The Principle of Pre-Disclosed Evaluation Criteria
 
Bids must be evaluated strictly against the criteria published in the original tender documents. Introducing new criteria during evaluation is illegal and forms immediate grounds for canceling the procurement process. This rule prevents evaluation panels from manipulating scores to favor a preferred bidder.
The Three Stages of Bid Evaluation
Evaluation panels assess bids using a structured, three-tiered process:
[ Stage 1: Preliminary Evaluation ] --> Administrative compliance (tax clearance, business licenses)
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[ Stage 2: Technical Evaluation ]    --> Compliance with generic technical specifications & capacity
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[ Stage 3: Financial Evaluation ]    --> Arithmetical checks, price comparisons, and award determination

Determining the Successful Bidder
Contracts are awarded based on two main selection philosophies:
  • Lowest Evaluated Responsive Bidder: The contract goes to the supplier who passes all preliminary and technical requirements and offers the lowest price. This is standard for generic goods and construction works.
  • Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS): Weighting technical quality and financial cost together (e.g., an 80:20 split), used primarily for complex consulting and intellectual services.

 
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