The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Federal Bank to offer a number of services including transfer of funds through GeM Pool Accounts (GPA), advising of Performance Bank Guarantees (e-PBG) and Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) to the registered users on the portal. The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and transparent payment system on the portal and would create an efficient procurement system for government entities.

The MoU was signed by S. Suresh Kumar, Addl. CEO, GeM and R. Vardharajan, Country Head - Government Business, Federal Bank along with Deepesh Gehlot, Director (GeM) and Hemant Mahindru, State Business Head – Government Business, Federal Bank in the presence of Talleen Kumar, CEO, GeM.

GeM is also working with Banks, TReDs, and SIDBI to provide bill discounting and financing of working capital where the cost of capital is linked to the performance & rating of a seller on GeM. This will help the sellers in general & the MSMEs in particular to access easy credit and do better business with the government. In addition, GeM is contemplating the creation of EMD pool account for making it easy for sellers to comply with the EMD requirements while responding to bids.

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Cashless procurement payments: GeM and Federal Bank to enable GPA transfers, e PBG advising and EMD pooling. The MoU between GeM and Federal Bank provides payment services including GeM Pool Account transfers, electronic advising of Performance Bank Guarantees and facilitation of Earnest Money Deposit processes to create a cashless, paperless and transparent procurement payment system; GeM is also arranging bill discounting and working capital financing with cost linked to seller performance and contemplates an EMD pool account to ease bidder compliance.