What are Evaluation Criteria?
Evaluation Criteria are the pre-defined standards by which contracting authorities assess and compare submitted bids. They determine which bid receives the contract – the most economically advantageous tender.
Types
Price criteria: Bid price, life-cycle costs, operating costs, maintenance costs
Quality criteria: Technical value and innovation, functional properties, sustainability, personnel qualifications, delivery conditions
Weighting
Criteria must be weighted, typically through percentage weighting (e.g., Price 60%, Quality 30%, Sustainability 10%), point scoring systems, or in exceptional cases, descending order of importance.
Requirements
- Transparency: Criteria must be published in tender documents
- Relevance: Criteria must relate to the contract subject
- Non-discrimination: No bidder may be disadvantaged
- Verifiability: Evaluation must be objectively traceable
- Immutability: Criteria cannot be changed after publication
Common Evaluation Methods
- Simple benchmark method
- Extended benchmark method
- Grading systems
- Utility analysis (systematic scoring and weighting)
Practical Tip
Bidders should carefully analyze evaluation criteria and optimize their bid for the highest-weighted criteria. Understanding the weighting helps allocate resources effectively during bid preparation.