When you respond to a Canadian government solicitation, you'll face two fundamentally different types of evaluation criteria. Mandatory criteria are your entry ticket—fail even one, and you're out. Point-rated criteria determine who wins among those who made it past the gate. Understanding this distinction isn't just academic; it's the difference between disqualification and competitive positioning.
How It Works
The Supply Manual Section 4.35.1 lays out the framework clearly: "Mandatory criteria are evaluated on a pass/fail basis. Bids that fail to meet any mandatory criterion are declared non-responsive and receive no further consideration." These requirements represent the minimum threshold—the essential capabilities or qualifications without which the project simply can't succeed. Think certifications, security clearances, or specific technical specifications that aren't negotiable.
Rated criteria work differently. They're designed to assess "the relative merits of each bid" so evaluators can distinguish one compliant proposal from another, according to Supply Manual Section 4.35.5. Every solicitation must state the maximum points available for each rated criterion. A bidder might score 75 points for their project management approach while another scores 85—both are compliant, but one demonstrates stronger capability.
Here's where it gets interesting: solicitations often combine both types with a minimum technical threshold. Supply Manual Section 4.35.5 explicitly states that "when mandatory and rated criteria are combined, any minimum thresholds for the rated criteria must be clearly identified and must be stated as mandatory." So you might need to meet all pass/fail requirements and achieve at least 70% of available technical points before your financial bid is even opened. Treasury Board guidance confirms this practice is common—particularly in complex professional services procurements where technical capability matters as much as price.
Key Considerations
- One strike and you're out: A single failed mandatory criterion disqualifies your entire bid. Doesn't matter how brilliantly you scored on point-rated elements. The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman's 2023 review of PSPC practices confirmed that "bids that did not meet all mandatory criteria were deemed non-responsive"—no exceptions, no second chances.
- Minimum technical scores become mandatory: When a solicitation sets a passing threshold for point-rated criteria (say, 210 out of 300 technical points), that threshold functions as a mandatory requirement. You can't compensate for a weak technical score with a lower price if you don't hit the minimum.
- Maximum points must be disclosed: Contracting authorities are required to tell you exactly how many points each rated criterion is worth. This transparency lets you allocate your proposal effort strategically—don't spend equal energy on a 5-point criterion and a 40-point one.
- Responsiveness is binary, but competitiveness isn't: Training materials from PSPC emphasize that "a proposal is declared responsive if it complies with all the mandatory requirements and meets or exceeds the passing mark." After that gate, relative scores determine basis of selection outcomes.
Related Terms
Compliance Criteria, Technical Evaluation, Minimum Technical Threshold, Basis of Selection, Responsive Bid
Sources
- Supply Manual Section 4.35.1 – General (Technical evaluation criteria)
- Supply Manual Section 4.35.5 – Rated criteria
- Treasury Board Secretariat – Evaluation Criteria: Mandatory and Point-Rated
The two-tier structure protects both parties: government gets minimum acceptable standards enforced rigorously, while vendors compete fairly on demonstrable merit. Read every solicitation's evaluation section twice—once for what disqualifies you, once for what wins.