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What does Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) mean?
Most Economically Advantageous Tender, otherwise known as the acronym MEAT, is a criterion that can be used in the selection procedure which allows the contracting authority to award the contract based on aspects of the tender submission not just related to price.
The MEAT was introduced by the European Parliament to ensure fairness and transparency in the procurement process. The MEAT evaluation considers the following aspects that focus on value rather than just price:
- Quality
- Technical ability
- Proposed design
- Accessibility
- Social value
- Environmental benefits
- Innovation
- Customer service
- Ongoing support
- Ability to meet deadlines
Has MEAT changed after Brexit?
After leaving the European Union, many processes have had to be changed within the industry that were previously stemmed from EU regulations. In 2020, a government document called the Green Paper Transforming Public Procurement was published to propose changes to the procurement processes in the UK post-Brexit.
Whilst MEAT still remains a criterion used in public procurement, it is now advised that the name be changed to MAT, or Most Advantageous Tender, removing the word ‘economically’ from the phrase. Due to the word ‘economic’ often relating to price, the government thought it best leave that word out to ensure that the idea of quality is still at the forefront of this process.
