How to Debrief After a Lost Bid: What to Ask and What to Improve

Losing a bid can be frustrating—especially when you’ve put in hours crafting a thoughtful proposal. But every loss is also an opportunity to get better, sharpen your positioning, and compete smarter next time.

One of the most overlooked tools in government contracting is the debrief. It’s your chance to hear directly from the agency how your proposal measured up. But sometimes, you won’t get notified of the outcome at all. Other times, even after a formal request, the agency may decline to provide feedback.

Here’s how to navigate all three situations: when you lose and are notified, when you aren’t notified, and when the agency won’t give a debrief.

If You Don’t Hear Back at All—Follow Up Promptly

Unfortunately, not all agencies are consistent in communicating award decisions—especially at the city, county, or school district level.

If it’s been several weeks since the bid due date and no results have been shared:

Look for a public bid tabulation or award notice on the agency’s procurement site.

Email the procurement contact listed in the RFP. A short message like:

“I’m following up on the status of [RFP Name / Number]. Has the contract been awarded? If so, could you please share the outcome or point me to the public award notice?”

Be professional and brief—agencies often respond when approached respectfully.

In some cases, you’ll find out the award was made weeks ago, but the communication never reached all bidders.

When You Receive a Notification—but No Details

If you are notified that you weren’t selected, the next step is to request a debrief (if it’s allowed).

For federal contracts, you typically have three calendar days from the time of notification to request a debriefing.

For state and local contracts, it depends. Some agencies provide formal feedback. Others don’t offer anything beyond the award notice.

Your request can be courteous and straightforward:

“Thank you for the opportunity to respond to [RFP Name/Number]. I would appreciate the opportunity to receive a debrief to help us improve future responses. Please let me know if your agency offers this option.”

What to Do if the Agency Declines to Debrief You

Sometimes you’ll hear:

“We do not provide debriefings.”

Or worse: no response at all.

Here’s how to make the most of it anyway:

Search for public documents—like score sheets, bid tabs, or meeting minutes. Many local governments must disclose evaluation outcomes upon request or already post them online.

Use your internal review: Go back through your proposal and match it against the evaluation criteria in the RFP. Ask yourself:

Did we address each requirement directly?

Did we highlight our qualifications or just list them?

Was our pricing competitive, and did we justify it clearly?

When an agency won’t share insight, your own post-bid analysis becomes even more critical.

If You Do Get a Debrief, Ask the Right Questions

If the agency agrees to provide feedback, prepare a short list of specific, respectful questions:

How did our proposal score in each evaluation category?

Were there any areas of weakness or missing information?

Were any of our responses unclear or non-compliant?

What aspects of the winning proposal were considered strongest?

Avoid pressing for details about the winning bidder’s pricing or strategy—they typically won’t be shared.

Turn Feedback into a Process Upgrade

Whether you get a complete debrief, limited info, or nothing at all, use what you can gather to improve your process:

Update your internal proposal checklists.

Review the language in your past performance or technical approach.

Refine how you tailor each response to match evaluation criteria.

Revisit your go/no-go process—were you really a strong fit for this contract?

Keep a short lessons-learned log to track common themes over time. Even a few minor changes can increase your win rate.

Debrief with Yourself (or Your Team) Either Way

Don’t wait for external feedback to do an internal review. After every proposal submission or decision:

Schedule a quick self-debrief.

Ask what went well, what felt rushed, and what could be improved.

Make it part of your team’s habit or your solo process.

This step alone separates reactive bidders from high-performing contractors.

Final Thoughts

You may not win every contract—but you can learn from every proposal. Whether an agency gives you detailed feedback, a short rejection notice, or silence, you still have a chance to refine your process and position yourself stronger next time.

Treat each no as part of a longer journey toward better systems, better proposals, and better fits.

Ellis Bledsoe, Principal Owner

ECB Solutions, LLC