KnowledgeEMVI and BPKV
AWARD CRITERIA
EMVI and BPKV: what is the difference?
EMVI stands for most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). The Dutch Public Procurement Act 2012 (article 2.114) knows three award criteria: the best price-quality ratio (BPKV), the lowest cost based on cost-effectiveness, such as life-cycle cost, and the lowest price. BPKV is the standard way to determine the most economically advantageous tender: price and quality are weighed together.
The difference in one paragraph
EMVI is the term for the bid that is the most advantageous for the buyer. BPKV describes how that is done in the standard form: the buyer weighs price and quality together. In practice, buyers and bidders often use the two words interchangeably.
So read the evaluation method itself in the tender documents: the model, the price formula and the points per quality question.
How price and quality are weighed
How a buyer weighs price against quality is set out in the tender documents. These are the forms you meet most.
- Most usedPoints modelPrice and each quality question get a maximum number of points. The bid with the most points in total wins. This is where you see the familiar splits such as 50/50 or 70/30.
- In eurosAward on valueYour quality is converted into an amount that is deducted from your price. The lowest price after deduction wins.
- Fixed priceBudget modelThe price is fixed or there is a ceiling. Competition is on quality only.
In the points model the price formula matters too. The article on price-quality ratio scoring explains the difference between a relative and an absolute formula.
Why 70/30 says little
A fictional example from the article on the price-quality ratio: quality 70%, price 30%, two quality questions of 35 points each, scored in steps of a quarter (0, 25, 50, 75 or 100%), and a relative price formula.
| Points | |
|---|---|
| Bidder A, price € 1,000,000 | 30.0 for price |
| Bidder B, price € 1,300,000 (30% more expensive) | 23.1 for price |
| One step higher on one quality question | 8.75 |
Price points = 30 × lowest price / own price. Fictional example.
A leads by 6.9 points on price. If B gets one step higher on one of the two quality questions and they otherwise score the same, B wins, despite a price that is 30% higher.
With a steep price formula it goes the other way. If 10% or more expensive gives zero price points, the same step bridges a price difference of only about 3%. When the quality scores are close, price decides, even at 70% quality.
And the lowest price?
In the Netherlands the best price-quality ratio is the starting point of the Public Procurement Act. Besides BPKV the law knows two other award criteria: the lowest cost based on cost-effectiveness, such as life-cycle cost, and the lowest price. A public buyer may only award on lowest price if it explains why in the documents. So with a strong bid you can win even if you are more expensive than a competitor.
What to do with it
- Work out the exchange rateHow many points does one percent more expensive cost, and how many points does one step higher on each quality question earn? Work it out with the price and quality calculator.
- Find the question with the most points per stepNot every question is worth the same. Give the most attention to the question where one step higher earns the most. How you earn points is in writing for points.
- Ask about what is unclearIs the formula or the scale unclear, or does it work out strangely? Ask a question about it in the clarification round.
HOW ATVALIO HELPS
Atvalio reads the evaluation method from the tender documents and lays it out for you: the model, the price formula, the scale and the points per quality question, with the page. That way you see at a glance where the most points can be earned. You decide on your price, and you submit.
Frequently asked questions
Is EMVI the same as BPKV?
Not quite. EMVI is the most economically advantageous tender. The Dutch Public Procurement Act 2012 (article 2.114) knows three award criteria: the best price-quality ratio, the lowest cost based on cost-effectiveness and the lowest price. BPKV is the standard way to apply EMVI: weighing price and quality together. In practice many people use the words interchangeably.
What does 70/30 mean in a tender?
Quality counts for at most 70% and price for at most 30% of the points. How much that matters depends on the price formula and the scoring scale. See price-quality ratio scoring.
Can a public buyer award on the lowest price?
Yes, but only if it explains why in the documents. It is one of the three award criteria in the law, next to the best price-quality ratio and the lowest cost based on cost-effectiveness.
Sources
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