Definition
Award Criteria
The published factors used to decide who wins.
Award criteria are the factors a contracting authority states in advance that it will use to decide which tender wins. Under the Procurement Act 2023 and the earlier Public Contracts Regulations 2015, these criteria must be set out before bids are invited, usually split between price/cost and quality, and applied consistently to every bidder.
Where award criteria sit in the tender pack
Award criteria are normally published in the invitation to tender (ITT) or procurement documents, often in a section headed 'Evaluation Methodology' or 'Basis of Award'. They set out the weighting split, the individual quality questions, and how price will be scored.
Under the Procurement Act 2023 these must relate to the subject matter of the contract and be proportionate; buyers can no longer use vague or unrelated criteria to filter bidders after the fact.
- Price or cost weighting (for example 40%)
- Quality weighting split across named questions
- Any pass/fail or minimum-score gateways
- Method of combining scores into a final ranking
Common mistakes suppliers make
Bidders frequently answer the question they wish had been asked rather than the award criterion actually published. Every paragraph of a quality response should map back to the specific criterion and any sub-criteria or weighting given for it.
Ignoring the stated weighting is another common error: spending disproportionate effort on a 5%-weighted question while under-answering a 25%-weighted one wastes bid-writing time and depresses the overall score.
Checking criteria are lawful and fair
Suppliers who believe published award criteria are discriminatory, disproportionate, or unrelated to the contract can raise a clarification question before bid submission, which is the safest route, since challenging after the award decision is harder and riskier.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between award criteria and selection criteria?
- Selection criteria (economic/financial standing, technical capability) decide whether a supplier can bid at all, usually assessed at PQQ or SQ stage. Award criteria decide which of the qualifying bids wins, based on price and quality once bidding is open.
- Can a buyer change award criteria after publishing the ITT?
- Not without formally amending the procurement documents and, where the change is material, notifying all bidders and potentially extending the deadline. Buyers cannot quietly alter weightings or criteria after tenders have been submitted.
- How much weighting should quality get compared to price?
- There is no fixed rule; it varies by contract. Complex or innovative services often carry higher quality weightings (60-80%), while highly standardised commodities may weight price more heavily. Always check the specific ITT rather than assuming a split.
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