An evaluation grid is the scoring matrix that turns your procurement criteria into actual numbers. It's how evaluators assess proposals systematically—assigning points to technical factors, applying weightings, and calculating scores that determine which bid offers the best value. Without it, you're left with subjective opinions instead of defensible decisions.
How It Works
The Supply Manual doesn't actually use the term "evaluation grid," but sections 4.40 and 4.45 describe exactly how to build one. Section 4.40 requires that your solicitation clearly describe the evaluation methodology, including all mandatory and point-rated criteria and their weighting. Section 4.45 then walks through the evaluation methods themselves—lowest priced responsive bid, highest combined rating of technical merit and price, and others—which you implement through the grid.
Here's the thing: the grid typically starts with your technical criteria. You might allocate 20 points for experience, 30 for methodology, 15 for resources, and so on. Each criterion gets a weight reflecting its importance. Evaluators score each proposal against these criteria, and the grid calculates the total technical score. PSPC's standard RFP templates include this matrix right in the solicitation document, showing bidders exactly how you'll assess them. Many RFPs set a minimum technical score—often 70% of available points—that bidders must achieve before their price is even considered.
For combined technical and price evaluations, the grid gets more interesting. You need to specify the relative weighting between technical quality and cost—maybe technical counts for 60% and price for 40%. The grid converts raw scores into weighted percentages, then combines them to produce a final ranking. Treasury Board guidance on evaluation criteria distinguishes between mandatory requirements (pass/fail) and point-rated factors (where the grid does its work), helping you determine both technical merit and best overall value.
Key Considerations
- Disclose everything upfront. Your solicitation must show the complete grid—criteria, points, weightings, minimum thresholds. Bidders need to see how you'll measure them. This transparency requirement flows directly from Treasury Board contracting policy principles of fairness and openness.
- Consistency matters. Every evaluator on your team needs to apply the grid the same way. That means clear rating scales, detailed evaluation guides, and calibration sessions before you start scoring. The grid only delivers objective results if people use it objectively.
- Watch your math on combined evaluations. The formula for blending technical and financial scores can dramatically affect outcomes. A small change in the technical/price weighting can flip your ranking. Model different scenarios before you finalize the grid.
- Minimum scores protect you from lowest-price disasters. Setting a technical threshold—say, 70 out of 100 points—ensures you don't end up with a cheap bid that can't actually deliver. But set it too high and you might disqualify acceptable proposals unnecessarily.
Related Terms
Mandatory Criteria, Point-Rated Criteria, Evaluation Methodology, Technical Merit
Sources
- Supply Manual – Section 4.40: Bid Solicitation
- Supply Manual – Section 4.45: Evaluation Methods
- Treasury Board Secretariat – Evaluation Criteria Guidance
Build your grid carefully and document your scoring thoroughly. When a debriefing request or challenge comes—and eventually one will—your evaluation grid and scoring records are your first line of defense.