Understanding Government Tender Evaluation Criteria: How to Score Maximum Points
Learn how Australian government tender evaluation works, including weighted criteria, value for money assessments, and proven strategies to maximise your scores. Essential reading for tender writers.
Understanding how government evaluators score your tender is fundamental to winning. Yet many businesses submit bids without truly grasping the evaluation methodology. This guide demystifies government tender evaluation in Australia and shows you how to maximise your scores.
How Government Tender Evaluation Works
Australian government procurement follows the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs) for federal opportunities and similar frameworks at state level. The core principle is 'value for money' – which doesn't mean cheapest price, but the best overall outcome for the agency.
Evaluation typically follows these stages:
1. Compliance Check: Does the bid meet all mandatory requirements?
2. Technical Evaluation: How well does the solution address requirements?
3. Risk Assessment: What are the risks of engaging this supplier?
4. Value for Money: Balancing price against quality and outcomes
5. Consensus Scoring: Evaluators agree on final rankings
Common Evaluation Criteria Categories
While every tender is different, most Australian government procurements evaluate against similar categories:
Technical Capability (20-40%): Your proposed solution, methodology, and approach. Evaluators look for understanding of requirements, innovative thinking, and feasible delivery plans.
Experience and Past Performance (15-30%): Relevant project history, references, and demonstrated success. Specific examples with quantifiable outcomes score highest.
Key Personnel (10-25%): Qualifications, experience, and availability of named team members. Include CVs and highlight relevant project experience.
Price (20-40%): Your pricing against requirements and competitors. Lowest price doesn't always win – evaluators assess pricing reasonableness and whole-of-life costs.
Risk Management (5-15%): Your approach to identifying and mitigating project risks. Demonstrates maturity and realistic planning.
Indigenous Procurement (variable): Many tenders now include weighting for Indigenous participation through the Indigenous Procurement Policy.
The Scoring Scale Explained
Most Australian government evaluations use a 0-10 or 0-5 scoring scale with descriptors. Understanding these helps you target your responses:
0-2: Does not meet requirements or major concerns
3-4: Partially meets requirements with some gaps
5-6: Meets requirements adequately
7-8: Exceeds requirements with demonstrated strengths
9-10: Exceptional response that significantly exceeds requirements
Your goal should be 7+ on every criterion. Anything below 5 on a weighted criterion usually eliminates your bid from consideration.
Strategies to Maximise Your Scores
Address Every Sub-Criterion Explicitly: If the tender asks about 'approach to quality assurance', include a section with that exact heading. Make it easy for evaluators to find your response.
Use the Tender's Language: Mirror the terminology used in tender documents. If they say 'stakeholder engagement', don't call it 'client communication'. Consistency helps evaluators match your response to criteria.
Provide Specific Evidence: Generic claims score poorly. 'We have extensive experience' becomes 'We have delivered 47 similar projects over 12 years, including [specific example] for [agency name].'
Quantify Where Possible: Numbers are compelling. '95% on-time delivery rate', 'reduced processing time by 40%', '$2.3M in cost savings'. Evaluators love data.
Address Risks Proactively: Don't pretend risks don't exist. Acknowledge potential challenges and explain your mitigation strategies. This demonstrates maturity.
Include Value-Adds: What can you offer beyond the minimum requirements? Training, additional reporting, extended warranties – these differentiate your bid.
The Compliance Trap
Here's a critical insight: meeting all mandatory requirements is just the entry ticket. Many businesses assume compliance equals competitiveness – it doesn't. Compliance gets you considered; your response quality determines if you win.
Use tools like GovBid's compliance checker to ensure you meet all mandatory requirements, then focus your energy on crafting responses that score in the 7-10 range on each criterion.
Post-Tender Debriefs
Win or lose, always request a debrief after tender results are announced. Australian government agencies are required to provide feedback to unsuccessful tenderers. These debriefs are invaluable for understanding how your bid was scored and improving future submissions.
Questions to ask in debriefs:
• What were my scores on each criterion?
• Where did I score lowest and why?
• What could I have done differently?
• How did the winning bid differ from mine?
Official Resources
• Commonwealth Procurement Rules - Value for money principles
• Procurement Connected - Department of Finance procurement hub
Related Articles on GovBid
→ How to Write an Executive Summary That Wins Government Tenders
→ Mastering the Compliance Matrix: Your Secret Weapon for Government Tender Success
→ Top 10 Mistakes That Get Your Tender Rejected (And How to Avoid Them)
