Source: https://tendernation.io/glossary/meat

Glossary

# MEAT (most economically advantageous tender)

The legacy test for choosing a winning bid under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, replaced by the most advantageous tender under the 2023 Act.

Updated 14 Oct 2026

MEAT stands for "most economically advantageous tender". It was the test buyers used to choose the winning bid under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, balancing price or cost against quality and other factors. For procurements under the Procurement Act 2023, it has been replaced by the [most advantageous tender (MAT)](/glossary/most-advantageous-tender).

## What it means

[Regulation 67(1) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/102/regulation/67/made) required buyers to "base the award of public contracts on the most economically advantageous tender assessed from the point of view of the contracting authority". Regulation 67(2) said MEAT was identified on the basis of price or cost, using a cost-effectiveness approach such as life-cycle costing, and could include the best price-quality ratio.

Despite the word "economically", MEAT never meant cheapest. Buyers could and usually did weight quality, social and environmental factors alongside price.

The 2015 Regulations were revoked on 24 February 2025, but procurements started before that date, and call-offs from older frameworks, continue under them. So you will still see "MEAT" in some tender documents.

## Why it matters for SMEs

For bidders, the practical difference between MEAT and MAT is small: in both cases you are scored against published [award criteria](/glossary/award-criteria) and [weightings](/glossary/evaluation-weighting), and the best overall score wins. The new wording drops "economically", but the skills that win are the same.

## Practical tip

When you see MEAT in a tender, check the date the procurement started and which rules apply. That tells you what feedback to expect, which notices will be published and which challenge rules apply. Either way, read the evaluation methodology closely and write to the scoring scheme. Our [guide to writing a tender](/guides/how-to-write-a-tender) covers how.

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## Nearby terms

- [IIncumbent supplierThe supplier currently delivering a contract, usually bidding to keep it when the buyer runs a new procurement.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/incumbent-supplier)
- [LLight touch contractA contract mainly for certain social, health, education and other people-focused services, which follows a more flexible set of procurement rules.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/light-touch-contract)
- [LLotsSeparate parts of a procurement, divided by type of work or geography, that suppliers can bid for individually.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/lots)
- [MMini-competitionA short competition run among the suppliers on a framework to award a specific call-off contract.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/mini-competition)
- [MModern slavery statementAn annual statement, required of larger businesses under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, on steps taken to prevent slavery and trafficking in their supply chains.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/modern-slavery-statement)
- [MMost advantageous tender (MAT)The bid that meets the buyer's requirements and scores best against the published award criteria, which a buyer may award the contract to.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/most-advantageous-tender)

[Read our procurement guides ](/guides)