A solicitation states the factors on which a proposal is scored, and a firm that pursues without reading them competes on terms that may not favor it.
What the evaluation criteria set
The criteria set the factors and their weights: price, past performance, technical approach, schedule, participation. They decide what wins, and a firm that is strong on the weighted factors should pursue while one that is weak on them should think twice.
Why the criteria are easy to skip
The evaluation section is read late, after scope and price, and a firm can commit to a pursuit before understanding that the award turns on a factor it cannot lead on. The criteria should shape the go or no go, not just the draft.
How an AI bid response agent reads them
An AI bid response agent extracts the evaluation factors and their weights and reads them into the pursuit decision, so the go or no go reflects how the bid is actually scored and where the firm stands on each factor.
You can see the evaluation factors read into the pursuit decision in our AI bid response agent demo for construction and infrastructure RFPs. It reads how the bid is scored into the go or no go call.