Proposals
Losing well: how to use a debrief
May 2026
Every loss carries a scorecard. Request it, read it, and price the next one accordingly.
A debrief is the only place an agency will tell you precisely how your proposal was scored. Skipping it means paying for a lesson you never collect.
Request it immediately and in writing
Debrief windows are short and strict. Send the request as soon as you receive the award notice, reference the solicitation number, and ask for the evaluation of your proposal against each factor.
Ask questions you can act on
Ask which strengths and weaknesses were recorded per factor, and how your price compared in the overall value decision. Do not argue the outcome — you are collecting data, not appealing.
Turn findings into templates
Weaknesses repeat across proposals. If staffing approach was thin twice, fix the boilerplate rather than the individual proposal. That is how a loss compounds into a win.
Decide whether to pursue the recompete
The debrief tells you how far you were from winning. Close means build the relationship and come back. Far means the requirement was never yours, and the honest answer saves you the next hundred hours.
Takeaways
- Request the debrief the day the award notice arrives
- Collect strengths, weaknesses, and price positioning per factor
- Fix recurring weaknesses in your templates, not one proposal
- Use the gap to decide whether the recompete is worth pursuing
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