Any firm retained in the competitive range has a right to a postawrad debriefing provided the firm submits a timely written request for a debriefing. If award is made on the initial proposal without discussions, any firm that submitted a proposal would have a right to a timely requested postawrd debriefing. Once an agency receives the request, it must schedule a debriefing by either sending he written debriefing information and/or conducting a telephone conference debriefing or expressly offering to hold a face-to-face debriefing on a specified date.

The date offered by the agency, not the subsequent accommodating debriefing date, controls the start of the suspension of contract performance and timeliness of protest clocks. Otherwise, requesters could stall. The date offered by the agency must be expressly conveyed to the requestor with some form of record in the contract file. In postaward debriefings, the agency must provide the firm with:

1. Its proposal’s evaluated significant weaknesses or deficiencies

2. The overall evaluated price/costs (including unit prices) and the technical ratings of the debriefed firm and the awardee

3. If ranking was developed, the overall rankings of offerors

4. A summary of the rational for award

5. For commercial items, the make and model of the item to be delivered and

6. Reasonable responses to relevant questions about whether source selection procedures and applicable regulations were followed.

The above is the minimum information required and the CO may provide additional information unless disclosure is specifically prohibited. There is some information the agency is precluded from disclosing such as that which reflects:

1. A point-by-point comparison between the debriefed firms proposal and those of other offerors

2. The names of individuals providing referenced past performance information

3. Information that is exempt from release under the Freedom of Information Act such as trade secrets, privileged or confidential manufacturing processes/techniques, confidential commercial and financial information including cost breakdowns, profits, indirect cost rates and the like (Editor’s Note. There are numerous court cases either pending or recetnly settled that defines what items are exempt from disclosure.)

{TAG_FORM_TITLE}