In procurement, award criterion means the criterion that the purchaser (contracting authority) uses to select the winning tender. Several award criteria may be used simultaneously, in which case the relative weighting of each should be indicated by the contracting authority.
In EU public procurement law, a contract for purchasing goods and services shall be awarded to the “Most Economically Advantageous Tender” (MEAT). MEAT means the principle that award criteria specified by the purchaser (contracting authority) should go beyond price as the sole criterion and take into account relevant qualitative, environmental and/or social aspects.
Last update: 25 March 2022
Source: PPRI