DPIIT floats Rs 4 crore tender for two year social media contract

MUMBAI: The government’s social media plans are getting a Rs 4 crore push, with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) inviting bids to bring an agency on board for a two year digital engagement contract.

The tender, issued by DPIIT Admin under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), is aimed at putting social media management on a more organised footing. The selected agency will be responsible for content creation, content response and moderation, campaign management, response management and helpdesk support, along with basic reporting and analytics.

The work will span both Hindi and English and cover Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp. In other words, the brief goes beyond simply keeping government handles busy, with the agency expected to manage both the content going out and the responses coming back.

The estimated value of the bid is Rs 4 crore, inclusive of all taxes, for a contract period of two years. DPIIT has adopted a two-packet bidding process with total value-wise evaluation, while bidders will also have to submit a financial document containing a detailed price breakup.

The eligibility bar is set at an average annual turnover of at least Rs 5 crore over the past three years. Bidders must also demonstrate a minimum of five years of experience in providing the same or similar services. DPIIT has specified that these experience requirements must be met, with no relaxation in either experience or turnover available to micro and small enterprises or startups.

The tender timeline is already on the clock. Bids can be submitted until 1 pm on 29 September 2026, with the opening scheduled for 1 pm on 30 September. The bid offer will remain valid for 80 days from the closing date.

The evaluation process will allow two days for technical clarifications, while reverse auction has not been enabled for the tender.

There is also a minimum participation condition built into the process. At least three bids are required to prevent an automatic extension of the submission deadline. If fewer than three bids are received, the deadline can be extended by three days, with a maximum of two such extensions.

The tender also lays out how bidder documents will be handled during the process. Documents uploaded by participating bidders will be visible to other participating bidders after login, including material submitted in response to clarifications or representations during the tender.

With the contract covering everything from posts and campaigns to moderation, responses and analytics, DPIIT is effectively looking for a digital all rounder rather than just a content creator.