While cost is an important evaluation criterion, there will be many occasions where quality will be weighted higher than cost, recognising the importance of delivering quality public works projects and programmes, or meeting legal obligations such as net zero GHG emissions by 2050. The quality evaluation criteria need to be sufficiently well developed and detailed to allow for the differentiation in scores between competing bids, to avoid too close or identical scores from bidders.
In developing the evaluation model, contracting authorities should draw on the outcomes set out in the Project Scorecard, the social value priorities set out in PPN 06/20 (for departments/ALBs) and consider wider factors including health and safety as part of the 'quality' criteria.