Source: https://tendernation.io/glossary/award-criteria [Skip to main content](#main-content) Glossary # Award criteria The published factors, such as quality, price and social value, that a buyer uses to score tenders and pick the most advantageous one. Updated 14 Oct 2026 Award criteria are the factors a buyer uses to score tenders, such as technical quality, delivery approach, price and social value. The buyer must publish them in advance, and the winning bid is the one that best meets them. ## What it means [Section 23 of the Procurement Act 2023](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/23) governs award criteria. Under section 23(2), the buyer must be satisfied that the criteria: - relate to the subject matter of the contract - are sufficiently clear, measurable and specific - do not break the rules on technical specifications - are a proportionate way of assessing tenders Section 23(3) also requires the buyer to describe how tenders will be assessed (the "assessment methodology") and, where there is more than one criterion, to show their relative importance. That is where [evaluation weighting](/glossary/evaluation-weighting) comes in. In a [competitive flexible procedure](/glossary/competitive-flexible-procedure), [section 24](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/24) lets the buyer refine award criteria before final tenders, but only if the tender documents allowed for it. Award criteria are different from conditions of participation. Conditions decide whether you can take part. Award criteria decide who wins. ## Why it matters for SMEs Award criteria are the marking scheme. Small suppliers often lose not because their service is worse, but because their answers do not map neatly onto what is being scored. If a criterion is "mobilisation plan, 15%", a strong general company overview earns nothing against it. ## Practical tip Before you write a word, build a table listing every criterion, its weighting and the evidence you will use. Give each answer a length roughly in proportion to its weighting, and use the buyer's own words as your sub-headings so the evaluator can find each point quickly. Our [guide to writing a tender](/guides/how-to-write-a-tender) walks through this in more detail, and the [most advantageous tender](/glossary/most-advantageous-tender) entry explains how the scores turn into a decision. Find tenders that fit your business Search UK, EU and World Bank tenders in one place, get AI summaries and a fit score for each one, and track bids in a pipeline. Professional comes with a 14-day free trial, no card needed. [Browse live tenders](/opportunities)[Start free trial ](/register) 14-day free trial, no card required Browse by sector - [Construction work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/construction-work)412 - [Architecture, engineering & surveying](https://tendernation.io/sectors/architecture-engineering-surveying)150 - [IT services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/it-services)55 - [Business services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/business-services)199 - [Health and social work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/health-social-work)364 - [Sewage, refuse, cleaning & environmental](https://tendernation.io/sectors/sewage-refuse-cleaning-environmental)99 [All sectors ](/sectors) ## Nearby terms - [AAssessment summaryThe written feedback a buyer must give every assessed bidder before announcing the winner, showing your scores and the winning tender's scores.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/assessment-summary) - [BBelow-threshold contractA public contract worth less than the relevant procurement threshold, covered by lighter rules in Part 6 of the Procurement Act 2023.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/below-threshold-contract) - [CCall-off contractA contract awarded to a supplier under an existing framework, either directly or after a further competition between framework suppliers.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/call-off-contract) - [CCarbon Reduction Plan (PPN 006)A published plan confirming a supplier's commitment to net zero by 2050 and reporting its emissions, required for major central government contracts.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/carbon-reduction-plan) - [CCentral Digital PlatformThe government's online system, run through Find a Tender, where buyers publish Procurement Act notices and suppliers register their details once.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/central-digital-platform) - [CClarification questionsQuestions a bidder sends the buyer during a tender to resolve ambiguity, with answers usually shared with every bidder.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/clarification-questions) [Read our procurement guides ](/guides)