Rated Requirements Evaluation Grid

A Rated Requirements Evaluation Grid is the table evaluators use to score the point-rated parts of a bid. It lists each rated requirement, the points available, the points awarded, and the resulting subtotals and totals. Where the solicitation sets a minimum score, the grid also shows whether a bid reaches it.

Canadian solicitations use several names for the same tool, including rated criteria grid, rating grid, technical evaluation grid and evaluation grid. The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman explains that rated criteria let evaluators assign marks so the relative merits of bids can be compared. The grid is where those marks are recorded. Read the Ombudsman's guidance.

Rated criteria and mandatory criteria

Canadian federal evaluation criteria are generally split into two kinds. Mandatory criteria set minimum requirements that a bid must meet. Rated criteria receive points and help separate competing bids that are otherwise compliant.

According to the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman, a bidder may need to meet the mandatory criteria and then reach the minimum points required for the rated criteria before price is considered. A bid that falls short of the rated threshold can therefore be set aside before financial evaluation. Source: Office of the Procurement Ombudsman.

What the grid records

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) guidance says evaluation reports should identify the points assigned to each point-rated technical criterion, along with any subtotals and totals. The grid is the working record behind those figures. PSPC also states that point-rated technical evaluation criteria must be consistent with the statement of work and the applicable search criteria. See PSPC assessor guidance.

In centralized professional services procurement, PSPC uses a "Flexible Grid". It assigns points for factors such as relevant education, professional certification and experience. It then gives a total score for each proposed resource and shows whether that resource meets the required minimum score.

Where Canadian buyers use evaluation grids

• PSPC construction and consulting work: Fairness monitoring reports describe evaluators using technical evaluation grids and consensus meetings to assess mandatory and rated requirements. Examples include the 1500 Bronson rehabilitation project and the Shawinigan federal building procurement.
• Indigenous Services Canada: The department states that its technical evaluation grid determines how bids are ranked. It also identifies which criteria are mandatory and which are point-rated. Read the ISC guidance.
• CanadaBuys solicitations: One published solicitation states that offers are scored against the point-rated criteria in the evaluation grid. Another request for proposal sets out a Point Rated Technical Criteria grid that evaluates the technical merit of each submission. It specifies both a maximum score and a minimum passing mark.

Oversight of rated criteria grids

The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman has reviewed whether rated criteria grids match the solicitation. Its reviews stress that scoring criteria, maximum points and minimum thresholds must be clearly communicated to bidders. Examples include its 2022 review and a 2023 review. A grid that departs from what the solicitation published is a point of procurement practice that the Ombudsman examines.

What it means for a supplier

Treat the grid as the scoring sheet your bid will be marked against. Respond directly to every rated requirement, and support each claimed point with evidence such as project examples, qualifications, certifications, experience or methodology, as the solicitation specifies.

• Check the maximum points and the minimum passing score before you write.
• Follow the required bid structure and submission instructions, because evaluators score only the information you provide.
• Confirm that a shortfall against a rated threshold can stop a bid from reaching financial evaluation.