Mandatory Requirements (M-Requirements)

In Canadian federal procurement, mandatory requirements are the non-negotiable baseline criteria that determine whether your bid even gets considered. Miss one, and your proposal goes straight to rejection—no matter how competitive your pricing or how impressive your technical solution. They're assessed before evaluators look at anything else.

How It Works

According to PSPC's Supply Manual sub-section 4.35.1, mandatory technical evaluation criteria must be assessed on a simple pass/fail basis. The assessor guidance is clear: compliance with each requirement "must be based on a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer." You either meet it completely, or you don't. No partial credit.

These requirements align directly with the Statement of Work and any applicable Flexible Grid. In practice, they identify minimum thresholds—specific certifications, security clearances, or delivery timelines that aren't up for discussion. When PSPC evaluates bids, they're looking for objective evidence: certificates, diplomas, documented proof that you meet each requirement. A vague statement that you "can obtain" a required certification won't cut it.

Here's the thing: the evaluation sequence matters. Mandatory criteria get assessed first, before anyone looks at your rated criteria or pricing. This gate-keeping function protects the integrity of the Basis of Selection—evaluators won't waste time scoring technical merit or comparing prices if you've already failed to meet the baseline. The Supply Manual makes this hierarchy explicit, and PSPC references it across multiple guidance documents to keep procurement officers consistent in how they structure solicitations.

Key Considerations

• Documentation is everything. Saying you meet a requirement isn't enough. You need to provide the specific evidence requested—and it needs to be current and verifiable at the time of bid submission.

• Read the compliance instructions carefully. Some solicitations specify exactly where and how to demonstrate compliance (e.g., "provide evidence in Annex A"). If you bury your proof in the wrong section, evaluators may not go hunting for it.

• One miss means disqualification. Even if you exceed expectations on nine out of ten mandatory requirements, failing the tenth eliminates your bid. There's no averaging or compensating with stronger technical scores.

• Watch for threshold values. Some requirements reference dollar amounts or timelines that change between solicitations. For procurement under $40,000, documentation requirements may be simplified, but mandatory criteria still apply.

Related Terms

Basis of Selection (BOS), Rated Criteria, Statement of Work (SOW)

Sources

• Assessor Guidance for Supply Arrangement Requirements - Public Services and Procurement Canada

• Supply Manual - Government of Canada (see sub-section 4.35.1)

• Supply Manual (Archived Version 05-1) - Public Works and Government Services Canada

Bottom line: treat mandatory requirements as your bid's survival checklist. Before you submit, verify you've provided explicit, documented proof for every single one.