QCBS Calculator
Calculate Quality and Cost Based Selection scores for tenders, consultancy RFPs and procurement evaluations. Enter technical marks, financial bids, weightage and cutoff, then rank bidders and download the result as a PDF.
| Bidder / Firm | Tech score | Financial bid | Notes |
|---|
Winning bidder
—
Combined score
—
Competitive gap
—
Lowest qualified bid
—
Qualified / total
—
| Rank | Bidder | Technical | Financial bid | Fin score | Wtd tech | Wtd fin | Combined | Status |
|---|
Technical Criteria Builder
Use this to draft a 100-mark technical evaluation matrix before entering bidder scores. Keep the total near 100 and match it to your RFP.
Total criteria weight
100
Readiness
Balanced
| Criterion | Weight | Scoring note / guidance |
|---|
India QCBS vs FIDIC and International Procurement
QCBS means Quality and Cost Based Selection. The same core idea is used across Indian consultancy procurement, multilateral development bank procurement and many international RFPs: first judge quality, then combine quality and evaluated cost by the weights disclosed in the tender.
| Context | How it usually works | Calculator setting |
|---|---|---|
| India public procurement | Technical proposals are scored first. Only bidders meeting the minimum qualifying score go to financial scoring. The RFP states quality-cost weightage such as 70:30, 80:20, 60:40 or 50:50. | Use India 70:30 or India high complexity 80:20, then set the cutoff to the RFP value. |
| International / MDB style QCBS | Quality and price are combined when both matter. The lowest evaluated price commonly receives 100 financial marks and higher prices receive proportionately lower marks. | Use International / MDB 80:20 or custom weights. |
| FIDIC consultant selection | FIDIC emphasizes competence, fair competition, qualifications, quality and long-term project outcome. Where cost is considered, the same weighted quality-cost scoring can be used. | Use the same QCBS calculator; avoid a duplicate FIDIC formula unless your RFP defines one. |
Formula Used
Financial Score = Lowest Evaluated Bid / Bidder's Evaluated Bid x 100
Combined Score = Technical Score x Technical Weight + Financial Score x Financial Weight
Example: if the technical weight is 70% and financial weight is 30%, a bidder with technical score 82 and financial score 90 gets 82 x 0.70 + 90 x 0.30 = 84.40. The bidder with the highest combined score among technically qualified bids is ranked first.
When to Use QCBS
- Consultancy services, DPR preparation, project management consultancy and advisory assignments.
- Engineering design, architectural work, supervision, transaction advisory and infrastructure support.
- IT implementation, ERP, cybersecurity, training and capacity-building work where technical approach can differ substantially.
- FIDIC-influenced consultant selection when qualifications and value matter more than choosing the lowest price alone.
Practical QCBS Checklist
- State the minimum technical qualifying score in the RFP.
- State the technical and financial weightage before bid submission.
- Score technical bids before opening financial bids.
- Use evaluated cost, not just quoted cost, if taxes, duties, discounts or corrections apply.
- Apply the same formula to every technically qualified bidder.
- Record reasons for technical marks so the evaluation is auditable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is QCBS the same as L1 tendering?
No. L1 primarily selects the lowest evaluated price among responsive bids. QCBS combines quality and cost, so a bidder with a higher price can win if the technical score justifies it under the stated weightage.
What is CQCBS?
CQCBS usually refers to Combined Quality-cum-Cost Based Selection. In practical scoring it is often the same weighted combined approach: technical marks plus financial marks with published weights.
Should technical weight be 70 or 80?
Use the RFP and applicable procurement rules. Higher technical weight suits complex, specialized or high-consequence assignments. More routine assignments often use lower technical weight and higher cost weight.
Can I use this calculator for FIDIC?
Yes, when the tender uses a quality-cost score. FIDIC's selection philosophy is quality and qualifications led; if your FIDIC-based RFP defines QCBS weights, enter those weights here.
QCBS Calculator for Tender Evaluation
This QCBS score calculator is designed for procurement teams, consultants, contractors, evaluation committee members and bidders who want to understand how technical and financial scores affect the final rank. It supports Indian rupee bids, international currencies, technical qualifying cutoffs, common India QCBS presets and FIDIC-style consultant selection notes in one page.
Top Search Terms Covered
QCBS calculator, quality cost based selection calculator, QCBS score calculator, tender evaluation calculator, technical financial score calculator, India QCBS formula, CQCBS calculator, procurement bid evaluation, FIDIC consultant selection, lowest bid financial score, technical weightage calculator and financial bid score calculator.
Related Calculators
Official References
The QCBS formula and scoring methodology used in this calculator align with the following authoritative procurement guidelines:
Department of Expenditure — Ministry of Finance, Government of India
doe.gov.in
Publishes the Standard Request for Proposal (RFP) for Selection of Consultants, which defines the QCBS formula, quality-cost weightage (70:30, 80:20), minimum technical qualifying score, and financial evaluation methodology used in Indian public procurement.
FIDIC — International Federation of Consulting Engineers
fidic.org — 2023 Selection of Consultants Guide (PDF)
FIDIC's Guidelines for the Selection of Consultants establishes the international standard for quality and competence-based consultant selection. The weighted quality-cost scoring approach in this calculator follows the FIDIC principle that long-term project value and technical competence should take precedence over price alone.