General FAQ

1. Why Supplier/contractor Registration is required?

The Government of Karnataka has mandated registration with the centralized e- Procurement platform for all
those suppliers/contractors who are intending to do business with the Government. This system enables the
suppliers/contractors to participate in the tenders invited by various departments of GoK.

2. Is the Supplier/contractor Registration Mandatory?

Yes, Supplier/contractor Registration is Mandatory to do business with the
Government of Karnataka (On e-Procurement platform).

3. How do I register or what is the registration process?

To register online the supplier/contractor should have the following pre-requisites:
- Access to PC
- Digital certification key
- High Speed Broadband connection
- Java Runtime Environment(JRE) 6.0
- JRE 6.0 can be downloaded for free at:
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html
- Internet Explorer version 6.0 or above
- Valid and active email account
- You should have the Power of Attorney letter ready in a digital format (as an Authorized signatory)
to upload
After keeping ready the pre-requisites the supplier/contractor should:
- Enter into the eproc portal i.e. http://eproc.karnataka.gov.in
- Click on Contractors
- Click on New Users / Sign Up and register.
- Follow the further process.

4. How am I going to benefit from this?

As a Supplier/contractor, you benefit in the following ways:
1. Access the portal from any remote area and register online.

2. Single registration for all the Govt.of Karanataka departments.

3. Save cost and time that you will spend in doing paper work to
Register yourself.
4. Achieve Transparency in Tendering Process.

5. Who is eligible to register online?

A Company or a Sole Proprietor or a Partnership Company, is eligible to register with the e-Procurement
platform after furnishing necessary information in the online forms.

6. Whether any company, firm or an individual supplier/contractor from out of Karnataka is

eligible to register online?
Yes, any company, firm or an individual supplier/contractor from any where in India, who is already registered
with Registrar of Companies, can register online. It is not necessary for the Supplier/contractor to be a
domicile of Karnataka.

7. What is the fee structure for registration?

For registering with the e-Procurement platform, you have to make payment of a nominal fee of Rs.500/-
through electronic payment on the portal.
8. Do I have to register online for every department of the Government?
No, you are not required to register yourself multiple times, as the e-Procurement platform
facilitates a single registration system that allows you to bid for tenders invited by
all GoK departments for multiple categories like Goods, Works or Services.

9. What is the validity period of registration?

The registration is valid for one year from the date of registration.

10. Do I have to renew my registration?

Yes. Registration is renewable on a yearly basis subject to the payment of fee . However an alerting
message will be communicated one month before expiration of the current registration.

11. What happens if I do not renew?

Registration gets cancelled automatically and an alert message on the expiry of validity will be sent through
email

12. Do I still need to register with other department after registering with e-Proc portal?
Yes till Government of Karnataka comes with a Policy Statement in this regard.

13. I am already a registered supplier/contractor with a department of GoK, is it necessary for

me to once again register with the e-Procurement platform?
Yes, even if you have registered with any department of GoK, you are still required to register with the e-
Procurement portal by providing necessary details required for registration as there will be one unified single
e-procurement platform provided by Govt. of Karnataka.

14. Do I need to have an e-mail ID?

Yes, it is mandatory to have valid & active two e-mail ids to receive user name & password alerts,
correspondence from GoK department /e-proc portal.

15. What type of correspondence do I get from GoK on Portal registration ?

GoK will correspond with you through emails. The emails will be sent to the email-ID given by you at the
time of registration.

After submitting the details online you will be receiving the following:
1. your User ID with temporary password
2. Details on how to re-set your password
3. Details on how to update your profile.
Once you are a registered supplier/contractor, you will also get the information on the available opportunities
for participating in tenders for the preferred business type selected by you at the time of registration.

You will also receive an alert email 30 days prior to the date of expiry of the validity of your
registration.

16. What is a temporary Password?

A password is a unique identity code comprising of alphanumeric characters, through which you
will be allowed to access the site. You will be provided with a temporary password the moment
your registration is successfully completed.
17. Can I change the password?
Yes, it is mandatory to have valid & active two e-mail ids to receive user name & password
alerts, correspondence from GoK department /e-proc portal. in to the portal.

18. What are the best practices in selecting a password?

You have to select a password, consisting of minimum eight alpha numeric characters and
change the password frequently. Please do not share the password with any other person and
never send your password by email.

19. What is my identity?

Government of Karnataka e-procurement cell will issue a unique ID to you on your registration.
User ID and password together will enable to log into the system.

