XL EagleSection M (Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award)
Section M stands for Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award. Section M of a Uniform Contract Format solicitation describes how the government will choose the winner. It lists the evaluation factors (such as technical approach, past performance and price), any subfactors, and how important each is compared to the others.
Section M also states the basis of award, for example best value tradeoff or lowest price technically acceptable. The agency must evaluate proposals using the factors it announced, which is why Section M is so valuable to offerors.
Why it matters to a small contractor
Section M tells you where to spend your effort. If technical approach is significantly more important than price, a thin technical volume with a low price may lose. If it is LPTA, you only need to be acceptable and then cheapest. Read Section M first, then write.
Example
Section M says technical and past performance combined are significantly more important than price. A security guard company spends extra time describing its supervision plan and its training program instead of shaving another dollar off its hourly rate.
Section M: common questions
Can the government use factors not listed in Section M?
Generally no. Agencies must evaluate proposals on the factors and subfactors stated in the solicitation. If it does not, an offeror may have grounds for a protest.
What does 'approximately equal' mean in Section M?
It means the listed factors carry roughly the same weight in the decision. Read the exact wording, since phrases like 'significantly more important' change the balance.
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