Criteria for Assessment

Criteria for Assessment are the requirements or standards against which a supplier's submitted statement of capabilities is evaluated. In Canadian federal procurement, the term is tied to the Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN), where the criteria are the minimum essential requirements a potential supplier must demonstrate it meets.

An ACAN is a public notice in which a department names a proposed supplier for a contract while giving other suppliers an opportunity to show they can meet the requirement. The criteria set the bar for that challenge. A supplier that wants the requirement competed must submit a statement of capabilities that shows it satisfies every stated criterion.

How the CanadaBuys Supply Manual defines the criteria

The Supply Manual on CanadaBuys, in its chapter 3 annexes, uses the heading "Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements)." That heading establishes that the criteria are minimum essential requirements, not a scored or weighted list. A supplier either demonstrates each one or it does not. The guidance is published in the Supply Manual chapter 3 annexes.

The manual directs contracting officers to detail the criteria so that they have an adequate basis for evaluating a potential supplier's statement of capabilities. Vague criteria leave both the department and the supplier without a clear test, so the notice must say what has to be shown.

Evaluation on the same basis as the pre-identified supplier

The manual states that the pre-identified supplier in an ACAN must be evaluated on the same basis as other suppliers. The criteria therefore apply to everyone, including the company the department has proposed for the contract. A challenger is measured against the same published standard, not against the proposed supplier's own offer.

What criteria look like in published ACANs

Criteria vary with the requirement. Recent CanadaBuys notices show the range:

• Experience: A Correctional Service Canada ACAN for community residential facilities asks suppliers to demonstrate specified experience, including working with adult offenders on conditional release and providing residential accommodation. It requires at least two years of relevant experience within the preceding five years. See the Correctional Service Canada notice.
• Accreditation and standards experience: A National Research Council Canada ACAN requires Standards Council of Canada accreditation, rights to develop deliverables, and experience in managing and developing codes and standards. See the NRC Canada notice.
• Product compliance: A network service provider server ACAN requires the supplier to demonstrate that its product, equipment or system meets the requirements listed in the definition of the requirement. See the network service provider server notice.
• Measurable technical specifications: A laboratory extruder ACAN identifies maximum dimensions, screw diameter, configurability, processing temperature and minimum feed quantity. See the laboratory extruder notice.

Across these notices, criteria can cover experience, certifications or accreditation, technical characteristics, performance, interoperability, and applicable Canadian or international standards.

What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

When you respond to an ACAN, your statement of capabilities is the only vehicle for showing you qualify. Read the criteria line by line and answer each one directly, with evidence that matches the wording of the notice. Do not rely on general marketing material or assume the department will infer compliance.

Because the criteria are minimum essential requirements, a single unmet item can end your challenge. Check time-bound conditions, such as years of experience within a set period, and confirm that any accreditation named in the notice is current. Where the criteria are measurable, as in equipment notices, provide the specific figures. Submit before the closing date in the notice, since the criteria only help you if your statement is received in time.