ADB Merit Point Criteria 2026: how contractors should change tender strategy

For years many contractors treated MDB tenders as a familiar sequence: pass qualification, submit a compliant bid and compete mainly on price. Merit Point Criteria changes that habit.

On ADB projects using merit points in 2026, a contractor needs more than a low number. The bid must explain the methodology, resources, risk controls, quality systems, ESHS compliance and programme logic in a way that evaluators can test.

This article is not a substitute for the tender documents. The controlling documents remain the Instructions to Bidders, Evaluation and Qualification Criteria, Particular Conditions and any addenda.

What Merit Point Criteria changes

MPC gives real weight to the quality of the technical proposal. Price still matters, but it is no longer always the only practical differentiator.

A serious contractor has to demonstrate:

• understanding of scope and project risks;
• realistic construction methodology;
• credible organisation and staffing;
• qualified key personnel;
• a programme linked to resources and sequence;
• environmental and social management capacity;
• quality assurance and health and safety controls;
• the ability to administer a FIDIC contract after award.

A weak technical proposal can lose even when the price looks competitive.

Why “price first, sort it out later” is dangerous

On MDB-funded FIDIC projects, many risks are visible before submission:

• Particular Conditions may change the balance of the General Conditions;
• ESHS obligations may create real time and cost impacts;
• permits and approvals may affect the programme;
• interface risks require a credible method statement;
• Engineer procedures and reporting require resources;
• payment terms, securities and cash flow affect price.

If the tender team ignores these issues, the contract team inherits them after award, when the commercial room for correction is much smaller.

How to build the bid team

For MPC, an estimator and commercial manager are not enough. The bid should integrate:

• planner;
• construction manager;
• contracts or claims specialist;
• quantity surveyor;
• HSE/ES specialist;
• procurement and logistics input;
• key subcontractor input;
• local regulatory advice where relevant.

The main discipline is consistency. If the technical proposal promises complex traffic management, night work, additional supervision or intensive reporting, the price and preliminaries must carry those resources.

What to check in the tender package

Before submission, run a focused tender risk review:

1. Evaluation criteria and weighting.
2. Minimum technical score, if any.
3. Key personnel and equipment requirements.
4. Programme and methodology requirements.
5. FIDIC Particular Conditions.
6. ESHS, site access and stakeholder constraints.
7. Payment terms, advance payment, retention and securities.
8. JV, subcontracting and local participation rules.
9. Fraud, corruption and sanctions provisions.
10. Clarification deadline and addenda tracking.

The most dangerous gap is between technical promises and commercial price.

How to write the technical proposal

A strong MPC proposal is not a glossy brochure. It is a testable project plan.

Practical principles:

• describe project-specific risks, not generic methodology;
• link programme logic to resources;
• explain temporary works and access strategy;
• show interface management;
• describe record keeping and contract administration;
• include a claim-prevention mindset;
• show that key people understand FIDIC and MDB practice.

For ADB and other MDB tenders, avoid promises that cannot be delivered without additional cost.

Price remains part of the strategy

MPC does not make price irrelevant. It makes price and technical story inseparable.

Common mistakes include:

• promising a high-quality methodology without pricing the necessary preliminaries;
• underestimating ESHS obligations;
• ignoring reporting and compliance burden;
• omitting planning, records and contract administration resources;
• missing the cash-flow impact of securities and delayed payment.

After award, these mistakes are rarely fixed cleanly through a claim.

FAQ

Should contractors write the “best possible” technical proposal at any cost?

No. The proposal must be realistic and executable for the submitted price. An over-ambitious methodology may win points and still create a loss-making contract.

Is MPC the same in every ADB tender?

No. The evaluation model depends on the procurement documents. Contractors should read the 2026 tender package, not rely on a generic template.

Who matters more: lawyers or engineers?

Both. MPC evaluates technical credibility, while contractual risks hidden in Particular Conditions can destroy the commercial outcome.

Bridge Consult helps contractors review ADB/MDB tender packages: Particular Conditions, pricing assumptions, methodology, programme, securities, ESHS obligations and contract administration readiness.

Sources and further reading

• Asian Development Bank, Procurement Regulations for ADB Borrowers.
• Asian Development Bank, Standard Bidding Documents / Procurement of Works based on FIDIC Red Book 2017.
• World Bank, Contract Management: Practice Procurement Guidance, Second Edition, May 2024.
• FIDIC, Conditions of Contract for Construction, 2017 edition.
• See also: Pink Book and MDB projects and World Bank Contract Management Plan.