RFP Evaluation Criteria Explained: What Gets Scored

If you're submitting a bid on a Request for Proposal (RFP), the evaluation criteria are the rules of the game. Knowing the way they work allows you to enhance your score and outperform competitors. 

Organizations issuing the proposal use these criteria to structure the proposal evaluation process and select the vendor that best suits their procurement project.

That’s why well-defined criteria make it easy to determine which vendors are most qualified for completing the project.

What are the Request for Proposal (RFP) evaluation criteria?

When we talk about Request for Proposal (RFP) evaluation criteria, we mean a set of standards meant to direct the scoring of vendor proposals. 

These are just two definitions from two different institutions that explain what RFP evaluation criteria are:

• The Federal Acquisition Regulation defines proposal evaluation as “an assessment of the proposal and the offeror’s ability to perform the prospective contract successfully.” It adds that any rating system or combination of methods, such as ordinal ranks, numerical weights, or adjectival ratings, may be used for evaluations.
• The Washington Acquisition University says that proposal evaluation represents the structured assessment of an offeror’s submission to identify: 1. How well it satisfies the government's specified criteria, 2. The degree of performance risk, and 3. Whether the suggested price is acceptable and fair.

In practice, RFP evaluation criteria make the scoring process fairer, reducing subjectivity and enabling more objective comparisons among vendors.

As the article from George Washington University notes, evaluation criteria should reflect the goals of the requesting team and align with the expected results of the procurement process.

Example of RFP evaluation criteria (with typical weights)

Your RFP assessment criteria are broken down using the weighted scoring method, which gives each question or section a score.

For example, your RFP criteria may consider questions of technical expertise, experience and past performance, information security and risk, and diversity and sustainability.

Weighted scoring assigns point or percentage values to the most important criteria. If technical experience matters most, it gets the highest weight. Thus, the following may be your weighted scoring criteria:

*Please note that weights vary by RFP type.

Let’s examine each criterion in a bit more detail.

1. Technical requirements and approach

There are a lot of RFPs that rate this criterion high, meaning they give it the most weight. It is thus the one where proposals might lose a lot of points.

The idea here is that evaluators don’t need to know whether you can do the work theoretically. What they’re evaluating is whether:

a) Your methodology is credible.

b) Your solution is tailored.

c) Your understanding of the requirement is specific.

A generic proposal, one can write for any agency with the same contract type, most likely will score within the 50-65 range (out of 100).

How to score high in technical requirements

1. Answer every technical requirement clearly and directly.
2. Use the same words the government uses in the RFP (Evaluators often look for specific keywords when scoring).
3. Explain your method step by step, not a short summary.
4. Point out possible risks and clearly explain how you will handle them.
5. Be very specific.

2. Pricing and cost structure

We analyzed some of the awarded contracts across IT, construction, and other sectors, using the Tenderwell database, and discovered that lower bids win more often, but not in all the cases. This means that even though price is very important, sometimes it does not win on its own.

A higher-priced bid can still be seen as the stronger proposal if its technical response is significantly better.

Put yourself in the evaluator's seat for a second. They have a budget to defend. So when they see a price without details (especially if it’s way below expectations), they see it as a red flag. They may question whether something important has been left out or if additional costs will appear later.

Unclear pricing means greater chances of scoring poorly.

How to score high in pricing and cost

• Break down costs clearly by project phases.
• Show Return On Investment (ROI) where relevant. 
• Evaluators score what they can verify. Anything unexplained creates doubt and risks disqualification.

3. Vendor experience and past performance

Past performance is nearly just as important as price. Evaluators assess if the vendor has a record of successfully completed projects that are similar in terms of scope, industry, and size/value.

For example, in the United States, in federal procurement, evaluators often review Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) records directly. These ratings are public, verifiable, and can have a powerful impact on how a proposal is assessed.

Newer firms, small companies entering the federal market, usually receive a neutral rating on past performance, meaning they are neither penalized nor given extra credit.

A company can demonstrate its credibility via strong commercial references or client letters, but these most of the time carry less weight than verified federal CPARS records.

How to score high in experience and past performance

• Use case studies that relate to the contract you are bidding for (in size, industry, and type of work). 
• Outline clear results (project value, deadlines met, or concrete achievements).

4. Implementation and timeline

If you can’t deliver your solution on time-it cannot be considered a solution.

Simply said, the vendor should be able to answer the question “Is this plan real?” If they cannot give a concrete answer, if the timelines are blurred, the team is not complete, there are clear signals showing that the vendor did not plan everything properly to deliver a project. These include unspecified or vague deadlines, the roles aren’t assigned to concrete experts, and there’s no clear plan about the project (how it will start, how it will be handed over, etc).

