Method statement and quality response
The method statement sets out how a bidder will deliver a public contract. It usually carries more weight than price. Structure, scoring and practical advice.
Updated on September 5, 2026
The method statement, often called the quality response or the technical submission, is the document in which a bidder explains how it will deliver the contract: organisation, people and plant, methodology, programme, quality, health and safety, and environmental measures. It is the evidence on which the buyer scores the quality part of your tender.
How it works
Section 19 of the Procurement Act 2023 (verified 2026-09-05) requires a contract to be awarded to the most advantageous tender, assessed against the award criteria published in the tender notice and associated documents. Wherever a quality criterion exists, the method statement is what earns those marks.
The instructions to tenderers set out what is expected: the questions, the word or page limit, the response template, the sub-criteria and their weightings, and the scoring scale, typically zero to five with a published description of what each score means. Many buyers now use a structured questionnaire rather than a free-form document. Central government buyers also score social value, and many councils and NHS bodies do the same, so treat those questions as seriously as the technical ones.
The response is part of your tender. Most contracts incorporate it, which means the commitments it contains — resources, response times, named staff — become contractual obligations once you are awarded the work. In Ireland the practice is identical, with quality responses scored against the criteria published on eTenders.
What it means for a bidder
The quality response is usually what lets a smaller firm beat a cheaper competitor. A few rules:
- Answer the specification and the sub-criteria in the order the buyer set them, using the same headings, so the evaluator can find the marks.
- Be concrete and specific to this contract: named people, plant you actually hold, a programme built around the site constraints. A generic answer is spotted in a few lines.
- Provide evidence: CVs, product data, certificates, photographs of comparable jobs.
- Respect the word or page limit exactly. Anything beyond it is normally left unread.
- Promise only what you will deliver, because the response binds you.
Write a core response for each service line, then adapt it properly for every tender. The time you spend should match the weighting of the quality criterion.
Example
A fictional district council tenders the re-roofing of a community hall, estimated at £145,000. The instructions set price at 50 per cent and quality at 50 per cent, scored on three sub-criteria: methodology and programme, resources, and waste and safety management. A roofing contractor submits a twelve-page response with a week-by-week programme, the names of the site foreman and his two roofers, the scaffold specification and a slate recycling route. It takes the highest quality score and wins despite being 4 per cent above the lowest price.
Frequently asked questions
Is a method statement always required?
Almost always, as soon as quality is scored. For a simple purchase decided on price alone it may be reduced to a few compliance questions.
Can I reuse a response from another tender?
As a base, yes. Every response must then be adapted to the specific contract, or it will score poorly and damage your credibility.
Does the method statement bind my company?
Yes, where the contract incorporates it, which is common. The resources and timescales you state become obligations you can be held to.