20. What is My Profile? How do I manage it?

My profile is that section which is completely maintained by you. It contains all your business details
like your personal/company information, contact information, business information. You are also
allowed to fill in /update your Works/Goods/Service experience, financial information and bout the
assets owned. You can add, edit, or delete to update the same on a regular basis so that your current
businessinformation is managed and up to date. This information given by you would be used by the
e-Procurement system in evaluating the bids submitted by you, at pre-qualification stage.

21. After I have registered can the eProcurement cell deactivate

my user ID and if so, under what circumstances?

Yes, the e-Procurement cell can deactivate your user ID, if you are black listed by any of the
departments of Government of Karnataka.

22. What is meant by Website address?? Is it mandatory to

have a website address?

Website address is your company official web site address, with the help of which the
Government authorities will be able to learn more about your company and the kind of work
delivered. It is an optional field.

23. Can I register myself in multiple categories (i.e. Goods,

works and Services)?

Yes, you are facilitated to register yourself in multiple categories so that
You will have advantage of receiving email notification from any Dept.
of GOK , as and when the Tenders are published.

24. What do you mean by Statutory Information?

Statutory information consists of your bank information such as the name of the bank, account
type, and other information such as your PAN number, VAT number, Service tax and Sales Tax
numbers.

25. What is IFSC number? What are its benefits?

 In India each branch of a bank has been given 11 digit IFSC code. This code uniquely identifies a
bank and a branch. IFSC stands for Indian Financial service code. Reserve Bank of India allots
this code to all bank branches.

26. What is a Branch Code?

Branch code is a unique four digit code number given by a bank to its branches.

27. Do I have to furnish Branch Code and IFSC code?

It is recommended to furnish Branch Code and as well IFSC code, as it will
help to facilitate e-Payment.

28. What is a PAN?

Permanent Account Number is a unique number issued by the Income
tax department of Government of India to all tax payers whose income
in taxable.

29. What are VAT and VAT No.?

Value Added tax, is a tax imposed by the GoK on the retail price of goods.
VAT No. is provided by the commercial tax department of the state.

30. What is a Service Tax number? Is it mandatory to have a

Service Tax number?

Service tax is a form of indirect tax imposed on specified services called taxable services.
Service tax cannot be levied on service which is not included in the list of taxable services.
Thisinformation is mandatory for the suppliers/contractors registering to provide taxable
services to the GoK departments.
Service Tax No. is a unique No. issued by the Income Tax department of Government of India.

31. What are the traing facilities available to the users of this system ? >
For one to one training you are required to register online on a convenient date for you on the e-
Proc portal. The training will be held at the e-Governance department, Bangalore and will be a
one full day program. You will be taken through three types of
Training:
1. Instructor led training
2. Computer based training
3. Test cases Hand on training
Also the training material is hosted in the e-Procurement web site for free down loads.

32. How can I keep my information up-to-date?

For the first time, you can update your information by logging into the portal using your
temporary User Id and Password. After changing the password it is possible for you to login any
time and go to My Profile to update your information on works/goods/services profile,
asset information and financial information.

33. Will the registration fee be refunded in case my registration Is rejected or cancelled?
Yes. In case of rejection of your application, your registration fees will
be refunded electronically.
34. What type of certificate of completion needs to be attached?
Anything that certifies your completion of work is an eligible document to this part of your
registration.

35. Who has the authority to issue a Completion Certificate and Performance Certificate ?
The client to whom you have delivered works, goods or services has the authority to issue the
above certificates , which you will have to upload while updating your works/goods/services
experience under My Profile section.

36. How can I keep my password secure?

Be creative. Don't use words that can be found in a dictionary
Don't use a password that you have used elsewhere.
Never tell anyone your password. Don't write it down.
Never send your password by email.
Periodically change your password.
Dont use a password which is predictable based on information like your name, sir-name, date of
birth etc.

37. What are the system requirements for accessing e-Procurement on internet?
PC specs Any Pentium IV PC , with 512 Mb, 60 GB HDD
256mb Broad Band Internet speed
Operating System Windows XP
Internet Explorer Version - 6
Internet security settings Allow Cookies.
- Java Runtime Environment(JRE) 6.0
- JRE 6.0 can be downloaded for free at:
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html

38. How does the e-Procurement system ensures the Confidentiality of my bid information

SSL encryption: The solution uses 128 bit SSL Certificate from Verisign for
Communication between the browser and the web server. This ensures that
all the data is encrypted and cannot be hacked/misused by anyone

PKI:
Data Encryption: The solution supports 128 bit encryption and all the price
bids received against a tender are encrypted at the database level.
Further, the login passwords of all the users and the suppliers/contractors
are also encrypted at the database level.

