Basis of Selection (BOS)

Basis of Selection (BOS) is the part of a procurement solicitation that states how the successful bidder or contractor will be chosen. In Canadian federal procurement, it sets out how responsiveness, mandatory criteria, point-rated criteria, evaluated price and technical merit combine to produce a winner. Where the buyer may award more than one contract, it also says so.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) tells suppliers that the evaluation procedures and basis of selection sections of a solicitation explain the evaluation process and how the contractor will be selected. A bidder who understands the BOS knows, before writing a single page of the proposal, what the buyer will reward and what will remove a bid from consideration.

Four selection methods named by Treasury Board Secretariat

Treasury Board Secretariat guidance on evaluation criteria gives four examples of a basis of selection:

• Lowest evaluated price, with mandatory requirements only.
• Lowest evaluated price, with mandatory requirements and point-rated criteria.
• Lowest price per point.
• A weighted combination of technical merit and price.

Under the second method, bids first have to meet the mandatory requirements. They then generally must achieve a minimum score on the point-rated criteria before price is considered.

PSPC supplier seminar material, available in its bidding opportunities seminar notes, describes the same ideas in plainer terms. A low-priced responsive bid means the lowest-priced bid is selected, provided it meets the mandatory requirements. Best overall value often uses the lowest evaluated price per point, with both mandatory and point-rated technical criteria evaluated. The material also describes selecting the highest-rated technical bid that stays within a stipulated budget.

Where the BOS sits in a federal solicitation

PSPC's guidance on bidding on opportunities places the evaluation procedures and basis of selection in Part 4 of the bid solicitation. The guidance states that bids are normally assessed on technical merit and overall best value as described in that section.

The BOS is also where a buyer addresses multiple awards. Treasury Board Secretariat's contract strategy guidance explains that when more than one contract may be issued, the solicitation can include a clause reserving Canada's right to do so, and that clause belongs in the BOS section.

Standard clauses used in defence solicitations

The Standard Acquisition Clauses and Conditions (SACC) Manual includes clauses titled Basis of Selection. CanadaBuys solicitation documents for Department of National Defence requirements show how they read in practice:

• A0031T, Basis of Selection – Mandatory Technical Criteria. The bid must comply with the solicitation and meet all mandatory technical evaluation criteria. The responsive bid with the lowest evaluated price is recommended for award. See a bid solicitation using this clause.
• A0272T, Basis of Selection – Multiple Items. The same compliance and mandatory criteria apply, and the responsive bid with the lowest evaluated price is recommended for award on an item-by-item basis. See a request for proposal using this clause.

A defence request for proposal using the highest combined rating method states that the bid must meet all mandatory criteria. The bid with the highest total combined rating is then recommended for award, subject to the solicitation's price conditions.

The right-fit option in temporary help services

PSPC's temporary help guidance pairs competitive methods with distinct BOS options. These include lowest-price responsive selection, lowest-price responsive selection with a right-fit option, and highest combined rating of technical merit and price, subject to a minimum point-rated score.

Under the right-fit method, the bid must meet the solicitation requirements and mandatory criteria and comply with specified pricing rules. Bids outside the permitted price band are non-responsive.

What the BOS means for a supplier

Read the BOS before you plan the bid. It tells you whether price alone decides the award, whether a minimum technical score is required, or whether technical merit and price are weighted together. A bid that fails a mandatory requirement or another stated responsiveness condition can be declared non-responsive and excluded from award consideration.

Depending on the method stated, a supplier may need to:

• Comply with every applicable solicitation requirement.
• Meet all mandatory technical criteria.
• Reach any required minimum score on point-rated criteria.
• Submit prices in the required format.
• Satisfy any price band, budget, ratio or item-by-item rule.

Check also whether the buyer has reserved the right to issue more than one contract, since that changes how a partial or item-level bid may fare.