What Is a TBE? Technical Bid Evaluation

A Technical Bid Evaluation (TBE) is the systematic assessment of vendor quotations against the project’s technical requirements. After suppliers respond to an RFQ, the engineering team reviews each proposal to confirm that offered materials, manufacturing processes, testing, and documentation comply with the MRQ specification.

The TBE is completed before the commercial evaluation. A technically non-compliant bid is disqualified regardless of price.

TBE Evaluation Criteria

Criterion	What Is Assessed	Weight (Typical)
Material compliance	ASTM/API grade, heat treatment, chemical composition	25-30%
Dimensional compliance	ASME B16.5, B16.9, B16.47; tolerances per standard	10-15%
Manufacturing process	Seamless vs welded, forging method, NDE procedures	15-20%
Testing requirements	Hydrostatic test, ultrasonic, radiography per spec	15-20%
NACE/sour service	MR0175/ISO 15156 compliance (hardness, chemistry limits)	10-15%
Documentation	MTCs per EN 10204 3.1/3.2, ITP, weld maps	5-10%
Vendor experience	Track record with similar orders, approved vendor list status	5-10%

TBE Process

The evaluation follows a structured workflow:

Step	Activity	Output
1	Receive vendor technical proposals	Proposals logged and distributed to engineering
2	Check compliance against MRQ specification	Line-by-line comparison
3	Identify deviations	Deviation list per vendor
4	Classify deviations as acceptable or unacceptable	Deviation register
5	Request clarifications from vendors (if needed)	Technical queries (TQs)
6	Score each vendor on weighted criteria	TBE scoring matrix
7	Issue TBE report with recommendation	”Technically Acceptable” or “Not Acceptable” per vendor

Common Technical Deviations

Deviations are categorized by severity. Not all deviations are disqualifying—some can be accepted with engineering justification.

Deviation Type	Example	Typical Resolution
Material substitution	Offering A234 WPB-W (welded) instead of WPB (seamless)	May be acceptable for low-criticality services
Missing NACE compliance	No hardness testing certificate for sour service	Unacceptable—vendor must provide or be disqualified
Non-standard dimensions	Fitting OD tolerance exceeding ASME B16.9 limits	Unacceptable for butt-weld connections
Reduced NDE scope	10% radiography offered vs 100% specified	Unacceptable unless engineering approves a scope reduction
Alternative manufacturer	Sub-supplier not on approved vendor list	Requires formal vendor qualification
Documentation gap	No EN 10204 3.2 certificate offered	Unacceptable if 3.2 is specified in MRQ

Common Mistake

Accepting a vendor proposal that states “in accordance with applicable standards” without specifying which standards. This vague compliance statement is not a commitment. The TBE must confirm that the vendor explicitly lists each required standard (ASTM, API, ASME, NACE) and confirms compliance point by point. Blanket compliance statements should be flagged and clarified.

TBE Report

The TBE report summarizes findings in a standardized format:

Report Section	Content
MRQ reference	MRQ number, revision, scope description
Vendors evaluated	List of all bidders
Compliance summary	Pass/fail per vendor per criterion
Deviation register	All deviations with accept/reject disposition
Recommendation	Technically acceptable vendors ranked by compliance
Conditions	Any conditions attached to technical acceptance

The TBE report is forwarded to procurement alongside the Commercial Bid Evaluation (CBE). Only vendors that pass the TBE are included in the commercial comparison. This ensures that price competition occurs only among technically qualified suppliers.

For material compliance requirements referenced in TBEs, see compatible ASTM piping materials and hydrostatic testing specifications.

Read the full guide to pipe classes and specifications