Consortia & Tender Marketing Scheme

The National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), operating under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, runs the Consortia and Tender Marketing Scheme. The scheme's core aim is to widen market access for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) throughout India. It does this by helping MSEs take part in high-value government and Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) tenders — either bidding on their own or joining a consortium of similar manufacturing units.

Only MSEs already registered under NSIC's Single Point Registration Scheme (SPRS), or those applying for SPRS at the same time, may participate. Units engaged purely in trading, with no value addition, are expressly kept out, so that support flows to manufacturing and service-providing MSEs. The scheme covers a broad set of tenders — open, limited and nomination-based.

NSIC takes an active role in bringing together manufacturers of similar products into consortia. By pooling production capacities in this way, smaller units can compete for large bulk orders they could not handle alone. NSIC also oversees how secured orders are divided among consortium members, distributing them fairly and in proportion to each member's production capacity.

On the financial side, NSIC arranges Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) and security deposits on a back-to-back basis, which eases the financial load and risk for participating MSEs. The scheme further assists with access to credit and raw materials needed to execute orders efficiently. The tender participation limit is set dynamically, usually at the higher of 300% of the SPRS monetary limit or the MSE's previous year's turnover, and is reviewed and revised annually to keep pace with growth. The scheme sits within the wider Public Procurement Policy for MSEs, which seeks to promote and secure the inclusion of Micro and Small Enterprises in government procurement, including subcontracting opportunities.

1. **Procure the application form:** The prescribed form, available as Annexures A and A-1, can be downloaded from the NSIC website; it is usually included in the scheme guidelines document. 2. **Fill in the application:** Complete every part of the form and make sure it carries the signature of the authorised signatory — the Proprietor, Partner(s), or Director(s) of the firm, company, or society, as applicable. 3. **Assemble the documents:** Attach every supporting document called for by the application form and the scheme guidelines. Ordinarily this covers company registration papers, financial statements, and SPRS registration details. 4. **File the application:** Dispatch the filled-in form together with all enclosures to the NSIC branch office concerned, or to the relevant regional office. Before sending it, confirm the correct branch office details on the NSIC website. 5. **Undergo factory inspection:** As per the terms of the Tender Marketing Scheme, your factory or unit must be inspected before a tender is filed under the scheme.

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) that hold registration under NSIC's Single Point Registration Scheme (SPRS), or that have applied for it, are assessed through their application and a mandatory inspection of the factory or unit. Eligibility is confirmed on that basis, after which NSIC helps the unit take part in tenders and set up consortia.

Selection here is not competitive — there is no pitch or jury stage. What the process establishes is whether the applicant qualifies and is operationally ready, since the scheme exists to facilitate units that are already registered.