Compliance · All sectors

Most advantageous tender (MAT): how to write answers that score against the award criteria

Prepared by TenderChecker. Last reviewed 4 October 2026. 3 min read. General guidance only - every buyer's own instructions and criteria take priority.

Short answer

For procurements run under the Procurement Act 2023, buyers award contracts to the 'most advantageous tender' (MAT), replacing the old 'most economically advantageous tender' (MEAT) wording. Buyers must set out their award criteria and how important each one is in the tender notice or associated documents.

For bidders the practical rule is the same as before, but more visible: find the published criteria and weightings, answer each one explicitly, and spend your words in proportion to the marks. This is general guidance, not legal advice - always follow the buyer's documents.

What the buyer might be asking

Does the answer address each published award criterion?
Is the evidence specific enough to score?
Does the effort match the weighting of each criterion?

Worked example (fictional)

Everything in this example - company, people and numbers - is invented for illustration.

Example question: Describe how you will deliver the service to the required quality standard. (Quality, 30% weighting. Sub-criteria: approach, resourcing, quality monitoring.)

Fictional context: Fictional bidder: Harbourside Grounds Ltd, bidding for a fictional council grounds maintenance contract. Supplied fictional notes: monthly quality audits; two crews; a named contract supervisor.

Weak draft (fictional)

We are an experienced company that always delivers high quality. Our team is dedicated and we are confident we offer the most advantageous tender.

What the draft misses

None of the three sub-criteria is answered directly.
'Most advantageous' is the buyer's judgement - claiming it scores nothing.
No evidence of how quality is monitored.

A better version (using only the fictional facts above)

Approach: [insert how the service is delivered against the specification]. Resourcing: two crews led by a named contract supervisor [insert hours/coverage from the specification]. Quality monitoring: monthly audits against [insert the buyer's standards], with results reported to [insert buyer contact] and actions closed within [insert timescale you can commit to].

Bracketed text marks facts the bidder still needs to supply. Never fill these with invented figures.

Evidence checklist

☐ Published award criteria and weightings
☐ One heading per sub-criterion
☐ Specific evidence for each point
☐ Words allocated in proportion to marks
☐ Commitments you can actually deliver

Common mistakes

Claiming to be 'most advantageous'
Ignoring sub-criteria
Equal effort on low-weighted questions
Not reading the latest clarifications

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Key terms on this page

Award criteria: The published factors a buyer uses to score bids, usually split between quality and price, often with sub-criteria and weightings. Your answers should map clearly to each one.
MAT (Most Advantageous Tender): The basis for awarding contracts under the Procurement Act 2023: the tender that scores best against the published award criteria.
MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender): The award approach used under the previous UK regulations, balancing quality and price rather than price alone. The Procurement Act 2023 replaces it with 'most advantageous tender'.
Procurement Act 2023: The law that reformed public procurement in the UK (excluding Scotland), applying to procurements started from 24 February 2025.
Tender notice: The official notice that starts a procurement and tells suppliers what is being bought and how to take part.
Weighting: The share of the total score given to each criterion or question. Higher-weighted questions deserve more of your time.