Every tender return is evaluated against the same 13 criteria using a weighted scoring model. Price is important but it's only 25% of the total score. The remaining 75% covers quality, capability, risk, and value — ensuring the award goes to the best-value supplier, not just the cheapest.
Each criterion is scored 0–10 and multiplied by its weight to produce a weighted score. The maximum total is 1,000 points. The evaluation is conducted blind — the scoring panel doesn't see the price until quality scores are finalised.
| # | Criterion | What It Measures | Weight | Max Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Price | Tender sum normalised against budget and other returns | 25% | 250 |
| 2 | Quality of Return | Completeness, compliance with enquiry requirements, level of detail | 10% | 100 |
| 3 | ACE Analysis | Allowances, contingencies, exclusions — hidden costs and qualifications | 10% | 100 |
| 4 | Programme | Alignment with project programme, lead times, resource mobilisation | 8% | 80 |
| 5 | Risk Profile | Supply chain risk, single points of failure, contractual caveats | 8% | 80 |
| 6 | Accreditations | Trade body membership, certifications, competent person registrations | 5% | 50 |
| 7 | QHSE | Quality, health, safety and environmental policies, incident record | 8% | 80 |
| 8 | Geographical Coverage | Proximity to site, regional presence, travel/logistics impact | 4% | 40 |
| 9 | Local Labour / Management | Named supervisor, local workforce, social value commitment | 5% | 50 |
| 10 | Past Experience / Case Studies | Similar projects (sector, scale, complexity) completed in last 3 years | 7% | 70 |
| 11 | Financial Standing | Credit rating, accounts filed, payment history, insurance levels | 4% | 40 |
| 12 | Capacity & Resource | Current workload, available labour, project management bandwidth | 3% | 30 |
| 13 | Warranty & Defects Terms | Defects period, warranty scope, manufacturer-backed guarantees | 3% | 30 |
| TOTAL | 100% | 1,000 | ||
5 suppliers were invited to tender for WP-09 Mechanical Services (supplementary cooling, ductwork & controls). 4 returned priced tenders. 1 (Greenway Building Services) declined to bid citing capacity constraints.
| Supplier | Location | Tender Sum | Normalised | Total Score | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartwell Mechanical Services | Warrington (18 miles) | £211,800 | £214,400 | 824 | RECOMMENDED |
| Meridian M&E Ltd | Manchester (4 miles) | £218,200 | £218,200 | 781 | RESERVE |
| Chiswick Air Systems | London (200 miles) | £198,600 | £226,100 | 702 | CONCERNS |
| Northgate HVAC Solutions | Leeds (42 miles) | £232,400 | £248,900 | 618 | NOT REC. |
Raw tender sums are misleading. Some bidders exclude items others include. Some add provisional sums that others price firm. The normalisation adjusts every bid to the same scope baseline so you're comparing like-for-like.
| Adjustment | Hartwell | Meridian | Chiswick | Northgate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submitted tender sum | £211,800 | £218,200 | £198,600 | £232,400 |
| Condensate drainage (excluded by Chiswick) | incl. | incl. | +£8,200 | incl. |
| Controls integration (excluded by Chiswick) | incl. | incl. | +£12,400 | incl. |
| Commissioning attendance (excluded by Chiswick) | incl. | incl. | +£6,900 | incl. |
| F-gas certification renewal (Northgate expired) | current | current | current | +£1,200 |
| Travel & accommodation (Chiswick — London based) | — | — | incl. | — |
| Provisional sums normalised to firm prices | +£2,600 | — | — | +£15,300 |
| NORMALISED TOTAL | £214,400 | £218,200 | £226,100 | £248,900 |
Hartwell scores highest across the weighted evaluation (824/1,000). They are the lowest normalised price, highest quality return, minimal exclusions, aligned programme, strong local presence, and zero RIDDOR record. The recommendation is unanimous across all three scoring panel members.
WP-09 Mechanical is one of 11 work packages. Here's the portfolio view showing recommendation status across all packages — the same evaluation methodology applied to each.
| WP | Package | Budget | Rec. Price | Recommended Supplier | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Strip-out & Demolition | £86,400 | £82,100 | Brixton Demolition Ltd | 812 | Awarded |
| 02 | Internal Partitions & Doors | £198,200 | £194,800 | Solebury Interiors | 798 | Awarded |
| 03 | Glazed Partitions | £64,500 | £62,800 | Optima Systems | 856 | Awarded |
| 04 | Suspended Ceilings | £72,800 | £71,200 | Solebury Ceilings | 834 | Awarded |
| 05 | Joinery — Meeting & Tea | £148,500 | £146,200 | Ashworth Joinery | 788 | Awarded |
| 06 | L6 Reception Joinery (PS) | £24,000 | £23,800 | Ashworth Joinery | — | PS |
| 07 | Floor Finishes | £94,300 | £91,600 | Pennine Flooring | 802 | Awarded |
| 08 | Wall Finishes & Decoration | £42,100 | £41,400 | Dalton Decorating | 776 | Awarded |
| 09 | Mechanical Services | £218,400 | £211,800 | Hartwell Mechanical | 824 | Rec. |
| 10 | Electrical, Lighting & Data | £268,150 | £264,800 | Marlow Electrical | 842 | Awarded |
| 11 | Workplace AV (PS) | £40,000 | £38,500 | Kinetic AV | — | PS |
| TRADE PACKAGES | £1,257,350 | £1,229,000 | £28,350 under budget (2.3%) | |||
Disclaimer: All supplier names, prices, scores, accreditations, and project details are fictional and for illustration purposes only. The Tender Return Review is a real Built AI deliverable produced as part of The Pre-Con Pack™ workflow. Evaluation criteria and weightings shown are examples and should be agreed with the client before application.