Evaluation Criteria

What are Evaluation Criteria?

Evaluation Criteria are the published factors that a government agency uses to assess tender responses. They define how submissions will be scored and compared, and they are a critical element of every Request for Tender, RFP, and RFQ. Under Australian procurement rules, agencies must evaluate responses only against the criteria stated in the tender documents.

Common Types of Evaluation Criteria

While criteria vary by procurement, common categories include:

• Technical capability — does the supplier have the skills, experience, and resources to deliver?
• Methodology and approach — is the proposed approach sound and well-considered?
• Relevant experience — has the supplier delivered similar work successfully?
• Key personnel — do the proposed team members have the right qualifications and experience?
• Price — is the pricing competitive and does it represent Value for Money?
• Risk management — has the supplier identified and mitigated key risks?
• Local Content — does the supplier use Australian or local businesses and workers?

How Are Criteria Weighted?

Agencies typically assign weightings (as percentages or relative importance) to each criterion. For example:

• Technical capability: 30%
• Methodology: 25%
• Price: 25%
• Experience: 15%
• Risk: 5%

Under the Commonwealth Procurement Rules, agencies must state the relative importance of criteria. Some state jurisdictions allow criteria to be listed in order of importance without specific percentings.

Tips for Tenderers

• Structure your response around the criteria — use the same headings and numbering as the tender documents.
• Allocate effort proportionally — spend the most time on heavily weighted criteria.
• Provide evidence, not assertions — back up every claim with examples, data, or references.
• Address every criterion — a blank or weak response to any criterion can significantly impact your overall score, even if you excel elsewhere.