Finding solar, battery and energy-storage tenders on GeM: keywords that work and why
GeM's bid search is not a web search: by default it in effect uses only your first word, and it looks at listing fields such as category names rather than the bid PDF. This guide shows what that means for solar, battery and energy-storage bids, and which keywords find them.
Only your first word counts
With "Contains", the default search type on bidplus.gem.gov.in/all-bids, GeM in effect searches only your first word: in our tests in October 2026, "solar inverter" returned exactly the bids "solar" returned, and "inverter solar" almost exactly those of "inverter". Extra words do not narrow the results. "Exact Search" goes the other way: it matched only a whole field, such as a complete category name or bid number, and found nothing for "solar" alone. The box also needs at least 3 characters, so "PV" cannot be searched at all.
Categories, not PDF content
GeM's help text says the search covers bid number, department, ministry, items, BOQ title, category name and consignee location. A bid's technical detail, such as kWp, kWh, battery chemistry or the word "BESS", sits in its PDF, which the search does not read. So a bid is found by the words in its category name or BOQ title.
GeM's category list, which you can browse in Advance Search, has dozens of solar categories, from "Solar Photovoltaic Modules / Panels - Crystalline Silicon Terrestrial" and "On Grid Solar Inverter" to "Lithium Ion Solar Battery" and the service "Design, Supply, Installation, Commissioning And Maintenance Of Grid Connected Roof Top Solar Power Plant Service", which has a hybrid variant with battery storage. When we checked in October 2026, no category was named "battery energy storage system" and none contained "BESS". The word "storage" is shared with data storage and storage furniture, so a search for it returns storage boxes and network storage alongside any battery bids.
BOQ and custom bids
Some bids, especially BOQ and custom bids, carry generic item names such as "SchA DSR E and M 2025 based item 1", so no solar keyword matches their category. Search them by BOQ title instead: Contains covers BOQ titles, and Advance Search has a Search by BOQ Title tab. The "BOQ Bids" and "Product Custom Bid/RAs" filters, used with a broad word such as "solar", show only those bids.
Keywords that work
| Keyword | Finds | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| solar | Modules, rooftop and ground-mounted plants, inverters, pumps, street lights, water heaters | Broad: many small solar products |
| photovoltaic | Module, PV plant and PV pumping categories | Fewer bids; use it instead of "PV" |
| lithium | Lithium-ion batteries and cells | Also lithium grease and chemicals |
| battery | Lead-acid, VRLA and lithium batteries, chargers | Also battery-operated vehicles and tools |
| VRLA | Valve regulated lead-acid batteries | Some categories spell the name out instead |
| inverter | Inverters, including on-grid solar inverters | Also inverter-based LED street lights |
| storage | Very little battery storage | Data storage and storage boxes |
| BESS | Almost nothing | The term lives in PDFs, not category names |
A search routine for energy bids
- Search one word at a time: solar, photovoltaic, lithium, battery, inverter, VRLA.
- Sort by Bid Start Date: Latest First to see new bids first.
- In Advance Search, pick your core categories from the list, and note spellings you would not guess: one reads "Stationary Value Regulated Lead Acid Batteries".
- Check BOQ bids separately, by BOQ title and with the BOQ Bids filter.
- Open the bid PDF to confirm capacity, chemistry and scope, which the category name will not tell you.
The guide to finding bids on GeM covers the filters, sort order and Advance Search in more detail.
Doing this faster with Tender Radar
Tender Radar's "Scan all of GeM" runs GeM's own search for each of your keywords over all ongoing bids. For a keyword of several words, such as "lithium ion battery", it asks GeM how many bids each word has, searches the word with the fewest, and keeps only bids whose items or department contain the whole phrase. "Extract" then reads 20 key fields from each bid's PDF, so you can check quantity, category and EMD without opening every document. It is free during its beta.
Frequently asked questions
Why does searching "BESS" on GeM find almost nothing?
GeM's search covers listing fields such as category names and BOQ titles, and "BESS" rarely appears in them. Search "battery" or "lithium" and read the bid PDF for the storage details.
Can I search for "PV" on GeM?
No. The search box needs at least 3 characters. Search "photovoltaic" or "solar" instead.
Should I use Exact Search for "solar inverter"?
No. In our tests Exact Search matched only a whole field, such as a complete category name or bid number, and found nothing for a partial phrase. Use Contains with one word.