required For e-Tendering?
The controller of certifying authorities (CCA) has instructed that all vendors and bidders should have a class 3 digital signature certificate to be able to take part in e-tendering as per the guidelines given by the controller of the certifying authorities (CCA).
Class 3 DSC is Required For Tendering
A Class 3 DSC is the highest level of digital certificate meant for individuals and organizations involved in e-commerce and e-tendering. It provides both authentication and encryption, ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive bidding data.
There are two types of Class 3 DSCs commonly used for tenders:
Class 3 Individual DSC – Issued to individuals authorized to submit bids on behalf of a company.
Class 3 Organization DSC – Issued in the name of an organization and used by authorized signatories.
How To Register a DSC For The Tender Portal?
Registering a Digital Signature for e-Tendering is simple and essential. Once you have a Class 3 DSC for Tender, follow these basic steps on the tender portal.
Steps To Register DSC For Tender Portal
- Get a Class 3 DSC from a provider
- Install the DSC driver on your computer
- Open the official tender portal website
- Log in with your registered credentials
- Go to the “DSC Management” section
- Insert the USB token and select the certificate
- Submit to complete the DSC registration
