You have submitted a strong bid, but you don't know how the buyer will score it. Understanding how bids are scored in public procurement lets you anticipate your competitors' scores, position your price strategically and highlight your strengths in the technical proposal. This guide explains the most common formulas and the European rules that apply, with national examples.
The legal framework: which criteria are allowed?
Under the 2014 European procurement directives (Article 67 of Directive 2014/24/EU), contracting authorities award contracts on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT), assessed on price or cost alone or, more often, on the best price-quality ratio.
Buyers are free to define the criteria they use, provided that they:
- Are linked to the subject matter of the contract or its performance conditions
- Are precisely defined in the tender documents
- Respect the principles of transparency and equal treatment
- Do not lead to discrimination
The most frequently used criteria
💰 Price (or cost)
Almost always used. Typical weighting: 40% to 60%. For works contracts, often around 40-50%.
🔧 Technical merit
Organisation, methodology, quality of human and material resources. Typical weighting: 40% to 50%.
📅 Completion time
For works or delivery contracts. Often a sub-criterion of technical merit. Weighting: 5% to 15%.
🌱 Sustainability
Rising sharply since 2020. CO₂ emissions, local jobs, accessibility, environmental certifications. Weighting: 5% to 20%.
🎓 Team quality
Experience of the proposed key staff, training, certifications. Common for intellectual services (architecture, engineering, consulting).
🔒 After-sales / Warranties
For supply and equipment contracts. Warranty period, response time, spare parts availability.
Scoring methods for the price criterion
The method used to calculate the price score must be set out in the tender documents. Here are the three most common methods:
Method 1: ratio to the lowest bid
Example: maximum score = 20. Lowest price among bidders = €90,000. Your price = €100,000.
Your score = (90,000 / 100,000) × 20 = 18/20
This is the most common method. It clearly favours the cheapest bids.
Method 2: ratio to the average bid
The bidder offering the average price gets the maximum score. Prices that are too low or too high are penalised. This method is used less and less, as it is considered not very objective.
Method 3: linear interpolation between thresholds
The buyer sets a floor price (maximum score) and a ceiling price (zero score). Your score depends on where you sit between the two.
A worked example of a final score
Architecture and engineering contract — Media library (construction budget: €2m)
Criteria: Price 40% — Technical merit 50% — Sustainability 10%
| Criterion | Weighting | Your score /20 | Competitor A /20 | Competitor B /20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 40 % | 16 | 20 | 14 |
| Technical merit | 50 % | 17 | 14 | 15 |
| Sustainability | 10 % | 18 | 12 | 16 |
| Final score /20 | 100 % | 16,9 | 16,0 | 14,9 |
Score = (16×0.4) + (17×0.5) + (18×0.1) = 6.4 + 8.5 + 1.8 = 16.7/20. Competitor A has the best price but a weaker technical score. You win this contract despite a higher price.
How can you optimise your score?
1. Read the tender documents carefully before pricing. They set out the criteria, their weighting and sometimes the sub-criteria and their scale. This is your roadmap for optimising every point.
2. Estimate your competitors' prices. On recurring contracts (same buyer, same type of service), award information from previous contracts is often public and available on the platforms. You can use it to calibrate your price positioning.
3. Don't sacrifice technical merit for price. One more point on the technical criterion (50% weighting) is often worth more than a 5 to 10% price cut (40% weighting). Simulate both scenarios before submitting your bid.
4. Maximise the secondary criteria. Bidders often underestimate sustainability (10%). If you can get the maximum score on this criterion, it's a real competitive advantage.
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