Technical Evaluation

Before anyone looks at the price of a bid, they need to know if the bidder can actually do the work. That's what technical evaluation is about—systematically checking whether proposals meet the mandatory requirements and, often, rating them against weighted criteria before moving on to price. It's the gatekeeper that ensures you're only comparing costs among bidders who can deliver.

How It Works

The Supply Manual (Section 5.5) makes this clear: evaluations must check bids for responsiveness to contractual, technical, and financial requirements, all according to procedures laid out in the bid solicitation itself. You can't improvise here. The criteria you evaluate against must be the same ones you published when you issued the solicitation.

In practice, most evaluations use a two-tier approach. According to a 2023 procurement practice review by the Office of the Procurement Ombud, 19 out of 37 files examined had mandatory technical criteria plus a financial evaluation. Another 18 files went further, adding point-rated technical criteria on top of the mandatory requirements. Only 3 were awarded on price alone. This pattern reflects a fundamental principle: establish the minimum bar with mandatory criteria (pass/fail), then differentiate among qualified bidders using rated criteria that assign points based on how well they meet your needs.

Here's the thing: the evaluation doesn't end when you pick a winner. Section 5.35 of the Supply Manual requires that all documents pertaining to bid evaluation must be retained. Your notes, worksheets, scoring matrices, consensus reports—all of it becomes part of the procurement record. PSPC's assessor guidance confirms this. Evaluation reports need to cover the review of each supplier and all resources they proposed, addressing both mandatory and point-rated criteria.

Key Considerations

• The sequence matters. Technical evaluation happens first, and only responsive bids advance to financial evaluation. If you look at pricing before confirming technical compliance, you risk challenge and delay.

• Your evaluation team needs clear instructions. The criteria in your solicitation document become the rulebook, and evaluators must apply them consistently across all bids. Any deviation opens the door to complaints or even legal challenge.

• Documentation standards are high. Every technical evaluation decision—why a bid passed or failed mandatory criteria, how you assigned points on rated criteria—needs to be recorded and defensible. Treasury Board's Contracting Policy framework, flowing from the Financial Administration Act, establishes these requirements.

• Mandatory criteria are binary. Either a bid meets them or it doesn't. There's no "almost compliant" or "close enough"—failed mandatory criteria mean automatic disqualification before you ever look at rated elements or price.

Related Terms

Financial Evaluation, Responsive Bid, Mandatory Criteria, Point-Rated Criteria

Sources

• Supply Manual - Chapter 5: Contracting (Sections 5.5, 5.35)

• Procurement Practice Review of PSPC - Evaluation Criteria and Selection Plans (2023)

• Evaluation of Proposals—Assessor Guidance Document

The technical evaluation is where procurement discipline shows up most clearly. Set your criteria carefully, evaluate consistently, and document everything—because if your process can't withstand scrutiny, neither can your award decision.