Evaluation
Mandatory Requirement
Also known as: Mandatory criteria, Pass/fail criteria
A condition a bid must satisfy to remain in the competition. Failing even one normally eliminates the bid.
Mandatory requirements are evaluated pass or fail. They commonly cover certifications, security clearance, insurance limits, bonding capacity, licensing, minimum experience, or attendance at a mandatory site visit. There is generally no discretion to overlook a failure and no partial credit.
This is the most important part of any solicitation to read first, and the most common source of avoidable loss. A bid that is strong on every rated criterion and competitive on price is still discarded if it misses a single mandatory. Evaluators are frequently obliged to set it aside regardless of merit.
Read mandatories before writing anything. If you cannot meet one, the correct decision is to stop — and the sooner you make it, the more proposal time you protect for a competition you can actually win.
In practice
An RFP requires bidders to hold a specific security clearance at bid closing. A supplier who has applied but not yet received it is non-compliant, however strong the rest of its proposal.
Related terms
- Rated CriteriaScored criteria that measure the relative quality of compliant bids, usually on a points scale.
- ComplianceWhether a bid meets every mandatory requirement and submission instruction. Non-compliant bids are set aside.
- Evaluation CriteriaThe published basis on which bids will be assessed and compared, including how technical merit and price are combined.
See this term in a real tender
Search current federal opportunities and read a live notice with this definition in mind.
This definition describes general Canadian federal practice and is not legal advice. Always confirm requirements against the official solicitation.