Why didn't we win that contract?
Whether you are perplexed over why your proposal was not chosen, upset over who won or simply want to know what you could do better, the debrief process is the place to start.
The debrief is an inexpensive way to determine what went wrong. While not perfect it was put in place to assist contractors to prepare a better proposal next time. It can also assist in determining if you may have a bid protest coming.
Protests break down into 2 major categories - bid award protests and size or status protests. While this may seem to be a technicality, due to filing limitations and timing issues involved, they are critical to your case. In a bid protest, there are two opportunities to protest a bid, pre-award and post award. You do not get to chose. If an issue arose prior to bid, and you wait until after award to protest it, the Government can have it dismissed. And you generally have about 10 days after Notice of award (some exceptions apply) to file a bid protest (post award). It is only 5 days from award for a challenge to a firm's size or status (Veteran Owned, 8(a), HUBZone, etc.)
Time is of the essence in a the bid protest world. A protest challenging a firm's size or status has a very short timeline. The debrief does not stop the clock on these! Call for immediate guidance.
