A vendor selection criteria checklist is the agreed list of tests procurement and the business apply to every shortlisted supplier, so cost, quality, reliability, financial health, security and support are scored the same way for each vendor before anyone signs.
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Reviewed by the Spendflo procurement team
Choose the purchase size first and the list hides the criteria a smaller buy does not need. Open any row to see the evidence to ask for and the red flag that should pause the decision.
Get the vendor selection criteria checklist as an Excel tracker with owners, status drop-downs and a progress score.
It is a structured scoring tool: before demos start, the buying team fixes which supplier qualities matter and how much, then checks and scores every candidate against that same list so the choice rests on evidence rather than the best pitch.
Procurement usually runs it, with finance, IT, security and legal each owning the criteria in their area. The checklist sits between the business need and the contract: it starts once requirements are written and ends with a signed decision record.
Two kinds of criteria live on it. Gates are pass or fail (a vendor without a current security attestation is out, however good the demo). Scored criteria are weighted and compared across the vendors that clear every gate.
Eight groups cover the full decision, from why you are buying to how you would leave. Each answers a different question about the supplier.
| Criteria group | The question it answers | Usual owner |
|---|---|---|
| Business need and requirements | What exactly are we buying, and who decides? | Business owner |
| Cost and financial terms | What will it cost over the whole term, and can the price move? | Finance, Procurement |
| Quality, fit and compliance | Does it meet every must-have and the rules we work under? | Business owner, Compliance |
| Reliability and capacity | Will it deliver on time and cope with our peaks? | IT, Business owner |
| Financial health and stability | Will the vendor still be trading in three years? | Finance |
| Security and risk management | Is our data protected, and can we take it back? | Security |
| Support, implementation and references | Will they get us live and help when it breaks? | Business owner |
| Contract and exit | Can we renew, audit and leave on our terms? | Legal, Procurement |
Run the gates first so nobody spends a week scoring a vendor that fails security. Then weight what is left; the weights below are an illustrative starting point, not a rule.
| Criterion | Illustrative weight | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Security and risk | 3x | A breach costs more than any saving |
| Cost and financial terms | 2x | Covers the whole term, not year one |
| Quality and functional fit | 1x | Must-haves are already a gate |
| Reliability and support | 1x | Separates vendors that pass on features |
| Contract and exit | 1x | Decides how hard it is to leave |
Once the long list is screened, these ten checks keep the comparison fair. For a side-by-side matrix, copy the scores into a weighted evaluation sheet.
After go-live, the same vendor evaluation checklist becomes a performance review: rescore reliability, support and cost each year before the renewal notice date.
Software suppliers bring risks that a goods supplier never does. Add these checks when the vendor will hold data or connect to your systems.
Download the vendor selection criteria checklist so every owner can work their own rows in Excel or Google Sheets, with status and dates.
The decision record is what auditors and the next renewal team will read. Ten lines are enough to show the choice was fair and documented.
The same record works as a supplier selection checklist for goods and services suppliers; swap the IT checks for quality, capacity and delivery evidence.
Most bad choices show warning signs during the sale. Ask for the document before you accept the explanation.
| Red flag | What to ask for | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Discount only valid this week | Written quote with a 30-day validity | Procurement |
| Security questions answered by sales | The attestation report itself | Security |
| References all from one region or size | A customer matching your scale | Procurement |
| Implementation estimate given verbally | Statement of work with milestones | Business owner |
| Renewal price described as standard | Uplift cap in the order form | Procurement |
| Export described as possible on request | A sample export file | IT |
A small one-off purchase does not need sixty criteria. Set the size at intake and the filter above shows the right list.
Large spend, sensitive data or hard to replace.
Full panel, pilot and reference calls
Moderate spend or limited data access.
Skip the strategic-only criteria
Low spend, no sensitive data, easy to switch.
Gates plus a quick price check
Each step produces one document, and together they form the decision record.
Remove criteria that do not apply and add sector ones.
Agree weights, for example security above cost above fit.
Copy the criteria into your RFP or information request.
Evaluators score alone, then agree a consensus score.
Run a pilot or proof of concept with the leader.
Sign the decision record and name a runner-up.
This is a completed checklist for a mid-size analytics purchase with two flagged criteria and the decision they led to. The companies and figures are illustrative.
| Check | Owner | Evidence received | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every must-have requirement met today | Business owner | Scripted demo, all 14 must-haves shown | Done |
| Total cost of ownership calculated | Finance | Three-year TCO $231,000 incl. setup | Done |
| Annual price increases capped in writing | Procurement | Order form silent on uplift | Flagged |
| Security attestation in date | Security | SOC 2 Type II, dated June | Done |
| Data portability and export format confirmed | IT | Export only via paid services | Flagged |
| Three references of similar scale called | Procurement | Three calls, notes filed | Done |
+ 33 more criteria checked, evidence filed
All 60 criteria with gates, weights and the decision record, ready to fill in for up to three vendors. Free, no credit card.
FreeNo credit cardWork email only
| # | Check | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Problem and expected outcome written down | Business owner | Done |
| 2 | Must-have and nice-to-have requirements separated | Business owner | In progress |
| 3 | Budget range and funding source confirmed | Finance | Flagged |
| 4 | Existing contracts checked for overlap | Procurement | Done |
The usual criteria are cost over the full term, quality and fit, reliability and capacity, financial health, security, support and contract terms. The free download lists 60 of them in eight groups, each with an owner and the evidence to request.
A common version is: define the need, set criteria and weights, build a long list, screen against gates, evaluate and score the shortlist, check references or pilot, then decide and record. The six-step method above folds the long list into tailoring and mapping.
A vendor checklist is a list of the checks and documents a company needs before it chooses, approves or keeps a supplier. This one focuses on selection, with gates that rule vendors out and weighted criteria that rank the rest.
The 10 C's are competency, capacity, commitment, control, cash, cost, consistency, culture, clean (environmental and ethical standing) and communication. Each one maps to a group in this checklist, so the download covers them all with evidence to request.
Yes. You can download it as an Excel template, a Google Sheet or a printable PDF, and every version includes the scoring sheet and decision record.
Run vendor selection from one request
Spendflo captures requirements at intake, routes approvals, checks software quotes against pricing benchmarks, then onboards the chosen supplier and tracks its risk. Spendflo has handled 15,000+ agreements.
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Google Sheets: upload the Excel file to Drive and open it with Google Sheets.
