When you submit a proposal how does the agency evaluate the bids they receive?
Section M in the solicitation document will state how your bid will be evaluated, and the weight the agency will give to Technical Experience, Managerial Approach, Past Performance and Price.
Price vs Best Value – For simple purchases price may be the only factor. At other times the agency will award based on “Best Value” – a combination of delivery, past performance, technical ability and price.
Lowest Price Technically Acceptable bids are initially evaluated for compliance with the technical criteria listed in the solicitation document. Any proposal that doesn’t follow the instructions to the letter will be considered unacceptable, and taken out of consideration. All technically acceptable proposals receive the same passing score. (Although most LPTA solicitations require you to show relevant past performance, if you have no record of past performance the agency will often give you a ‘neutral ‘ rating, which is in itself technically acceptable.) All remaining proposals are then evaluated by price. This means that once you have passed the minimum technically acceptable hurdle, your bid has equal footing with all other passing proposals – price becomes the only other criteria.