Secure administrator Access: To prevent an administrator from misusing his

access privileges, the TMS requires two level password verification before
<>allowing the administrator to access the admin module. The first password
is provided by the administrator and the second password is provided by
some designated senior person within the buying organization.

39. Whether the system Administrator can access and tamper my bid data?
No, the bid data submitted by you is always stored in the database in an
encrypted way and hence the administrator cannot read or alter the data.

40. How do I view the status of bids submitted by me?

Enter the portal using your login ID and password; Go to My Bids under
The Tender Management section. There it is possible for you to search for
the bid you want to know about by entering the tender number or by
selecting the department.
41. Whether any one can submit bids after the lapse of bid submission time
No, the eProcurement system automatically locks the tender box of the
specific tender on the specified time and date and hence no one can
submit the bids after the lapse of the set time.

42. What format shall be adopted for scanning my certificates for uploading?

JPEG, GIF, TIFF, etc.

43. is there any limit on the size of files for unloading?

No there is no such limit.

44. What are all the pre-requisites for Supplier/contractor Registration?

- You should Obtain Class III Digital Signature Certificate from empanelled
Vendors of GOK.
- High Speed Broadband connection
- Internet Explorer version 6.0 or above
- valid and active email account
- You should have the Power of Attorney ready (as an Authorized
signatory) to upload

45. Who is an Authorized Signatory?

An Authorized signatory is the Head of the organization holding Power

46. Who is a Nominated user?

A Nominated user is the person nominated by an Authorized Signatory. A
nominated user should also upload Power of attorney in the e-proc portal
and should possess a digital certificate.

47. Is there a restriction to nominate the number of person by the authorized signatory of the
company?
No, there is no limit, but the Nominated user should obtain a Digital key
from one of the empanelled vendors.

48. Who Can I reach for any help on registration ?

You can reach, GOK Helpdesk at 080- 22485867 on all Govt.
Working days between 9 am to 6PM .

49. Where can I buy Class III Digital Signature Certificates ?

You can buy from any one of GOK empanelled Vendors as listed below:

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL)

www.mtnltrustline.com

(n)Code Solutions
www.ncodesolutions.com

SafeScrypt Limited
www.safescrypt.com
 eMudhra Consumer Services Limited
www.e-mudhra.com

Tata Consultancy Services

www.tcs-ca.tcs.com/TCSCA.jsp

50. What is Cost of Digital Signature Certificate?

GOK has fixed the prices with above empannled Vendors. Please
log into http://eproc.karnataka.gov.in/ under Contractors Login to see Published Prices.

51. Where can I get POA template?

You can get POA templete here

52. What is the valid user name/document to be used for supplier registration ?

Supplier registration will be approved based on the name mentioned in the PAN. Hence, suppliers
are requested to purchase the DSC in the name as mentioned in PAN Card.

PKI FAQ

1. Why are Digital Certificates required?

Digital Certificates are required to establish the following

Confidentiality-Ensure that nobody can get knowledge of what is transfered

Integrity-Ensure that the message has not been modified
Authenticity-You can verify that you are talking to the entity you think you are talking to
Identity-You can verify who is the specific individual behind that entity
Non-repudiation- The individual behind that asset cannot deny being associated with it

2. Do suppliers and contractors to the Government of Karnataka require a Digital Certificate?

As a first step, suppliers and contractors to the Government of Karnataka need to register on the
Government of Karnataka e-Procurement Portal. The designated official authorized to act on behalf
of of such suppliers and contractors must necessarily have a Digital Certificate to register their
organizations.

3. Who is authorized to provide Digital Certificates?

The Government of Karnataka has empanelled the following Certification Authorities for the purpose
of issuing Digital Certificates to the its suppliers and contractors :

(n)Code Solutions CA
MTNL
TCS
Safescrypt

4. How can the empanelled Certification Authorities be contacted?

The web sites of the empanelled Certification Authorities are as below

(n)Code Solutions (http://www.ncodesolutions.com/)

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) - (http://www.mtnltrustline.com)
Tata Consultancy Services - (http://www.tcs-ca.tcs.co.in)
SafeScrypt Limited (http://www.safescrypt.com)
eMudhra Consumer Services (https://www.e-mudhra.com/)

The empanelled Certification Authorities can be contacted through their web sites or at the addresses
below http://eproc.karnataka.gov.in/

5. What is the class of Digital Certificates to be procured?

The Government of Karnatakas suppliers and contractors should procure only Class 3 Digital
Certificates issued by the empanelled Certification Authorities.

