How to become a Philippine government supplier

A draft for a lawyer to review, not yet final.

General information, not legal advice. The notice and the current rules always count.

Last checked against the official sources on 06-Nov-2026.

Short answers

How do I become a government supplier in the Philippines? Register your business with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Cooperative Development Authority. Get a Mayor's Permit, register with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, then register as a merchant on PhilGEPS. Competitive bidding needs PhilGEPS Platinum.

What is the difference between PhilGEPS Red and Platinum? Red is the default membership. It has no fee. Platinum is the upgrade, with a full set of eligibility documents. Competitive bidding requires Platinum.

How much does PhilGEPS Platinum cost? The 2026 Citizen's Charter of the Procurement Service, which manages PhilGEPS, lists a fee of ₱5,030 and a processing time of 7 working days.

How long is PhilGEPS Platinum valid? One year. It can be renewed. It is suspended automatically if any eligibility document expires, until you update the document.

Do I need Platinum for small value procurement? Not always. Government Procurement Policy Board guidelines accept a PhilGEPS Organization ID or a Platinum certificate. Read the request for quotation.

Can a sole proprietor sell to the government? Yes. Duly licensed Filipino citizens and sole proprietorships are eligible to bid.

How do I become a government supplier?

You register your business, then register on the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS). The steps are:

1. Register your business with the right agency.

2. Get a Mayor's Permit or Business Permit from your city or municipal hall.

3. Register with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). PhilGEPS asks local merchants for the BIR Certificate of Registration.

4. Register as a merchant on PhilGEPS. Choose "Sign Up", then "Merchant Registration".

5. Upgrade to Platinum membership before you take part in competitive bidding.

Can my type of business bid?

Usually, if your business is Filipino-owned. For goods, these may bid:

• Duly licensed Filipino citizens and sole proprietorships.
• Partnerships and corporations organized in the Philippines that are at least 60% Filipino-owned.
• Cooperatives organized in the Philippines.
• Joint ventures with at least 60% Filipino interest.

Foreign bidders may bid for goods only in limited cases.

Where do I register my business?

The agency depends on your form of business.

DTI. You can register online through the Business Name Registration System. The fee depends on territorial scope: ₱200 for barangay, ₱500 for city or municipality, ₱1,000 for regional and ₱2,000 for national. A ₱30 documentary stamp tax is added. Registration lasts five years. It gives your business a legal identity, but you still need a Mayor's Permit to operate.

SEC. The SEC's eSPARC facility takes applications for One Person Corporations and for domestic corporations with two to fifteen incorporators. The SEC reports the review result by email within 3 working days. If approved, you pay the fees and send signed, notarized documents within 30 calendar days of payment. Partnerships also register with the SEC, and the eSPARC page gives a separate contact for them.

CDA. A cooperative gains its legal personality when the CDA issues its Certificate of Registration. The CDA's checklist includes a Pre-Registration Seminar certificate, Articles of Cooperation and Bylaws, an Economic Survey, surety bonds for accountable officers and a Treasurer's Affidavit. Some cooperative types do not need the seminar certificate.

How do I register with the BIR?

You register at the Revenue District Office. Sole proprietors use BIR Form 1901. Corporations, partnerships and cooperatives use BIR Form 1903.

Ask your Revenue District Office for the current list of documents.

What is the difference between PhilGEPS Red and Platinum?

Red is the default. Platinum is the upgrade.

Platinum requires these documents:

• SEC, DTI or CDA registration certificate.
• Mayor's Permit or Business Permit, or an equivalent document.
• Tax clearance for bidding purposes from the BIR.
• Audited Financial Statements stamped "Received" by the BIR. Online filers use the BIR's email confirmation instead.
• License and registration from the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), for contractors only.
• PhilGEPS Sworn Declaration of Compliance.
• For corporations, an updated General Information Sheet showing beneficial ownership. The Implementing Rules and Regulations of the procurement law list this. The 2026 Citizen's Charter checklist does not, so check with PhilGEPS.

Which level do I need?

It depends on how the agency is buying.

Where an agency accepts Red for a quote, you may submit a printed copy of your PhilGEPS Merchant Details.

How do I keep Platinum valid?

Keep every document current. If an eligibility document expires, your certificate is suspended automatically until you update it.

• Renew yearly. The certificate lasts one year.
• Keep your email current. The Bids and Awards Committee and the agency send all communications to the email you registered.
• Be accurate. PhilGEPS can deny or remove a registration for willful misrepresentation or blacklisting.

A Platinum certificate does not mean you are eligible for a particular bid. You must still pass eligibility, evaluation and post-qualification.

Should I pay someone to get me registered?

You can apply yourself on the PhilGEPS website. The Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) manages PhilGEPS. It warns the public not to deal with fixers who offer to facilitate PhilGEPS transactions illegally for a fee.

Do I need to declare who owns my business?

Yes, for the competitive modes. Legal entities must give beneficial ownership information for Competitive Bidding, Limited Source Bidding, Competitive Dialogue and Unsolicited Offer with Bid Matching. You must keep it updated. PS-DBM is authorized to publish a registry of this information through PhilGEPS.

Are there special rules for small businesses?

Some, but the details are still being issued. Agencies may reserve a percentage of opportunities for inclusive suppliers, and may use Small Value Procurement to pilot inclusive buying. These suppliers include microenterprises, social enterprises and startups.

The Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) is to keep a registry of these sectors once data is available. It is also to set exemptions and other support. We have not found a resolution setting those exemptions yet. Registered sectors may also be allowed to post a Performance Securing Declaration instead of a performance security.

About Verisio

Verisio is a private service that helps businesses find government opportunities and prepare for them. It is not a government website or a procurement portal. Registration stays with PhilGEPS. Posting, bid receipt, award and payment stay with the agency and PhilGEPS.