TenderMatrix / Guides / Mandatory vs desirable
Mandatory vs desirable requirements: scoring and flagging
A mandatory requirement is a gate: if the response does not meet it, the buyer may treat the bid as non-compliant and not score it. A desirable requirement is scored: meeting it earns points, missing it costs points but usually does not end the bid. The RFP's evaluation section says which rule applies.
Gates and points
Many evaluations run in two stages. A compliance check, sometimes called a gateway or pass/fail stage, removes responses that do not meet the mandatory requirements. The remaining responses are then scored against the desirable requirements and the evaluation criteria, together with price. Not every buyer works this way. Some score mandatory items too, some set a minimum score on key criteria, and some allow a clarification before rejecting a response. Read the evaluation section before you decide how hard a requirement bites.
Two timing questions matter as much as the label. Is the requirement met at submission, with a certificate attached or a form signed, or at award or start of service, such as a certification held by contract start? And who must meet it: you, a named subcontractor or the delivery team? A requirement met by the wrong party at the wrong time is still unmet.
Flagging them in six steps
- Read the RFP's own definitions and method Look for pass/fail, minimum, gateway, scored and weighted. They tell you how each label is used.
- Type each row Mandatory, desirable, informational or question. Keep the word or flag that decided it, such as shall, M or High.
- Add a gate flag A second column, Pass/fail or Scored, because a mandatory that is also scored needs both treatments.
- Record the timing and the party At submission, at award or during delivery, and who must meet it: you, a named subcontractor or the delivery team.
- Name the evidence The certificate, reference or statement that proves compliance, and who holds it.
- Review the edge cases Conditional requirements, mixed wording and rows typed from a heading. Where the rules do not decide, ask the buyer.
The words behind step two are covered in shall, will, should and may, and the tags and table flags TenderMatrix reads (M/D/O, Priority, MoSCoW) are listed on the shall statement extraction page. Use RFP clarification questions for the edge cases in step six, and RFP evaluation criteria and weighting to see how scores are built.
What a miss means, by type
| Type | Typical wording | What it usually means in evaluation | How to flag it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory | shall, must, is required, M, pass/fail | A gate. A miss can make the response non-compliant, though some buyers allow clarification or exceptions | Type Mandatory, Gate Pass/fail, evidence named |
| Mandatory and scored | must, with a score such as 0 to 5 | Must be met and is also scored, sometimes with a minimum score | Type Mandatory, Gate Scored, criterion named |
| Desirable | should, preferred, D, nice to have | Scored or weighed. A miss costs points | Type Desirable, criterion and weight noted |
| Informational | may, optional, for information | Usually no answer is required, though an option may need a price | Type Informational, dependency recorded |
| Question | Describe, Explain, a question mark | Answered in writing and scored | Type Question, criterion and page limit noted |
What goes wrong with the two types
- Treating should as optional. Where should rows are scored, an unanswered one is lost points.
- Trusting the list heading. A list headed Desirable can hold an item that says shall. Read the items, not only the heading.
- Assuming mandatory means the same everywhere. A buyer can call a requirement mandatory in the specification and score it in the evaluation.
- Answering Comply without evidence. A gate is met with proof, not assertion.
- Dropping the timing. Hold ISO 27001 at contract start is not the same as attach the certificate.
- Taking exception quietly. If you cannot meet a mandatory, raising it through a clarification or the buyer's exception process is different from omitting it, and some buyers allow no exceptions. Ask your contracts or legal adviser.
- Letting the count hide the weight. Forty desirable rows are not forty equal things.
How TenderMatrix helps
TenderMatrix types each extracted row Mandatory, Desirable, Informational or Question from its wording or from table flags such as M/D/O, Priority and MoSCoW, and shows the signal that decided it. Filter to Mandatory for the gate review and to Desirable for the scored list. It does not read your evaluation section or know which rows are gates, so keep the gate flag in your Excel copy. Rows typed from a heading, or left undecided in a table, carry a note. Try it on the RFP to Excel page. Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. Files over 10 pages are converted up to page 10 on the free allowance; a page code converts the whole file, up to 150 pages. See pricing.
Questions bid teams ask
What is the difference between mandatory and desirable requirements?
A mandatory requirement must be met, and failing it can make the response non-compliant. A desirable requirement is scored: it improves your score if met and costs points if not. The RFP's evaluation section defines how each is treated.
Can a response win without meeting a desirable requirement?
Yes. Desirable items usually affect the score, not eligibility, so a strong response can win despite gaps. How much a gap costs depends on the weight of the criterion it supports.
What happens if I fail a mandatory requirement?
Often the response is excluded from scoring, though some buyers allow a clarification or correction first. Rules differ by country and buyer. Read the instructions on non-compliance and ask your contracts adviser.
How do I tell whether should means desirable or mandatory?
By default, desirable. Check for a definitions section or an instruction that treats every requirement as binding, and see how the evaluation section scores the item. If you are still unsure, ask a clarification question.
Should I answer every desirable requirement?
Usually yes, even briefly. An unanswered scored item earns no points, and silence is hard to defend later. Where you cannot meet one, say so plainly and, if allowed, offer an alternative.
How do I flag a requirement that is mandatory and scored?
Use two fields: Type for the wording, Mandatory, and a second flag for how it is evaluated, pass/fail or scored. Add the criterion it supports so the writer knows the standard to meet.
Do buyers use other labels for these?
Yes: essential or desirable, must have or should have, pass/fail or scored, M, D and O flags, and priority levels. Map the buyer's labels onto your own types and keep the original wording in Notes.