Tender Highlights

The GeM bid document specifically records the closing date as 31 August 2026 at 16:00 hours and opening at 16:30 hours, with a 30-day bid validity. The bid was dated 20 August 2026.

Scope of Work

The principal objective is to provide basic underwater survival, diving discipline and introductory scuba diving skills to NCC cadets.

The uploaded Scope of Work describes a two-day scuba diving activity at Agra for NCC cadets, with a tentative schedule of 08 September 2026 to 09 September 2026 and an initial participant requirement of 85 cadets. The buyer reserves the ability to increase or decrease the number of participants by up to 20% in the Scope of Work.

The detailed technical specifications require the training programme to include:

1. Classroom and Practical Training

The programme is required to combine theoretical education with practical confined-water sessions covering:

1. Basic underwater survival.
2. Diving discipline.
3. Introductory scuba diving skills.
4. Underwater physics.
5. Medical signs and hand signals.
6. Scuba equipment assembly.
7. Mask-clearing techniques.
8. Regulator recovery.
9. Buoyancy control.
10. Underwater rescue drills.
11. Emergency ascent procedures.
12. Final evaluation and assessment.

2. Dive Logs and Certification

The service provider is required to maintain official digital dive logs for individual cadets and provide nationally recognised certificates to passing participants.

The technical specification also requires a final training report containing batch photographs, attendance records and assessment scores, to be submitted to the NCC unit command within seven days after completion.

3. Scuba Equipment

The vendor is responsible for providing functional personal scuba diving equipment and associated accessories, including:

1. Scuba diving kits.
2. Regulators.
3. Buoyancy Control Devices (BCDs).
4. Diving instruments and pressure gauges.
5. Dive masks.
6. Snorkels.
7. Fins.
8. Alternate air sources.
9. Necessary supplies and accessories.
10. Adequate pre-filled compressed-air cylinders.

The vendor is also responsible for applicable transportation and logistics costs for moving equipment to and from the Agra venue.

4. Safety and Emergency Arrangements

Safety is a significant component of the tender.

The technical specifications require:

1. A fully functional medical-grade emergency oxygen cylinder at the poolside throughout the training.
2. Trainers with active teaching/instructor status from their respective diving boards.
3. Emergency First Response (EFR) certification for trainers.
4. Mandatory medical screening of all participating cadets before pool entry.
5. Appropriate first-aid arrangements.
6. Safety and rescue arrangements during the activity.

The Scope of Work separately requires a fully equipped first-aid kit to remain readily available during the activity, including transport, accommodation and boat arrangements where applicable.

5. Instructor-to-Cadet Ratio

The technical specifications prescribe a strict instructor-to-cadet safety ratio, with an example of a maximum of one instructor for every eight cadets concurrently inside the pool.

A penalty of ₹5,000 per session is specified where uncertified assistants are found training cadets.

6. Photography and Banners

The Scope of Work requires both still photography and video coverage of the activities. Daily photographs and videos are to be submitted to the NCC unit on a USB drive within three days of completion.

The vendor must also provide appropriate banners, including NCC branding, subject to approval before printing.

Professional Qualification and Technical Eligibility Criteria

The uploaded documents prescribe several technical and professional requirements for bidders.

Company Registration

The bidder must submit proof of valid business registration/incorporation, such as:

1. Proprietorship documentation;
2. Partnership Deed;
3. GST Registration Certificate; or
4. MCA Incorporation Certificate.

Diving Affiliation

The PQC requires a valid and active affiliation/centre certificate from a nationally recognised diving federation or relevant organisation. The document gives examples including the National Institute of Water Sports, Government of India, Scuba Diving Foundation of India and National Adventure Foundation.

Qualified Instructors

The vendor must deploy instructors holding valid and active instructor certifications. Instructor cards are required to be submitted along with the technical bid.

The deployed trainers must also have the required teaching status with their respective diving board and EFR certification.

Business Experience

The Scope of Work states that the company should have been in the relevant business for at least three years and should have conducted at least three similar activities in the past, with supporting experience certificates attached to the bid.

The GeM bid itself specifies three years of past experience for the same/similar service.

