When bidding on a government contract, you must meet certain requirements before your bid will be evaluated on its merits. These selection criteria determine whether you are even eligible to participate. In this article, we explain what these criteria entail and how you can prepare for them.

What are selection criteria?

Selection criteria are requirements set by contracting authorities to determine whether a contractor is suitable to perform the contract. They form an initial filter: if you do not meet the selection criteria, your tender will not be further evaluated.

There are three categories:

Grounds for exclusion — Reasons why you are not allowed to participate
Eligibility requirements — Minimum requirements in terms of financial standing and competence
Selection criteria — Criteria for limiting the number of candidates

Grounds for exclusion

Certain situations automatically exclude you from participation. There are mandatory and optional grounds for exclusion.

Mandatory grounds for exclusion

You are excluded if you have been convicted of:

Participation in a criminal organization
Corruption
Fraud
Terrorist crimes
Money laundering
Child labor

Optional grounds for exclusion

The contracting authority may exclude you in the following cases:

Bankruptcy or suspension of payments
Serious professional misconduct
Failure to pay taxes or social security contributions
Violation of environmental, social, or labor law
False statements in previous proceedings

Eligibility requirements

In addition to grounds for exclusion, contracting authorities impose requirements on your financial and technical capacity.

Financial and economic capacity

Typical requirements are:

Turnover requirement — Minimum annual turnover (often twice the contract value)
Solvency requirement — Ratio of equity capital to total capital
Insurance — Professional and/or business liability insurance

Technical and professional competence

Contracting authorities want proof of your expertise:

References — Similar assignments from the past 3-5 years
Certifications — ISO, VCA, or industry-specific quality marks
Staff — Availability of qualified employees
Resources — Required equipment or facilities

How do you meet the selection criteria?

1. Keep your references up to date

Ensure you always have an up-to-date overview of:

Completed assignments with value and duration
Client contact details (for satisfaction statements)
Specific results and achievements

2. Prepare standard documents

Many documents are requested regularly:

Excerpt from the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE)
Extract from the criminal record (model 596.1)
Annual accounts (last 3 years)
Copies of certificates
Professional liability insurance

3. Work together in combination

Don't meet all the requirements? Consider:

Combination — Register together with a partner
Subcontracting — Hiring expertise for specific parts
Recourse to third parties — Borrowing capacity from another company

4. Use the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD)

The UEA is a standard form that allows you to provisionally demonstrate that you meet the selection criteria. You only need to provide supporting documents if you are selected as a winner.

Common mistakes

Avoid these pitfalls:

Incomplete references — Provide all requested details
Expired certificates — Check validity
Overly optimistic interpretation — When in doubt: ask for clarification
Starting too late — Some documents take time (e.g., Certificate of Good Conduct)

Proportionality of requirements

Contracting authorities must set proportionate requirements. For example, a turnover requirement of 10 times the contract value is not reasonable. If you believe that requirements are disproportionate, you can raise this issue in the information memorandum.

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Selection criteria for public contracts: what you need to know