# Finance Ministry cautions against high barriers in GeM consultancy tenders

2026-08-14T22:38:21+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

The Finance Ministry has advised central government entities not to set excessively high turnover or payroll requirements in consultancy tenders floated on the Government e-Marketplace. The Department of Expenditure said a review of tenders issued over the past three financial years found that such conditions could restrict competition. The department also found that some tenders gave more weight to a consultancy firm’s past experience than to the qualifications of proposed key personnel. In a July 22 memorandum, it asked procuring entities to follow the Manual for Procurement of Consultancy Services, Second Edition, 2025. Industry representatives told Business Today that the move could give specialised Indian firms a fairer chance to compete.

## Coverage

- businesstoday.in <https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/corporate/story/why-the-finance-ministry-wants-to-give-homegrown-firms-a-bigger-role-in-consultancy-contracts-549317-2026-08-14?utm_source=rssfeed>
- thehindubusinessline.com <https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/finmin-asks-govt-entities-against-setting-high-turnover-payroll-criteria-in-gem-consultancy-tenders/article71345232.ece>
- economictimes.indiatimes.com <https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/finmin-asks-govt-entities-against-setting-high-turnover-payroll-criteria-in-gem-consultancy-tenders/articleshow/133238924.cms>

This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources. Last updated 2026-09-27T06:15:16+00:00.

Tags: consultancy services, Department of Expenditure, Finance Ministry, GeM
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