Safety Record

The technical specification states that the vendor should have a zero-accident record in institutional training for the last three financial years.

Regulatory Registration and Permissions

The Scope of Work requires the company to be registered with relevant local regulatory bodies or the tourism department for conducting such activities. Local tourism/entry clearances, permissions and applicable fees are to be arranged by the service provider.

Non-Blacklisting Declaration

The PQC requires a self-certified declaration stating that the bidder has not been debarred, blacklisted or suspended by GeM or any government department.

Financial Eligibility Criteria

The key financial qualification is a minimum average annual turnover of ₹3 lakh during the last three financial years.

The GeM bid specifically records the minimum average annual turnover as ₹3 lakh for three years.

Turnover must be supported by certified audited financial statements or a certificate issued by a Chartered Accountant/Cost Accountant.

The tender documents do not specify any separate minimum net worth requirement.

The bid also states that relaxation in experience and turnover requirements for MSEs is No, and relaxation for Startups is also No.

Past Experience Requirement

The GeM bid requires three years of relevant past experience and states that the bidder must have successfully executed/completed similar services over the specified period.

The bid gives three alternative experience combinations:

1. Three similar completed services costing at least 40% of the estimated cost; or
2. Two similar completed services costing at least 50% of the estimated cost; or
3. One similar completed service costing at least 80% of the estimated cost.

With the estimated bid value of ₹1,00,000, these thresholds correspond to:

However, the separate PQC document also contains a requirement for at least one similar training work order valued at ₹1.5 lakh or more within the last five years, while the technical specification refers to at least one similar underwater/scuba training programme within the past three years.

Bidder Advisory: These provisions are not identical. Prospective bidders should carefully check the complete GeM bid/ATC and, where necessary, use the GeM clarification/representation mechanism before submission rather than assuming that one provision overrides another.

Tender Fee and EMD Details

Tender Fee

No Tender Fee / Bid Participation Fee is applicable.

The GeM bid documents expressly state that asking for any Tender Fee or Bid Participation Fee is not permitted under the applicable GeM framework.

EMD

The GeM bid records:

1. EMD Required: No
2. ePBG Required: No

The estimated bid value is ₹1 lakh. Under the applicable GeM GTC, bids with an estimated value below ₹5 lakh do not require bid security/EMD.

Accordingly, for this particular tender:

EMD amount: Nil / Not Required.

Therefore, the EMD mode is also Not Applicable.

For general GeM purposes, eligible MSEs and DPIIT-recognised Startups can receive EMD exemptions where an EMD is otherwise applicable and the prescribed conditions are met.

Submission Guidelines

The tender is an online GeM procurement.

The bid is classified as a Two Packet Bid, meaning bidders should carefully upload the required technical/qualification documents and submit the financial offer through the appropriate GeM bid mechanism.

Important submission points include:

1. Bid must be submitted online through GeM.
2. Required qualification documents must be uploaded with the technical bid.
3. Scanned self-attested supporting documents should be provided wherever required by the PQC/ATC.
4. Financial pricing should be entered in the financial bid/price schedule.
5. Price elements should not be disclosed in the technical bid where prohibited by GeM rules.
6. Relevant contracts, work orders and completion certificates should be uploaded as evidence of experience.
7. Turnover should be supported by audited financial statements or a CA/Cost Accountant certificate.
8. Bidders claiming applicable MSE benefits should ensure their GeM and Udyam details are properly validated.

The GeM bid also provides an auto-extension mechanism of three days, up to one time, subject to the conditions specified in the bid.

Important Tender Dates

The GeM Availability Report was generated on 20 August 2026 and records that the Basic Scuba Diving Training category was not available on GeM for the search performed by the buyer.

