Debriefing Unsuccessful Offerors

Purpose

To give offerors an assessment of an unsuccessful proposal, including significant weaknesses or deficiencies based on evaluation criteria in a request for proposals (RFP).

Procedure

FAR parts 15.505 and 15.506 describe information that the government provides in pre-award and post-award debriefings. Post-award debriefings provide more information than pre-award debriefings. Contracting officers conduct debriefings orally or in writing.

Offerors

• Within three days after receipt of the notice of exclusion, request a debriefing -- in writing -- from your contracting officer. You are entitled to only one debriefing.
• In your request, designate either a pre-award or a post-award debriefing.

Project Officers

• Give input to contracting officers for preparing written debriefings.
• Review and concur with debriefing letters.
• Participate in oral debriefings, in addition to or in lieu of written debriefings.

Contracting Officers

• Honor debriefing requests up to three days after unsuccessful offerors receive a notification. When possible, honor debriefing requests that are received more than three days after notification.
• Prepare written debriefings with input from project officers, information in technical evaluation reports, and if applicable, source selection meeting minutes.
• Use the pre-award debriefing letter template and the post-award debriefing letter template to prepare the debriefing letter.
• To the maximum extent practicable, send debriefing letters to offerors within five days of receiving a request. If a debriefing is not sent within five days, document the reason for the delay in the contract file.
• In addition to or in lieu of written debriefings, participate in oral debriefings with project officers. Chair the sessions and invite scientific review officers to attend to provide support.
• Document the file if more than one debriefing is contemplated; for example, in cases where a written debriefing is followed by an oral briefing.
• Make sure a debriefing summary is included in the official contract file.

Contacts

See the Office of Acquisitions staff listing for the appropriate contract specialist.

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Links

FAR 15.503, Notifications to Unsuccessful Offerors

Contracting Officer SOP

Project Officer SOP

Peer Review of R&D Contract Technical Proposals SOP

Technical Review of R&D Proposals Under Emergency Situations SOP