6. What is the validity period of the Digital Certificates to be procured?

Class 3 Digital Certificates from the empanelled Certification Authorities have a validity period of 1
year or 2 years.

7. What is the media on which the Digital Certificates will be issued?

The Digital Certificates to the Government of Karnataka suppliers and contractorss are to be issued
on a USB Token.

8. What is the process of issue of the Digital Certificates?

The broad process for issue of Digital Certificates is explained below. Please note that individual
empanelled Certification Authorities may have their own specific process requirements. Please
contact the Certification Authoritiy for the specific process.

Process of Certificate Issue and Registration to Suppliers/ Contractors

The process for Issue of Certificate to a Supplier is outlined in brief here:

a) The applicant contacts the CA/Partners for obtaining Digital Certificate.

b) The CA/Partner provides information on the prescribed fees for issuing the Certificate along
with the Support Level options (defined later), and the documents required for validation. On
payment of the prescribed fees, the CA/Partner provides the Applicant with the Certificate
Application Form, the USB token and the software kit to the applicant.
c) In accordance with the Support Level opted by the applicant, the CA/Partner helps the
applicant fill in the Application Form and collects the documents to be verified (as per the
Indian IT Act, 2000). The CA/Partner verifies the Application Form, the applicants identity
face to face, and the Documents submitted.
d) The applicant now needs to generate the Certificate request (also called Enrollment) from
the CAs website. For this purpose, the CA/Partner must provide support to the applicant in
 accordance with the Service Level opted by him. However before generating the Certificate
Request, the applicant would be required to install the software kit provided by the CA/Partner
on his PC. The applicant must also insert the USB token into the USB Port of the PC. The
CA/Partner must help the applicant in carrying out the installation of the software. The
applicant is then required to access the CAs website to generate the Certificate request. At
the CAs website, the applicant enters details such as his name, email address etc. These
details will be used for the Certificate issued to the applicant.
e) The CA verifies the Certificate Request against the Application Form and the Documents
submitted by the applicant. In the case that the documents submitted are complete, this
process must be completed within 2 working days of the request being generated. Please see
Section 10 for definition of working days. The CA then approves or rejects the issue of
Certificate to the applicant.
f) An email notification is sent to the applicant to the Email address provided during the
Certificate request. In case of approval, the Email contains details of the CA sites URL from
which the Certificate is to be downloaded and the Username and Password details to access
the Certificate download feature. In case of rejection, the Email contains the details of the
reasons for rejection. The CA/Partner must provide help to the applicant in case the applicant
requires such help to understand the Email content. The CA/Partner is also required to help
the applicant in guiding him with the subsequent steps.
g) In the case of approval of the Certificate request, the applicant now needs to download the
certificate from the CAs website. For this purpose, the CA/Partner must provide support to
the applicant in accordance with the Service Level opted by him. For downloading the
Certificate, the applicant is required to connect the USB Token to his PC. The CA is required
to indicate in his response whether the same PC used for generating the Certificate Request
has to be used for downloading the certificate. From the PC, the applicant then accesses the
CA sites URL mentioned in the Email, enters the Username and Password, and confirms
the Certificate contents. On confirmation, with regard to the personal information, by the
applicant the Certificate is generated and downloaded from CA website on to the USB. In the
case that the applicant does not confirm, steps (f) and (g) would need to be repeated. For
certificates issued to the authorized persons from a Supplier/Contractors organization, the
name of the Organization as specified in the Subject attribute in the Certificate must match
EXACTLY with the name of the Organization as specified in the Certificate of Registration.
For certificates issued to Individual Supplier/Contractors, the name of the Individual must
match EXACTLY with the name as specified in the Proof of Identity provided by the Individual
and accepted by the Certifying Authority. The Proof of Identity must be as specified in Section
on Subscriber Verification. It is necessary that the CA also provide a facility and instructions
to download the associated Certificate Chain chaining up to the CCA India. The Certificate
Chain may be downloaded to the applicants PC or his USB Token.
 h) The applicant then uploads the Certificate on the GoK eProcurement Portal for Supplier
Registration

This is represented in the following figure:

Subscriber Verification

The CA may specify its own verification procedure. However, at a minimum, the following must be
verified:

A. The CA must verify the applicant face to face.

B. In the case that the applicant is from a Supplier/Contractor organization, the following must be
verified:
(i) The Certificate of Registration of the Supplier/Contractor company, or in the case of
a Government organization/agency the attested identity proof
(ii) The Authorization Letter on the Organizations letterhead stamped and signed by
the appropriate authority
C. The CA must verify the Photo Identification Proof of the applicant. Valid Passports, Election Id
Cards and Driving Licenses may be accepted as proof.
D. The CA must verify that the signature on the Application Form is of the applicant.
E. Any other proof as required by the CA and as specified in his Certification Practice Statement
Document.

