What is the bid-evaluation report?
The bid-evaluation report is the document in which the buyer records the review and scoring of the bids received, criterion by criterion, through to the final ranking. It is not handed to bidders automatically: it is a working document internal to the procedure, explaining how the buyer reached its decision. For an unsuccessful bidder, it is the most detailed document on how the bids compared, beyond the reasons for rejection disclosed upfront.
Understanding what the bid-evaluation report is means understanding that a written record of the buyer's reasoning exists, and that this record can, under conditions, be disclosed.
Can an unsuccessful bidder obtain the bid-evaluation report?
An unsuccessful bidder can request disclosure of the bid-evaluation report under the right of access to public records. An evaluation report is generally a disclosable public record once the contract has been awarded, subject to exceptions set out in the applicable rules, notably trade-secret protection. The request is made to the buyer; if refused, an independent authority can generally be asked for an opinion.
This right of access supplements the information received as an unsuccessful bidder: where the reasons for rejection summarize, the evaluation report details the scoring of every bid.
What can you read, and what stays hidden?
In a disclosed evaluation report, you can read the scoring of the bids and the buyer's reasoning, but some elements stay hidden. The buyer redacts information covered by trade-secret protection. Detailed prices, know-how, or competitors' sensitive data can therefore be removed before disclosure. What remains readable is the structure of the scoring: the criteria, the assessments, the ranking.
The disclosed report is therefore a useful but partially redacted document: it shows how the bids were compared, without revealing the confidential detail of each one.
Evaluation report, reasons for rejection, details on the winning bid: what does each source give you?
These three sources of information after a contract do not tell you the same thing. The table below links each to its content.
| Source | What it contains | How to obtain it |
|---|---|---|
| Reasons for rejection | why the bid was rejected | disclosed to the unsuccessful bidder |
| Details on the winning bid | the winner's characteristics and advantages | on request to the buyer |
| Bid-evaluation report | the detailed scoring of every bid | a request for access, with redactions |
This table orders the steps: you start with the reasons, then request details, and then seek the evaluation report for the fullest picture.
When are the reasons enough, and when should you request the evaluation report?
To understand the essentials of a rejection, the disclosed reasons are often enough, and generic AI can help set them against your own bid. For a high-stakes contract, or when the reasons seem insufficient or questionable, requesting the evaluation report becomes useful: it gives the detail of the scoring and lets you check whether equal treatment was respected. The line is stakes and doubt: on an ordinary contract clearly lost, the reasons are enough; on a major contract or a surprising decision, the evaluation report documents it.
Obtaining and using an evaluation report, in order
- Gather the reasons for rejection disclosed by the buyer.
- Send a written request for disclosure of the evaluation report.
- Wait for the buyer's response, or its reasoned refusal.
- Refer the matter to the competent authority for an opinion if refused.
- Read the scoring criterion by criterion, minus redacted elements.
- Compare it against your bid to understand the gap and decide on next steps.
On the Optivalue.ai platform, which publishes this site, 85 specialized agents (72 subject-matter agents, 12 sector-specific agents, 1 librarian agent) link every requirement in the file to the company's own responses, which helps methodically compare a received evaluation report against your own bid.
Frequently asked questions
Is the bid-evaluation report handed over automatically?
The bid-evaluation report is not handed over automatically: the unsuccessful bidder receives the reasons for rejection, then can request disclosure of the report as a public record, under conditions.
Why are some parts of the report redacted?
Some parts are redacted because they fall under competitors' trade-secret protection: detailed prices, know-how, sensitive data. The structure of the scoring itself stays readable.
What can you do if the buyer refuses to disclose the report?
If refused, an independent authority responsible for access to public records can generally be asked for an opinion. The exact procedure depends on the applicable rules and should be checked for each situation.
Does the evaluation report help challenge a rejection?
The evaluation report can inform a challenge by documenting the scoring, but pursuing a challenge is a legal decision that requires the advice of a legal professional. This page does not constitute legal advice.
Compare an evaluation report against your bid
Bring a real set of tender documents and your bid. You will see requirement-extraction coverage, sources cited on every page, and a gap analysis of your response, not a prepared demo.
Written by the compliance and presales team at Optivalue.ai. Last reviewed: 5 September 2026. This page does not constitute legal advice.
Sources cited
- Trade secret protection (in the United States, the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016; in the United Kingdom, the Trade Secrets (Enforcement, etc.) Regulations 2018); the applicable rule in each market should be verified.
- The right of access to public records and the disclosability of the bid-evaluation report after award; the applicable rules in each market should be verified.