If you’re eyeing up a UK security tender, whether for manned guarding, CCTV monitoring or access control, you’ll need to understand how your submission will be evaluated.
Buyers are not just looking for the cheapest option, they want the ‘Most Economically Advantageous Tender’ (MEAT).
In this blog, we’ll break it all down simply so you can focus on building a winning security tender response.
What is MEAT in Security Tenders?
MEAT stands for ‘Most Economically Advantageous Tender’.
It is the standard evaluation approach used in public sector procurement across the UK and it shifts the focus away from lowest price towards best value. That means your score depends not just on cost, but on how well you demonstrate quality, reliability and added value.
MEAT criteria typically includes:
- Quality
- Price
- Social Value
- Innovation and Added Value
- Delivery Capability
The weightings vary depending on the buyer, but a common split is:
- Quality: 60%
- Price: 30%
- Social Value: 10% (a great article on security social value here…)
Sometimes these vary, but this general weighting gives you a good starting point for prioritising your effort.
A Simple Breakdown: How Security Tender Scoring Works
When you begin bidding for security contracts, the buyer will publish an Invitation to Tender (ITT), which usually includes a specific award criteria section. If not, this document should outline the scoring method.
Here’s how each section typically assessed:
- Quality Questions
These usually include method statements or responses to specific scenarios. You might be asked to explain:
- Your approach to shift management and staff availability.
- How you would handle incidents on site.
- Your vetting and training procedures.
- How you will ensure continuity and coverage.
Each response is often scored on a scale (e.g. 0-5 or 0-10), based on how well it meets the buyer’s expectations. You might see scoring descriptors like this:
- 0: Unacceptable or no response.
- 1-2: Poor – limited detail or doesn’t meet the requirements.
- 3-4: Adequate – meets the requirements but lacks added value.
- 5: Excellent – fully addresses the requirements, adds value and is well-evidenced.
Top tips for scoring highly here: Be SPECIFIC, be relevant and demonstrate that you understand the why behind each requirement. Use case studies, KPIs, and client feedback wherever possible.
- Pricing
Price evaluation in security tenders is normally evaluated using a relative scoring formula. The lowest compliant bid receives the maximum score and others are scored proportionally.
For example:
- 1st bidder charges £100/day – scores 30/30
- 2nd bidder charges £110/day – scores 27.7 (based on lowest price ÷ your price x weighting)
However, lowest does not always win. Many buyers include caveats for abnormally low bids, especially in security where underpricing can signal staff exploitation, lack of supervision, or risk to quality.
Buyers want cost-effective solutions, not unsustainable ones.
Make sure your pricing is competitive but also reflects your quality, staff wages (often linked to Living Wage or TUPE) and management input.
- Social Value
Since changes to the Procurement Act in February 2025, public contracts have increased the weighting of social value input, meaning you’ll have to clearly and measurably demonstrate how your security services bring community benefit.
For example:
- Hiring locally or from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Offering apprenticeships or up-skilling.
- Supporting veterans or ex-offenders.
- Delivering environmental sustainability initiatives.
Social value is scored based on credibility, measurability and relevance. Broad promises are unlikely to score well. The best answers include baseline figures, monitoring methods and timelines.
Social value needs to be specific, measurable and aligned with the buyer’s own priorities, especially in sectors like education, healthcare or housing.
- Compliance and Accreditations (Pass/Fail Sections)
Although not always scored, some sections will be ‘gating criteria’, meaning you must meet them to proceed.
These often include:
- Cyber Essentials (especially on government contracts).
- Health and Safety policies aligned with ISO or CHAS.
- Insurance thresholds.
- TUPE compliance, if applicable.
Failure to meet these minimum requirements usually results in automatic disqualification, regardless of how good your quality answers are. Always check the specification in detail to avoid wasting time and disqualification in security tendering.
What Makes a Security Tender Stand Out?
A winning tender is not just well-written, it’s sharply aligned with the buyer’s needs and priorities.
Here’s what helps:
- Tailored responses
Avoid generic waffle. Use the buyer’s language and priorities to ensure you are specifically tailoring your responses to their security requirements.
Read the specification and ITT to ensure you understand their objectives in depth – if they value trauma-informed approached or mental health awareness, weave that in.
- Evidence
Back up every claim. Use KPIs, accreditations (like SIA or ACS) and relevant case studies.
- Compliance
Ensure you meet mandatory requirements (e.g. SIA licencing, Cyber Essentials, insurance thresholds etc.)
- Structure
Stick to any word counts, formatting rules and use headings and clear language to properly structure your responses. If they ask for three parts in a response, deliver exactly that.
Asking Clarification Questions
If you’re ever unsure about how your security bid will be scored, or what the buyer is looking for, use the ITT and specification as much as possible.
If your tender documents are not specific or the award criteria is vague, be sure to submit a clarification question to ensure you’re meeting all expectations.
Buyers EXPECT suppliers to ask questions and it shows you are serious about tailoring your security tender submission properly.
Struggling with a Security Tender?
If you need help crafting security responses that score top marks, our team at Bid Writing Service specialises in security contracts. Whether it’s ACS accreditation, TUPE compliance or writing standout method statements, we’ve got you covered.
Have a security tender submission coming up? Why not utilise our expert security tender writers? Contact us at michael.baron@bidwritingservice.com or lauren.moorhouse@bidwritingservice.com to discuss your needs, or, fill out the form below!
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