Whether you win or lose a government contract, the story doesn’t end at submission. Understanding how your proposal was evaluated can provide valuable insight to improve your strategy and increase your chances of future success. That’s where proposal debriefing strategies come into play.

A thoughtful, structured debrief helps your team learn from every pursuit and build stronger, more competitive proposals moving forward. In this blog, we’ll explore how to request and conduct debriefs effectively—and how to use that feedback to strengthen your federal contracting efforts.

For official information on contract awards and procurement opportunities, visit SAM.gov.

1. What Is a Proposal Debrief?

A proposal debrief is a post-award meeting or written explanation provided by a federal agency to a bidder. It offers insight into:

• How your proposal was evaluated
• Strengths and weaknesses identified by reviewers
• Reasons for selection or non-selection
• How your bid compared to the winning proposal (in general terms)
• Potential improvements for future submissions

Debriefs are available for both successful and unsuccessful bidders and are encouraged under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

2. Why Proposal Debriefing Matters

Debriefing isn’t just about closure—it’s about growth. A well-executed debrief allows your business to:

• Understand how evaluators perceived your proposal
• Identify compliance gaps or writing issues
• Validate your pricing and technical approach
• Refine your bid/no-bid decisions for the future
• Build credibility and professionalism with the agency

Most importantly, debriefs help you turn a lost opportunity into a learning opportunity.

3. How to Request a Debrief

To take advantage of debriefing rights, timing is key:

• For negotiated procurements: You must request a debrief within 3 days of receiving notice of award.
• For task orders under IDIQ contracts: Some agencies allow debriefs depending on the contract terms.
• Written vs. Oral Debrief: You may request either a written response or a virtual/in-person meeting.

Be professional and concise in your request. A simple message to the contracting officer like the following is appropriate:

“We respectfully request a post-award debrief to better understand the evaluation of our proposal and to strengthen our future submissions.”

4. What to Expect During a Debrief

During a debriefing, agencies will typically cover:

• Evaluation criteria and how your proposal was scored
• General ranking relative to other bidders (without revealing names or proprietary data)
• Strengths, weaknesses, and deficiencies noted in your proposal
• Areas where your bid aligned—or fell short—of the requirements
• Overall value assessment, especially in trade-off decisions

Agencies are not required to provide copies of competitor proposals, internal deliberations, or proprietary information.

5. Proposal Debriefing Strategies to Follow

To get the most value out of the debriefing process, apply the following proposal debriefing strategies:

a. Prepare in Advance

Before the debrief, review your submitted proposal, the RFP, and the award notice. Prepare specific, respectful questions such as:

• “Were there any areas of our proposal that lacked clarity?”
• “How did our technical approach align with the evaluation criteria?”
• “Were there specific weaknesses that affected our overall score?”
• “Did our pricing raise any cost realism or reasonableness concerns?”

Having a plan ensures the discussion is focused and productive.

b. Focus on Learning—Not Arguing

The debrief is not the time to dispute the decision. Maintain a constructive tone and focus on understanding how you can improve. Stay professional and avoid pushing for information the agency cannot legally disclose.

c. Document Everything

Take detailed notes or request a written summary (if not already provided). Log feedback by section (technical, management, pricing, past performance) so it can inform future proposals.

d. Involve the Right Team Members

Invite the appropriate people to participate, such as:

• Proposal manager
• Technical lead
• Capture manager
• Pricing strategist

This ensures that all parts of your proposal process benefit from the feedback.

e. Look for Patterns Over Time

Use a central repository to track feedback from multiple debriefs. Look for recurring issues such as:

• Weak executive summaries
• Missing compliance details
• Overly high pricing
• Unclear past performance relevance

These patterns highlight where process improvements or staff training may be needed.

6. What to Avoid During a Debrief

• Being defensive or argumentative: This hurts relationships and yields no value.
• Asking for confidential competitor information: Agencies cannot share it.
• Trying to reopen the award decision: Debriefs are informational, not appeals.
• Skipping the debrief altogether: Even winning bidders can benefit from hearing what worked—and what didn’t.

7. Using Debrief Insights to Improve Future Bids

After the debrief, meet with your team to:

• Review feedback and assess its validity
• Document action items for future proposals
• Update proposal templates or response strategies
• Adjust pricing models or compliance checklists as needed
• Incorporate lessons learned into capture planning

Treat each debrief as part of your broader GovCon pursuit lifecycle. The insights gained become tools for increasing your next proposal’s effectiveness.

8. Conclusion

Effective proposal debriefing strategies allow contractors to learn, improve, and grow more competitive with every submission. By engaging respectfully, asking the right questions, and applying feedback across your proposal process, you can turn missed opportunities into stepping stones for future wins.

For expert support in managing the full proposal lifecycle—including debrief analysis, proposal writing, and capture planning—Hinz Consulting is here to help. Contact us to strengthen your government contracting strategy today.