Source Selection Evaluation Board (SSEB)

The Source Selection Evaluation Board (SSEB) is the government team of subject matter experts who evaluate competing proposals against the solicitation's evaluation criteria, producing documented ratings and rationale that support the source selection authority's award decision.

What is an SSEB?

The SSEB (pronounced "S-S-E-B") is formed at the beginning of a competitive source selection and is governed by agency source selection procedures that implement FAR Part 15 requirements. SSEB members are government employees (occasionally supplemented by support contractors) with relevant technical expertise who have signed nondisclosure and organizational conflict of interest certifications.

SSEB structure typically includes:

• Technical evaluators: Subject matter experts who assess the technical volume, usually divided by subfactor (one evaluator focusing on technical methodology, another on key personnel, etc.)
• Management evaluators: Assess the management volume and staffing approach
• Past performance evaluators: Conduct past performance surveys, review references, and check PPIRS/CPARS databases
• SSEB Chairperson: Leads the board, manages consensus evaluation sessions, and signs the final SSEB report

For large procurements, the SSEB may have 10-20 members. For smaller acquisitions, one or two evaluators may cover all non-price factors.

SSEB responsibilities include:

• Individually evaluating each proposal volume
• Reaching consensus ratings through structured deliberation
• Documenting specific strengths, weaknesses, deficiencies, and risks for each proposal element
• Preparing a written SSEB report with ratings and rationale
• Supporting discussions with competitive range offerors by identifying evaluation notice (EN) topics
• Re-evaluating Final Proposal Revisions and updating ratings
• Presenting results to the SSAC and SSA

Why the SSEB matters for government contractors

The SSEB evaluators are your first audience. They read your proposal, document what impresses them as strengths and what concerns them as weaknesses, and assign the ratings that drive the award decision. Writing to inform and impress evaluators, people who are often technically sophisticated but time-constrained, is the art of government proposal writing. Evaluators can only score what they can see: clear section headings tied to evaluation criteria, specific substantiated claims, graphics that convey key technical points quickly, and concise executive summaries. Proposals written for the evaluator, rather than for the company's own comfort, consistently outperform.

Example

A five-member SSEB is evaluating an IT security contract. Evaluator 1 (cybersecurity expert) reviews technical methodology. Evaluator 2 (program manager) reviews management and staffing. Evaluator 3 (contracting officer's representative) reviews past performance. They individually evaluate Company A's proposal: Evaluator 1 identifies two strengths (specific SIEM implementation approach, Zero Trust maturity model) and one weakness (insufficient detail on incident response timeline). Evaluator 2 identifies one strength (strong key personnel qualifications) and one weakness (transition plan lacks risk mitigation). In the consensus session, the board agrees on the two technical strengths and two weaknesses and assigns a "Good" rating. These documented findings become the basis for the evaluation notice sent to Company A during discussions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who selects SSEB members?

The SSEB Chairperson, often the program manager or a designated source selection official, selects SSEB members from government staff with relevant expertise. Members must be able to devote sufficient time to the evaluation and must not have actual or apparent conflicts of interest with any offeror.

Can SSEB members contact offerors directly during evaluation?

No. All offeror contact during the evaluation period must go through the contracting officer. SSEB members who receive unsolicited contact from an offeror must report it immediately. Such contact is a procurement integrity violation.

What happens to the SSEB report after award?

The SSEB report becomes part of the official contract file, which is retained for the required records retention period. It is protected source selection information but may be available in redacted form under FOIA requests after award. The report is typically shared in summary form during debriefings of unsuccessful offerors.

Can an evaluator be biased in favor of an incumbent?

Source selection rules prohibit biased evaluations. Evaluators with prior working relationships with an offeror must recuse themselves. However, incumbent advantage is real, evaluators who know the incumbent's work may inadvertently favor them in subjective assessments. This is one reason past performance evaluations are formalized and why new companies must work hard to demonstrate capability through every available means in their proposals.