Source: https://tendernation.io/glossary/evaluation-weighting Glossary # Evaluation weighting The share of the total score given to each award criterion, showing bidders which parts of their tender matter most. Updated 14 Oct 2026 Evaluation weighting is the share of the total score that each [award criterion](/glossary/award-criteria) carries. A tender might be weighted 60% quality, 30% price and 10% social value, with each of those split further into individual questions. ## What it means [Section 23(3)(b) of the Procurement Act 2023](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/23) says that where there is more than one award criterion, the buyer must indicate their relative importance by: - weighting each as a percentage of total importance - ranking them in order of importance, or - describing their relative importance in another way Percentages are by far the most common in practice. Under [section 24](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/24), a buyer running a [competitive flexible procedure](/glossary/competitive-flexible-procedure) may refine the criteria and their weighting between rounds, but only if the tender documents allowed for it and before final tenders are invited. Some weightings are set by policy. For example, [PPN 002](/glossary/social-value) requires central government buyers to give social value at least 10% of the total score. ## Why it matters for SMEs Weighting tells you where to spend your limited bid-writing time. A small supplier with higher costs than large competitors can still win a 70% quality tender with an excellent response. On a 70% price tender, the same supplier probably cannot, however good the quality answers are. Weighting also hides traps. A question worth 2% can take as long to answer as one worth 20%. ## Practical tip Before deciding to bid, calculate where you are likely to score well and badly, and multiply by the weightings. If you cannot see a path to the top score, think twice. When writing, allocate your time and word count roughly in proportion to each question's weighting, and make sure every high-weighted question gets your strongest evidence. Our [guide to writing a tender](/guides/how-to-write-a-tender) covers this approach. 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)374 - [Architecture, engineering & surveying](https://tendernation.io/sectors/architecture-engineering-surveying)134 - [IT services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/it-services)54 - [Business services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/business-services)177 - [Health and social work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/health-social-work)300 - [Sewage, refuse, cleaning & environmental](https://tendernation.io/sectors/sewage-refuse-cleaning-environmental)80 [All sectors ](/sectors) ## Nearby terms [Dynamic marketA list of pre-qualified suppliers, open to new members throughout its life, from which buyers run competitions for individual contracts.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/dynamic-market)[Dynamic purchasing system (DPS)An electronic, always-open list of qualified suppliers under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, replaced by dynamic markets for new procurements.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/dynamic-purchasing-system)[ESPD (European Single Procurement Document)The EU's standard self-declaration form for public tenders, which UK buyers replaced with their own selection questionnaire after leaving the EU.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/espd)[Exclusion grounds and the debarment listThe legal reasons a supplier can or must be barred from public contracts, and the central list of suppliers that Ministers have debarred.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/exclusion-grounds-debarment-list)[Find a TenderThe UK government's procurement notice service, which hosts the Central Digital Platform for notices and supplier registration under the Procurement Act 2023.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/find-a-tender)[FrameworkAn agreement between a buyer and one or more suppliers that sets the terms for awarding future contracts, without committing to any spend.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/framework) [Read our procurement guides ](/guides)