How we assess a tender

Purchasing decisions can be complex and not confined only to price.

The lowest price is not always the most suitable and may not provide the value the council is seeking. Most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) enables tender evaluation on the basis of the quality of the tender bid as well as the price.

Quality is scored against a set of pre determined award criteria identified for each tender. Examples of issues the council would consider before awarding business include:

• delivery and availability against price
• fitness for purpose (quality, suitability for the task to be undertaken etc)
• cost of ownership
• whole life cycle costs, including, spare parts, maintenance costs and projected down time
• on-costs (such as transport and storage)
• the cost of procurement itself
• sustainability/environmental/social value

The underlying rationale for the assessment of tenders is that the decision making process is fair, open and transparent. The timescales and the way the process is structured are dependent on the extent to which the European Procurement Directives apply.

Tenderers are also frequently invited for interviews at which they are encouraged to make presentations in support of their bids. This gives the company and the council the opportunity to ensure that every aspect of the tender had been understood and also allows the company to ask further questions.

Your company's past experience will be relevant (either at pre qualification or at tender evaluation, depending on the procedure) as will references from other similar contracts.