Tender benchmarks & data
Aggregated, anonymised insights drawn from hundreds of real UK tender packs. No contracting authority, reference number, or identifiable data is ever published — only the patterns that help you write stronger bids.
71
Anonymised data points
19
Benchmark metrics tracked
32
Recurring question themes
Evaluation & pricing benchmarks
Median, lower-quartile and upper-quartile values across the sample. Filter by sector or buyer type to see what's typical for your market.
| Metric | Sector | Buyer type | Sample | Median | Lower Q | Upper Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blended day rate share of price score | Digital & technology | Central government | 1 | 90% | 90% | 90% |
| Minimum quality threshold | All sectors | Public sector | 3 | 70% | 65% | 70% |
| Price / commercial weighting | All sectors | Public sector | 7 | 30% | 30% | 50% |
| Price / commercial weighting | Creative & marketing | Arms-length body | 2 | 20% | 20% | 30% |
| Price / commercial weighting | Heating & building works | Local authority | 2 | 60% | 50% | 60% |
| Price / commercial weighting | Public frameworks | Central government | 2 | 15% | 10% | 20% |
| Price weighting - facilities & hard services | Facilities management | Public sector | 2 | 60% | 60% | 60% |
| Price weighting - professional & digital services | Professional services | Public sector | 4 | 27.5% | 22.5% | 30% |
| Quality / technical weighting | Creative & marketing | Arms-length body | 2 | 80% | 70% | 80% |
| Quality / technical weighting | IT hosting & web | Public corporation | 1 | 50% | 50% | 50% |
| Quality / technical weighting | Heating & building works | Local authority | 2 | 30% | 30% | 40% |
| Quality / technical weighting | Public frameworks | Central government | 2 | 85% | 80% | 90% |
| Quality / technical weighting | All sectors | Public sector | 7 | 70% | 50% | 70% |
| Service credits as share of monthly account | Facilities & maintenance | Arms-length body | 1 | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Social value question word limit | All sectors | Public sector | 4 | 375 | 250 | 500 |
| Social value weighting | All sectors | Public sector | 5 | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Social value weighting | Heating & building works | Local authority | 2 | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Typical individual question weighting | All sectors | All buyer types | 9 | 15% | 10% | 25% |
| Typical question word limit | All sectors | Public sector | 13 | 800 | 500 | 2000 |
Recurring tender question themes
The questions that appear most frequently across the tenders we've analysed, with typical weightings and word limits.
| Question theme | Category | Frequency | Typical weighting | Word limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service delivery and quality assurance | Technical | 8 | 14% | 1,500 |
| Project team and key personnel | Capability | 8 | 20% | 800 |
| Staffing, resourcing, supervision and TUPE | Technical | 7 | 15% | 1,500 |
| Past performance / relevant case study | Experience | 7 | 10% | 1,000 |
| Social value: tackling economic inequality | Social value | 7 | 10% | 250 |
| Mobilisation and implementation plan | Technical | 7 | 15% | 2,000 |
| Project methodology and delivery approach | Delivery | 7 | 20% | 1,000 |
| Environmental sustainability credentials | Social value | 7 | 10% | 500 |
| Management information and reporting | Contract management | 6 | 10% | 750 |
| Cyber security assurance | Security | 6 | 15% | 1,000 |
| Social value: fighting climate change / net zero | Social value | 6 | 10% | 500 |
| Relevant experience and comparable work | Evidence | 6 | 30% | 1,000 |
| Carbon reduction plan compliance | Compliance | 6 | — | — |
| Contract and performance management (KPIs and reporting) | Technical | 6 | 10% | 1,000 |
| Mobilisation and transition plan | Delivery | 6 | 15% | 1,000 |
| Continuous improvement and innovation | Technical | 5 | 14% | 1,000 |
| Equality, diversity and inclusion | Social value | 5 | 10% | 800 |
| Pricing and commercial model rationale | Commercial | 5 | 30% | 500 |
| Consortia members and subcontracting | Compliance | 5 | — | 500 |
| Understanding of opportunities and challenges | Understanding | 5 | 20% | 800 |
| KPIs and service credits | Contract management | 5 | 10% | 750 |
| Prompt payment and supply chain terms | Compliance | 5 | — | 500 |
| Financial standing and viability assessment | Compliance | 5 | — | — |
| Risk management and business continuity | Technical | 5 | 8% | 1,000 |
| Accessibility and inclusive design | Technical | 4 | 10% | 750 |
| Technical solution and infrastructure | Technical | 4 | 15% | 2,000 |
| Information security, data protection and GDPR | Compliance | 4 | 0% | 800 |
| Health and safety | Compliance | 4 | 0% | 800 |
| Technology and platform capability | Technical | 4 | 45% | 1,500 |
| Managed service and ongoing support | Service | 4 | 20% | 1,000 |
| Stakeholder engagement and partnership working | Technical | 4 | 9% | 1,000 |
| Emergency services and incident liaison | Technical | 3 | 9% | 800 |