What is the most advantageous tender?
The most advantageous tender, or MAT, is the award basis under the Procurement Act 2023: a contracting authority must award the contract to the supplier submitting the tender that best satisfies its published award criteria. It replaced the Most Economically Advantageous Tender, or MEAT, and the word "economically" was dropped to make clear that quality and wider benefit can carry real weight, not just price.
Most advantageous tender, explained
MAT answers the question of who wins. The contract goes to the tender that best satisfies the award criteria the authority published, judged against the weightings or relative importance it set out in advance. That is a quality and price judgement rather than a price only one: a more expensive bid can and often should win where it scores materially better on the things the authority said mattered.
The Act constrains how criteria are built. Award criteria must relate to the subject matter of the contract, be sufficiently clear, measurable and specific, and be proportionate having regard to the nature, complexity and cost of the contract. They, and their relative importance, must be published so suppliers know how their tenders will be assessed. Modifying criteria once tenders are in is tightly constrained, because the competition suppliers entered has to be the competition they are judged in.
The change from MEAT to MAT is mostly one of emphasis. Under the previous regime the Most Economically Advantageous Tender already allowed quality and price to be weighed together, and many buyers did exactly that. Dropping "economically" removes the suggestion that cost is the anchor and everything else is a modifier. What MAT does not do is give evaluators licence to score on instinct: the assessment must follow the published criteria, and the reasons are then set out for bidders in the assessment summaries before the standstill period.
Key things to know
The PA23 award basis
The contract is awarded to the tender that best satisfies the published award criteria.
Not lowest price by default
A more expensive tender can win where it scores materially better on the published criteria.
Criteria must be published
The criteria and their relative importance are set out in advance so suppliers know how they will be assessed.
Clear, measurable, proportionate
Criteria must relate to the subject matter of the contract and be sufficiently clear, measurable and specific.
Replaced MEAT
The word "economically" was dropped from the previous Most Economically Advantageous Tender basis.
Reasons must follow
Bidders receive assessment summaries explaining the assessment before the standstill period runs.
Explore: What is MEAT criteria?, What is an assessment summary?, What is social value in procurement?, Tender evaluation software.
How eSourcingData helps
eSourcingData turns MAT from a principle into a scored, evidenced process that produces its own feedback.
Build the criteria
Set criteria and weightings that relate to the contract and are clear enough to score consistently.
Consistent scoring
Score every tender against the same published criteria, with moderation recorded.
Social value included
Weigh quality, social value and wider benefit alongside price in a single evaluation.
Feedback comes free
Assessment summaries draw on the evidence captured during evaluation rather than being written from scratch.
FAQs
What is the most advantageous tender?
The most advantageous tender, or MAT, is the award basis under the Procurement Act 2023: the contract is awarded to the supplier whose tender best satisfies the authority's published award criteria, judged on quality and price together rather than price alone. It replaced the Most Economically Advantageous Tender basis used under the previous regime.
What is the difference between MAT and MEAT?
Mostly emphasis. MEAT, the Most Economically Advantageous Tender, already allowed quality and price to be weighed together. Under the Procurement Act 2023 the basis is the Most Advantageous Tender, dropping "economically" to make clear that quality and wider public benefit can carry real weight rather than being adjustments to a price led decision.
Does the cheapest tender win under MAT?
Not automatically. The winner is the tender that best satisfies the published award criteria and their weightings. A more expensive bid can win where it scores materially better on quality, risk, social value or whatever else the authority said would matter, provided the assessment follows what was published.
What rules apply to award criteria?
Award criteria must relate to the subject matter of the contract, be sufficiently clear, measurable and specific, and be proportionate to the nature, complexity and cost of the contract. They and their relative importance must be published in advance, and changing them once tenders are in is tightly constrained.
How do bidders find out how they scored?
Through the assessment summary. Under the Procurement Act 2023, each supplier that submitted an assessed tender receives a summary of how its tender was assessed against the published criteria, and unsuccessful bidders are also told how the winning tender was assessed, before the contract award notice is published.
Award on what actually matters
See how eSourcingData helps UK buyers set criteria and award on the most advantageous tender under PA23. Book a demo or request a pilot.