Debriefing

A debriefing is the formal post-award or post-exclusion session in which the government provides an unsuccessful offeror with feedback on their proposal's strengths and weaknesses and explains the basis for the award decision.

What is a Debriefing?

Debriefings are a right of unsuccessful offerors under FAR 15.505 (pre-award debriefings for competitive range exclusions) and FAR 15.506 (post-award debriefings for award decisions). They are distinct sessions with different content requirements.

Pre-award debriefings occur when an offeror is excluded from the competitive range. The debriefing must include:

• The agency's evaluation of the significant elements of the offeror's proposal
• A summary of the rationale for eliminating the offeror from the competitive range
• Reasonable responses to relevant questions about the elimination

Post-award debriefings occur after contract award. The debriefing must include:

• The agency's evaluation of the significant weaknesses and deficiencies in the offeror's proposal
• The overall evaluated cost or price and technical rating of the winner (but not other competitors)
• The rationale for the award decision
• Reasonable responses to relevant questions about the award decision

What a debriefing cannot include:

• Point scores for proposals
• Competitors' technical information or detailed proposal contents
• Trade secrets or confidential business information of other offerors

A post-award debriefing must be requested within three days of receiving the notice of award, and the agency must provide it within five days of the request (for timely requests). This deadline is critical because the 10-day protest window at the GAO runs from the date of the debriefing.

Why Debriefings matter for government contractors

Debriefings are the most actionable loss feedback available in government contracting, and they are free. A 60-minute debriefing with the evaluation team can reveal exactly what your proposal lacked, what the winner did differently, and what you must improve to win next time. Many GovCon companies treat debriefings as mandatory learning exercises regardless of whether they intend to protest. The debriefing also starts the 10-day protest clock, if you think the award was improper, you need the debriefing to understand the basis for protest. Requesting a debriefing does not commit you to protesting. Read more about bid protests in our guide on GAO bid protests.

Example

A software firm loses a $8M Army contract award to a larger competitor. They request a post-award debriefing within the required three-day window. At the debriefing, the government reveals: Technical rating (Acceptable vs. winner's Good), the firm's system integration approach lacked specificity about API architecture; Management rating (Good vs. winner's Outstanding), the firm's key personnel résumés showed strong cybersecurity background but limited Army-specific program management experience; Past Performance (Satisfactory Confidence vs. winner's Substantial Confidence), two of three references were from commercial clients, not federal agencies. The debriefing reveals a clear roadmap: more federal past performance references, more specific technical detail, and Army-experienced program management staff. The firm builds these improvements into their next pursuit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a debriefing a right or a privilege?

For competitive procurements under FAR Part 15, a debriefing is a legal right of unsuccessful offerors. The agency must provide one when timely requested. For simplified acquisitions or other procurement types not covered by FAR 15, debriefings may be discretionary.

Can I bring outside counsel or a proposal consultant to my debriefing?

Agencies generally allow unsuccessful offerors to bring legal counsel and up to a small team to post-award debriefings. Check with the contracting officer in advance about attendance limits and who is permitted. Having legal counsel present is advisable if you are considering a protest.

What questions should I ask in a debriefing?

Focus on: What were the specific weaknesses and deficiencies in each volume? What strengths did the winning proposal have that mine lacked? Were there any proposal compliance issues? What was the basis for the best value tradeoff decision? How did the past performance evaluation compare the two companies? Can you share any examples of what Outstanding technical content looked like in this competition?

If the government gives me inaccurate information in the debriefing, can I protest based on that?

You can only protest what is in the official evaluation record, not what you are told verbally in a debriefing. Debriefing statements by agency officials are not binding legal documents. If the agency's verbal statements conflict with what you can infer from the evaluation record, consult with legal counsel about whether a records request is warranted.