When the best proposal wins, not just the lowest price
For RFPs judged on merit, a panel scores qualifications and approach against weighted criteria — each evaluator working blind to the others — before price is ever opened. Defensible best-value selection, fully documented.
| Criterion | Weight | You | Panel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical approachMethod & work plan | 40% | 34 | ••• |
| ExperienceRelevant past work | 30% | 26 | ••• |
| Key personnelTeam qualifications | 20% | 17 | ••• |
| ScheduleRealism & risk | 10% | 8 | ••• |
| Your weighted score | 85 | sealed |
Merit first, price second — and both on the record
A two-envelope, best-value evaluation lets a panel judge the work on its merits without price coloring the score, then combines the two into a ranking you can defend line by line.
Blind panel scoring
Each evaluator scores independently; peer scores stay hidden until consensus, so no one anchors to the loudest voice in the room.
Weighted criteria
You set the criteria and their weights up front; the system applies them consistently to every proposal.
Justified scores
Evaluators record the rationale behind each score — the narrative a debriefing or a protest response is built from.
Price kept separate
Cost is submitted apart and opened only after technical scoring is locked, so merit isn't swayed by the number.
Combined best-value ranking
Technical and price roll into a single, transparent ranking under the formula you chose in the RFP.
Complete evaluation file
Scores, weights, rationales, and the consensus trail export as one documented record of the decision.
RFP to selection, in five steps
Set criteria & weights
Define the scored factors, their weights, and the best-value formula in the RFP.
Two-envelope intake
Vendors submit technical proposals and sealed price separately.
Panel scores blind
Evaluators score independently with rationale; peer scores stay hidden.
Consensus & price
The panel reconciles scores, then price is opened and combined.
Screen & award
SAM.gov and insurance/bond/license checks run before the award is recorded.
Whichever way you buy, the award holds up
The same integrity layer runs under scored evaluations as under reverse auctions and sealed bids — one standard of documentation, no matter the method.
Tamper-evident audit trail
Every bid, addendum, and award decision timestamped to a record built for a protest or audit.
Binding addenda
Bidders must acknowledge each addendum; a new one flags active proposals for one-click re-affirmation.
Not-debarred at award
SAM.gov exclusion screening plus insurance/bond/license status, checked before you record the award.
Statutory preferences
Local, MWBE, and veteran credits applied to the evaluated ranking — contract price stays the raw bid.
Qualified vendors
NAICS and commodity-code classification with targeted opportunity notices to matching vendors.
Public records, handled
Vendor-marked confidential material, staff-decided, released with a redaction log — never auto-exposed.
See a scored evaluation from criteria to consensus
We'll set up an RFP on a demo site and walk the blind scoring, price opening, and best-value ranking — bring the staff who'd sit on the panel.
Bid Now Solutions · reverse auctions & sealed electronic bidding for government & organizational procurement · bidnowsolutions.com