Mandatory Criteria Compliance Matrix

A Mandatory Criteria Compliance Matrix is a bid-evaluation table that lists the mandatory requirements of a solicitation and requires the bidder to indicate whether each one is met. Bidders normally support each response with evidence or a cross-reference to the part of the proposal that demonstrates compliance.

Mandatory requirements are minimum conditions. They are assessed on a met or not-met basis, and a bid that fails one can be treated as non-responsive. The matrix is the working tool that lets evaluators check every mandatory requirement in a consistent, objective way. PSPC describes mandatory requirements as the minimum requirements for bids to be considered, evaluated on a simple pass/fail basis, in its evaluation criteria guidance for client departments.

How Canadian federal solicitations lay out the matrix

The exact label varies by solicitation, but the mechanism is the same. A National Defence request for standing offers identifies mandatory requirements with the word "must" and requires the offeror to use a Compliance Matrix, answering Yes or No for each requirement. All mandatory requirements must be met. The document is posted on CanadaBuys: National Defence request for standing offers.

Another CanadaBuys solicitation labels a section as a Compliance Matrix for mandatory requirements. Bidders indicate whether each performance specification is met and provide a cross-reference to the supporting information. The layout is visible in this CanadaBuys tender document.

A third federal solicitation asks bidders to address each mandatory technical criterion in the Compliance Matrix and state whether the offered product meets or does not meet it. See the request for proposal on CanadaBuys.

Mandatory criteria compared with rated criteria

The matrix deals with eligibility, not quality. Mandatory criteria decide whether a bid is responsive. Rated criteria, by contrast, assign points to bids that have already cleared mandatory screening. A technical scoring matrix is a different document with a different purpose.

The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman reviewed procurement practices at Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. It states that mandatory criteria identify the minimum requirements essential to successful completion of the work, and that failing to meet one must result in disqualification. It also stresses that criteria must be clearly described so that bidders know what to demonstrate and evaluators have an objective, measurable standard. Read the full procurement practice review.

Related terms in NATO solicitations

NATO solicitations use close relatives of the same tool, including Requirements Matrix, Requirements Criteria Matrix and Compliance Matrix. In RFP 2013/22, NATO states that compliance with all requirements in its Requirements Matrix is mandatory and that failure may automatically exclude a bidder from evaluation. The wording is in the NATO RFP 2013/22 document.

Canadian suppliers bidding on NATO work will therefore meet the same pass/fail logic under a different name.

What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

The matrix is where many bids are won or lost before any scoring begins. A supplier should:

• complete the matrix exactly as the solicitation instructs;
• respond to every mandatory criterion, leaving no row blank;
• provide the requested evidence, such as documents, certifications, qualifications or technical explanations;
• give precise proposal page or attachment cross-references where they are requested; and
• avoid unsupported assertions, because an unmet or inadequately demonstrated criterion can make the bid non-responsive.

Treat each row as a pass/fail test. Read the solicitation for the word "must", build the matrix from those statements, and check each response against the evidence you attach before submitting.