How to participate in a public tender: the complete step-by-step guide

From CNPJ to final bid: what your company needs to sell to the government, how much it costs to get started and which mistakes eliminate bids before the competition even begins.

Updated Oct 23, 2026 · Busca Licitações

This text was written for companies registered in Brazil. Foreign suppliers should also read how foreign companies can bid in Brazilian public tenders.

Selling to the government doesn't take connections or luck — it takes following a roadmap. The Brazilian public sector buys everything, from coffee and paper to software, construction and ambulances, and the law requires those purchases to be public and open to competition. What separates those who sell from those who just complain that "public tenders (licitações) are for the big players" is, almost always, document organization. This guide covers the whole path.

1. Get your company in order

The first requirement is an active CNPJ (Brazilian company tax ID) with a CNAE (economic activity code) compatible with what you intend to supply. If the tender notice (edital) calls for cleaning supplies and your corporate purpose only covers IT services, your bid fails at qualification (habilitação). Review your articles of association before you start: changing the CNAE takes a few days and costs little; losing a tender over it costs the whole contract.

Individual microentrepreneurs (MEI) and micro and small businesses (ME/EPP) are not at a disadvantage — quite the opposite. Complementary Law 123/2006 (Small Business Statute) guarantees them the tie preference (empate ficto, the chance to beat the lowest bid), extra time to regularize certificates and, in purchases of up to R$ 80,000, exclusive participation. Many electronic direct awards (dispensas eletrônicas) fall within that range.

2. Gather the certificates

Qualification is where most beginners stumble. The standard set includes:

• Federal good standing: joint certificate from Receita Federal (the tax authority) and PGFN, covering federal taxes and federal debt;
• FGTS: certificate of good standing (CRF) for the FGTS (severance fund), issued by Caixa;
• Labor: CNDT, issued by the TST (Superior Labor Court);
• State and municipal: tax certificates where the company is headquartered;
• Bankruptcy and judicial reorganization: certificate from the civil court registry;
• Economic and financial qualification: balance sheet for the last fiscal year, with minimum accounting ratios;
• Technical qualification: technical capacity certificates (atestados de capacidade técnica) from previous clients, proving you have done something similar.

All of them have short validity — from 30 to 180 days. Keep a digital folder and an expiration spreadsheet: that simple routine is what lets you answer a tender notice in 48 hours instead of giving up on it.

3. Register on the bidding platforms

Each tender runs on a platform. The most common are Compras.gov.br (the federal government and thousands of municipalities), BLL, BNC, Licitanet, Portal de Compras Públicas and states' own systems. Registration on Compras.gov.br (the former SICAF) is free and the most widely used; private platforms usually charge an annual or per-tender fee.

Registration takes two to ten days, because it involves a document review. Doing it before you find the right tender lets you compete calmly when it appears.

4. Find the right tender

This is the daily work. More than six thousand new procurements are published every business day in Brazil. Searching by what you sell — not by agency — makes the difference: search for "material de limpeza" (cleaning supplies), "notebook" (laptop) or the Portuguese term for your product, filter by your state and sort by deadline. Repeat the search with synonyms: the agency may have written "gêneros alimentícios" (foodstuffs) where you would say "alimentos" (food).

Check three numbers before investing time: the estimated value (does it fit your delivery capacity?), the bid deadline (is there time to gather everything?) and the delivery location (does shipping make it unviable?).

5. Actually read the tender notice

The tender notice is the law of that procurement. Highlight five points: object and technical specification, qualification requirements, delivery deadline and location, payment terms, and penalties. Requirements for samples, registration with a professional body or certificates showing a minimum quantity are common — if you don't meet them, better to find out while reading than after winning.

If something is ambiguous or too restrictive, you can request clarification or challenge the tender notice (impugnação), usually up to three business days before the opening. It is a right, it is free, and it often fixes clauses that steered the purchase.

6. Build your bid

Calculate the real cost: purchase price, taxes under your regime, shipping, packaging, warranty, the financial cost of the payment term (the government usually pays 30 days after certifying delivery) and your margin. Then compare it with the agency's estimated unit value — shown in each tender's item list here on the site. If your cost already exceeds the estimate, there is no point competing.

The classic beginner's mistake: bidding while watching only the competitor. Set your minimum price beforehand and don't go below it. A contract won at a loss is worse than one not won.

7. Take part in the session

In an electronic reverse auction (pregão eletrônico), bids are submitted by the deadline and, at the scheduled time, the bidding phase (fase de lances) opens. The system shows your position without revealing who the competitors are. Then come negotiation with the auctioneer (pregoeiro), submission of the adjusted bid and presentation of the qualification documents. Missing the deadline at this stage means disqualification — have everything ready beforehand.

If you are disqualified for a reason you consider improper, you can register an intention to appeal in the session itself, followed by the written appeal.

8. Deliver and get paid

After winning come the contract signature or the commitment note (nota de empenho), delivery and certification by the contract inspector. Payment comes after that. Meet your deadlines: delays lead to fines, warnings and, in serious cases, debarment from bidding.

How much it costs to get started

Less than most people imagine. Certificates are free. Registration on Compras.gov.br is free. The real costs are the accountant (for the balance sheet and the state and municipal certificates), any annual fees for private platforms, and your time. There is no fee to "enter the world of public tenders" — be wary of anyone who charges for that.

Mistakes that most often eliminate bids

• A certificate expired on the day of the session;
• A bid whose specification differs from the one in the terms of reference;
• A CNAE incompatible with the object;
• Lacking a technical capacity certificate for the required quantity;
• Not attaching the cost breakdown spreadsheet when the tender notice requires it;
• Missing the time — systems close at the exact minute.

Start by following the tenders open today in your state and read two or three tender notices in full, even without bidding. After the third, the pattern becomes clear.