How fit scoring works

Every tender Tenderoo shows you carries a fit score out of 100. This page explains what goes into that number and how to read it, so you can use it critically rather than take it on trust.

What the score weighs

The score reflects the things that genuinely decide whether a tender fits your business:

• Service fit. Do the services your business offers match what the tender is buying? This matters most: a tender outside your line of work is not an opportunity, whatever the rest says.
• Location. Can you deliver where the work is needed? Work that can be delivered nationwide or remotely (software, consultancy, supplied goods) is not held back by the buyer's region. The buyer's location only counts against you when the work needs a physical presence you have not got.
• Capacity. Is the contract value appropriate for a business of your size? A contract far beyond your size band drags the score down, because buyers check the same thing at selection stage.
• Public-sector experience. A track record of delivering public contracts. Buyers score this too, so it belongs in an honest fit assessment.
• Deadline. Is there realistically enough time left to respond? A tender closing in a few days counts for less than one with a month to run, and a closed tender is no opportunity at all.
• Strategic relevance. How squarely the opportunity sits in your niche.

An honest reading

The score is read honestly, and a poor match is not inflated to keep you interested. Where the fit is weak, the report says so plainly, and where the evidence for a claim is missing, the gap is listed on your fit report as a blocker rather than glossed over. Alongside the score you get plain-English reasons for the fit and the blockers that stand between you and a credible bid. The score measures fit, nothing more: it never claims you can win.

Lots are scored separately

Many public contracts are split into lots that can be bid separately. Tenderoo scores each lot in its own right, so a strong fit on one lot shows up even when the whole contract would not suit you.

What the number means

A higher score means a stronger fit. A strong score says the tender is worth your serious attention; a low one says your time is better spent elsewhere. It does not say you will win, and it is only as good as the information it was scored on.

What moves your score

You cannot change the tender, but you can change your profile. Scores based on a thin profile sit lower because facts your profile does not state cannot count in your favour: an unstated region, size band or track record scores as unknown. Filling those gaps is the honest way to raise your scores, and Tenderoo re-scores your matches when you save a profile change. The potential score, covered in its own guide, tells you in advance how much headroom that gives you on each tender.