Document Checklist for Bidders

Prospective bidders should prepare the following documents before submitting the GeM bid:

1. Company registration/incorporation proof.
2. GST Registration Certificate, where applicable.
3. Valid diving federation/recognised affiliation certificate.
4. Valid active instructor certification/cards for deployed trainers.
5. Evidence of Emergency First Response (EFR) certification for relevant instructors.
6. Financial turnover certificate from Chartered Accountant/Cost Accountant.
7. Certified audited balance sheets/financial statements for the relevant financial years.
8. Experience certificates for similar scuba, underwater, adventure or training assignments.
9. Relevant work orders/contracts supporting past experience.
10. GeM CRAC/work completion certificates, wherever applicable.
11. Non-blacklisting/non-debarment declaration.
12. Evidence of relevant local regulatory/tourism registration or permissions, where applicable.
13. Documents supporting claimed MSE/Udyam status, if applicable.
14. Technical compliance statement against the Scope of Work.
15. Technical proposal covering training methodology and batch management.
16. Proposed training schedule and batch-wise deployment plan.
17. Details of scuba diving and safety equipment proposed to be deployed.
18. Safety and emergency response arrangements.
19. Details of medical screening arrangements.
20. Details of oxygen, first-aid and rescue arrangements.
21. Details of certification to be issued to successful participants.
22. Undertakings/declarations required under the GeM bid and applicable ATC.
23. Any additional document specifically requested under the GeM ATC.

The bid document identifies the required supporting categories as Experience Criteria, Bidder Turnover, Certificate requested in the ATC and Additional Document 1, and separately lists the Scope of Work, Payment Terms, GAR, PQC, technical specifications and competent-authority undertaking as bid documents.

Key Commercial and Contractual Conditions

The payment terms specify that the bill will be accepted only after satisfactory completion of the activity in accordance with the required standards. No advance or part payment is to be made.

Payment is to be processed after receipt of the final bill, through CDA (Army), Meerut, and the payment process may take approximately 30 to 40 days.

The buyer may also increase or decrease the contract quantity or duration by up to 25%, subject to the terms of the bid. For a lump-sum service contract, the buyer may increase the scope and contract value by up to 25% with the consent of the service provider.

The Scope of Work further places additional expenditure relating to vendor personnel, boarding, lodging, food and similar costs on the vendor.

Important Tender Expert Observations

1. Participant count requires careful review

The primary Scope of Work states 85 participants, whereas the detailed technical specification contains wording referring to accommodating 100 cadets. The same technical document separately identifies the target group as 85 NCC cadets.

This is a material specification difference. Bidders should rely on the final GeM bid/ATC and seek clarification through the prescribed GeM mechanism if necessary.

2. Experience provisions appear in more than one form

The uploaded documents contain different formulations regarding similar experience:

1. GeM bid: three years' experience for the same/similar service.
2. Scope of Work: at least three similar activities and three years in the business.
3. PQC: one similar work order of ₹1.5 lakh or more within the last five years.
4. Technical specifications: at least one similar underwater/scuba programme within the past three years.
5. GeM bid's standard experience clause: three/two/one completed similar services against percentage thresholds of the estimated cost.

Because these provisions are not identical, bidders should review the operative ATC and raise clarification where required.

3. Net worth is not prescribed

No separate minimum net worth figure has been identified in the uploaded bid, PQC, Scope of Work or technical qualification documents.

4. No tender fee and no EMD

The tender does not require a tender fee or EMD. The GeM bid specifically marks EMD as not required, while the applicable GeM provisions also explain the treatment of bid security below the ₹5 lakh threshold.

5. GAR confirms absence of an existing relevant GeM category

The GeM Availability Report states that the searched category for Basic Scuba Diving Training was not available on GeM, supporting the buyer's use of a custom bid process.

Why This Tender May Be Relevant to Scuba Diving Training Service Providers

The tender provides an opportunity for eligible scuba diving training organisations, diving academies, adventure training providers and qualified service providers with appropriate institutional experience to participate in a government procurement process.

However, this is a safety-sensitive training assignment. Technical compliance, instructor credentials, diving equipment, emergency oxygen, medical screening, first-aid capability, certification and documented institutional experience are important areas for bidder preparation.

The tender also provides MSE purchase preference, subject to the conditions specified in the bid and applicable procurement policy. The bid records MSE purchase preference and a 15% price band.

For tender consultation and advisory services, please call or WhatsApp 9630030343 or email support@skillcouncils.com