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Three kinds of tests in every tender: may you take part, can you do the work, and which offer is best.
Checked on 15-09-2026
Tender documents contain roughly two kinds of tests. The first is about you as a company: are you allowed to take part and can you handle the contract? The second is about your offer: which tender is best? PIANOo, the Dutch government's public procurement expertise centre, puts it this way: exclusion grounds, suitability requirements and selection criteria concern the supplier; award criteria concern the tender. Knowing that distinction lets you read tender documents faster and see where points can be earned.
Exclusion grounds are about reliability. A contracting authority will, for example, exclude suppliers convicted of fraud or that have not paid their taxes. The law has mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds. In European tenders you declare in the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD, in Dutch UEA) that no exclusion ground applies to you. The authority assumes in principle that this is correct and checks the evidence, for exclusion grounds usually the Certificate of Conduct for Tenders (Gedragsverklaring aanbesteden, GVA), at the latest at award.
Suitability requirements test whether you can perform the contract, for example on experience, professional competence or financial standing. They are minimum requirements: you either meet them or you do not. Selection criteria only appear in procedures with a selection stage and serve to limit the number of suitable companies invited to tender.
Award criteria concern the offer itself: the price and, under best price-quality ratio, quality aspects such as a plan of approach as well. This is where you set yourself apart from competitors. Exclusion and suitability do not set you apart; there the point is proving that you comply.
What this means for you: read tender documents in two rounds. First go through the exclusion grounds and suitability requirements as a yes-or-no list, and note for each requirement what evidence you have, such as references, certificates or annual accounts. Only when that list is complete is it worth spending time on the award criteria, because that is where the contract is won or lost.
These articles explain how public tendering works; they are not legal advice. If you are unsure about a specific tender, ask your question through the clarification round or consult a lawyer.
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