How to score high in describing your timeline

• Make sure you offer a clear timeline, specifying milestones. If the RFP features a specific contract period, it’s important to illustrate how your milestones fit within it.
• List the key team members accountable for the delivery of the project, mentioning their qualifications. 
• Explain how you will minimize chaos during the handover period. Evaluators need to see a clear plan that takes into account the messy reality that can occur in case vendors change in the middle of the operation.

5. Compliance, security, and risk

In your proposal, you have to do better than simply saying that you take security seriously. You need to provide certifications, frameworks, and contingency plans that can prove your statement.

For example, in the case of the United States, if you're bidding on a federal IT contract, check if you need a FedRAMP authorization. In addition, evaluators can also require you to have an ISO 27001 certification and NIST framework alignment (we’ll explain these below).

• FedRAMP - this is a government-issued security stamp of approval. 
• ISO 27001 - the main international standard for data security management.
• NIST - the U.S. government's own cybersecurity guidelines.

How to score high in compliance, security, and risk

• List the standards and certifications needed specifically for your contract (learn which ones are required based on the RFP language)
• You need to have a risk mitigation plan that features potential risks, the chances these can occur, and contingency measures. 

What is the difference between Pass/Fail and Scored Criteria? 

The pass/fail evaluation process (in contrast to the scored criteria) doesn’t have a numerical score. It’s the first step where evaluators check whether you meet the mandatory requirements, or you don’t.

It’s basically a two-step filtering process, in which the vendor is first evaluated based on specific mandatory requirements. For example, the buyer first checks:

• Did the vendor submit the bid on time? 
• Did they include all required documents?
• Do they have the required licenses/certifications?
• Did they meet minimum experience requirements?

and the like.

Each mandatory requirement must be passed (otherwise you’re disqualified).

RFP evaluation criteria template: Self-scoring matrix

Vendors can use matrices for self-evaluation, mapping each criterion to the corresponding section of the proposal, and awarding points. Thus, they can better understand where they need to improve while there’s still time to fix things.

Here’s an example of a self-scoring matrix (based on the previous weights table), where, next to each criterion, vendors can assign points from 1 to 10, considering that everything below 7 must be evaluated and revised.

A checklist before submitting the RFP (what to ask yourself) ?

• Did you respond to every scored criterion in the same order the RFP lists them?
• Did you use the client's exact terminology?
• Are your past performance examples relevant (i.e., they have about the same scope, sector, and size)?
• Is your pricing explained in detail?
• Have you listed the names of people who will do the work? Have you explained why they're the best fit?
• Does your proposal satisfy every pass/fail gate (certifications, deadlines, mandatory questions)?
• Does your proposal feature potential risks and concrete steps to handle them?
• Can you really deliver the project within the timeline you mentioned?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the criteria for RFP evaluation? 

There are several key RFP evaluation criteria: technical requirements, pricing, vendor experience and past performance, implementation and timeline, and compliance and risk. Each criterion is assigned a weight based on the issuing organization and project type.

How are RFPs evaluated? 

RFPs are evaluated by an RFP evaluation committee:

• Proposals first pass a compliance check (Pass/Fail).
• The next step is independent scoring that allows for dodging any bias and early favorites.
• Then, committee members meet to compare results and solve discrepancies to reach a consensus. 
• The vendor with the highest total score typically wins, though price is evaluated separately in some federal processes.

What is an RFP scoring matrix? 

An RFP scoring matrix is a structured table that includes each evaluation criterion together with an assigned weight and scoring scale. The matrix allows evaluators to rate vendor proposals. Suppliers can use the matrix to see which sections of a bid need more focus and matter the most to the buyer.

What does pass/fail mean in an RFP evaluation?

Pass/Fail criteria are mandatory requirements applied before the criteria are scored. Evaluators use them to see if a proposal meets the key criteria, such as submitting before the deadline, having the mandatory certifications, or completing all mandatory forms. If the vendor does not meet at least one of them, they are disqualified.

Can small businesses win RFPs against larger companies?

In short, yes. A smaller company can win over a larger one if it shows it has stronger relevant experience, a better understanding of the project, and proves its plan is clearer and the work can be delivered better. The evaluation is mostly based on the proposal, and less on the size of the company.

In U.S. federal procurement, some contracts are also reserved specifically for small businesses. Programs such as the 8(a) Business Development Program and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program make it possible for eligible small businesses to compete for contracts reserved for eligible small businesses.