Rated Criteria (R Criteria)

Rated criteria, also called point-rated technical criteria, are the scored part of a bid evaluation in Canadian public procurement. They assess the technical merits of a proposal and help the buyer distinguish one bid from another. CanadaBuys explains that rated criteria assess elements of the technical bid and rank bids according to their relative merits. See how bids are evaluated and selected.

Rated criteria normally look at value-added factors above the mandatory requirements of a tender opportunity. Solicitations commonly label them R.1, R.2, R.3 and so on in the evaluation tables, which is why suppliers also call them R criteria. Each one carries a point score, and the solicitation states the maximum points available and any minimum threshold a bidder must reach.

Rated criteria compared with mandatory criteria

Mandatory criteria are generally evaluated pass or fail. A bid that fails a mandatory requirement is not considered further. Rated criteria apply only to bids that have met those requirements, and they let evaluators compare compliant bids on relative technical merit. A solicitation may use mandatory criteria, point-rated criteria, or a combination of both, as described in the CanadaBuys guidance on bid evaluation.

How points and minimum scores work

CanadaBuys requires a solicitation to identify the maximum points for each rated criterion and any minimum threshold needed for compliance. The buyer's guide sets this out under specifying evaluation criteria. The Treasury Board Secretariat describes point-rated evaluation criteria as a means of determining relative technical merit and best overall value to the Crown, as outlined in its evaluation criteria page.

Some solicitations set more than one threshold. A Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) procurement for printing, warehousing, order fulfilment and distribution of secure documents required minimum scores for specified point-rated criteria and an overall minimum score for the point-rated criteria. The details appear in the fairness monitoring report. A bid can therefore be eliminated by a weak score on a single criterion even if its total looks competitive.

What rated criteria look like in real solicitations

• A CanadaBuys translation services RFP lists rated criteria R.1 through R.5, assigns maximum points to each and sets a minimum pass mark.
• A reference data management services RFP groups its rated criteria into categories including vendor experience, proposed approach, team qualifications and performance.

Rated criteria appear in service procurements such as translation, printing, reference-data management and audio-visual services. Typical subjects include experience, proposed methodology, team qualifications, quality-control processes and sample work.

Rules buyers follow when writing rated criteria

PSPC guidance for the Centralized Professional Services System requires point-rated technical criteria to be consistent with the statement of work and to describe the requirement clearly. The guidance is published under bid solicitation preparation. This means each R criterion should trace back to the work the contract describes.

What rated criteria mean for your bid

Address every rated criterion in the response format the solicitation prescribes, and supply the evidence it asks for. An item that is not addressed may receive zero points, depending on the solicitation's rules, so an omission can cost you points and put a minimum score out of reach. Check the minimum and maximum points for each criterion before you plan your response, and put the most effort into the criteria that carry the most points. Confirm whether the solicitation sets an overall minimum, minimums for individual criteria, or both, and write to meet each one.