9. What support can be expected from the empanelled Certification Authorities?

The empanelled CA will provide three levels of Support.

Level One Support

Under the Level One support plan, the applicant would be required to visit the CAs/Partners office
for collection of the Application form, and payment of prescribed fees. The CA/Partner must provide
help to the applicant in filling in the Application Form. The applicant would need to submit the required
documents at the CA/Partners office. The CA/Partner is required to guide the applicant in the
subsequent steps of generation of Certificate Request and Certificate download. The applicant would
need to use his own PC for the generating the Certificate Request and the Certificate download.
During these processes, the CA is required to provide support and help through the following
means:

Telephonic Support
Email Support
Online FAQs

Level Two Support

Under the Level Two support plan, the applicant would be required to visit the CA/Partners office for
collection of the Application form, and payment of prescribed fees. The CA/Partner must provide help
to the applicant in filling in the Application Form. The applicant would need to submit the required
documents at the CA/Partners office. The CA/Partner is required to guide the applicant in the
subsequent steps of generation of Certificate Request and Certificate download. The applicant may
opt to use his own PC or the CA/Partners PC for these purposes. The CA/Partners PC must be
available at the CA/Partners office and should be equipped with at least 256 MB of RAM, Windows
XP with latest service pack, Internet Explorer, CDROM drive, at least 1 available USB Port for
connecting the USB Token, and Internet Connectivity to connect to the CAs website.

In the case that the applicant opts for using the CA/Partners PC the CA/Partner must associate a
person with the applicant to provide him personal support during the process of generation of
Certificate Request and Certificate download.

However, if the applicant opts for using his own PC, the CA/Partner is required apprise the applicant
of the PC requirements and to depute a person to the applicants premises to help him in the
process of generation of Certificate Request and Certificate download. In this case, the applicants
PC must be equipped with at least 256 MB of RAM, Windows XP with latest service pack, Internet
Explorer, CDROM drive, at least 1 available USB Port for connecting the USB Token, and Internet
Connectivity to connect to the CAs website.
In addition to these supports, the CA is required to provide support and help through the following
means:

Telephonic Support
Email Support
Online FAQs
Level Three Support

Under the Level Three support plan, the applicant would contact the CA/Partner telephonically or
through e-mail. The CA/Partner would be required to depute a person to visit the applicants
premises for handing over the Application Form, collection of prescribed fees, guiding the applicant in
filling the Application form, verifying the applicants identity face to face, and collecting the required
documents.

For the processes related to generation of Certificate Request and Certificate download, the applicant
may opt to use his own PC or the CA/Partners PC for these purposes. The CA/Partners PC must
be available at the CA/Partners office and should be equipped with at least 256 MB of RAM,
Windows XP with latest service pack, Internet Explorer, CDROM drive, at least 1 available USB Port
for connecting the USB Token, and Internet Connectivity to connect to the CAs website.

In the case that the applicant opts for using the CA/Partners PC the CA/Partner must associate a
person with the applicant to provide him personal support during the process of generation of
Certificate Request and Certificate download.

However, if the applicant opts for using his own PC, the CA/Partner is required apprise the applicant
of the applicant of the PC requirements and must depute a person to the applicants premises to
help him in the process of generation of Certificate Request and Certificate download. In this case,
the applicants PC must be equipped with at least 256 MB of RAM, Windows XP with latest service
pack, Internet Explorer, CDROM drive, at least 1 available USB Port for connecting the USB Token,
and Internet Connectivity to connect to the CAswebsite.
In addition to these supports, the CA is required to provide support and help through the following
means:

Telephonic Support
Email Support
Online FAQs

10. What is the Price of the Digital Certificates?

Prices from the empanelled Certification Authorities vary depending upon the validity period and the
level of support opted. The Class 3 Digital Certificates issued on a USB Token by the empanelled
Certification Authorities will not exceed the prices specified in the table below:
http://eproc.karnataka.gov.in/