Overview
This regulation states that contracting authorities must base the award of public contracts on the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) assessed from the point of view of the contracting authority. The regulation also sets out the rules relating to contract award criteria and how the MEAT should be determined.
Objective at this commercial stage
The procurement documents must specify the relative weighting given to each of the award criteria chosen, except where the MEAT is identified on the basis of price alone.
Key considerations at this commercial stage
Contracting authorities should:
- ensure that the award criteria ensure the possibility of effective competition
- specify in the procurement documents the relative weighting for each of the award criteria chosen to determine the MEAT, articulated as a range where appropriate
- ensure that, where it is not possible to assign a weighting to the award criteria for objective reasons, the criteria are set out in decreasing order of importance instead.
Legal framework
See also in the Procurement Act 2023:
- Section 23: Award criteria
Additional support and guidance
Make sure you:
- read the regulation
- seek legal and commercial advice in the context of specific procurements
