Rated Criteria

In Canadian federal procurement, rated criteria (also called point-rated criteria) are criteria scored on a points scale. Evaluators use them to assess elements of a technical bid and to distinguish the relative merits of competing offers. CanadaBuys buyer guidance directs contracting officers to use them for this purpose.

Rated criteria form part of a solicitation's evaluation methodology. They generally assess value-added factors over and above the mandatory requirements of the opportunity. A solicitation may use mandatory criteria alone, rated criteria alone, or a combination of both, as CanadaBuys explains for suppliers.

How rated criteria differ from mandatory criteria

Mandatory criteria identify essential requirements. A bid that does not meet them is non-compliant. Rated criteria do something different: they award points for how well a bid addresses a stated element, so that stronger responses score higher than weaker ones.

The two work in sequence. Only offers that meet all mandatory criteria are normally subject to point rating, according to CanadaBuys buyer guidance. In a typical federal process, the bidder passes the mandatory criteria, then meets the minimum rated-criteria score, and only then are price and the stated selection method applied, as described in an Office of the Procurement Ombudsman review of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Failing a mandatory criterion or the required minimum score can disqualify a bid before the financial section is considered.

What a solicitation must say about points and thresholds

• The maximum points available for each rated criterion must be stated.
• Any mandatory minimum thresholds must be identified. These can be an overall minimum score, minimum scores for individual criteria, or both.
• The tender notice must identify the minimum and maximum points for each criterion.

These requirements appear in the CanadaBuys method-of-selection guidance and in the CanadaBuys page on how bids are evaluated. The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman's review of Public Services and Procurement Canada also addresses the stated maximum points.

Factors federal buyers commonly score

PSPC's bidding seminar notes give examples of point-rated factors:

• Strategy
• Principles
• Methodology
• Company experience
• Team or resource experience
• Facilities and equipment

Each factor lets the evaluation team compare how bidders would approach and deliver the work, not just whether they meet the baseline.

Rated criteria in defence and professional-services bids

A PSPC fairness-monitoring report on Meaford Site Support Services for the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre recorded a technical evaluation that required a minimum of 2,800 points out of a possible 4,000. That is a scored technical evaluation in a Canadian military-training-support procurement.

For professional services, PSPC's assessor guidance on bid solicitation preparation states that point-rated technical criteria help determine which response represents the best value. The criteria must be consistent with the statement of work and the search criteria.

Ombudsman reviews also identify point-rated criteria in procurements by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

What rated criteria mean for your bid

Respond directly to every rated criterion and provide the evidence and detail the solicitation requests. Meeting the mandatory criteria alone is not enough when a minimum rated score applies, so read the stated thresholds before you plan the response. Allocate effort according to the maximum points available for each criterion, and confirm whether an individual criterion carries its own minimum. A strong price does not rescue a bid that falls below the technical threshold.