Debriefing Request

A debriefing request is a supplier's request for feedback after a competitive procurement process. The supplier asks the contracting authority to explain how its submission was evaluated and why its bid, offer or arrangement was unsuccessful. In Canadian federal procurement, the request is generally made after a contract is awarded or after a standing offer or supply arrangement is issued.

Debriefing supports fairness, openness and transparency in public buying. It gives unsuccessful suppliers information about the evaluation of their own submission, while protecting confidential and commercially sensitive information that belongs to other suppliers. The Government of Canada requires solicitations to tell suppliers they may ask for one, as set out in the CanadaBuys guidance on debriefing and feedback sessions.

How a federal debriefing request is made

CanadaBuys tells suppliers to contact the contracting officer responsible for the opportunity. That contact happens after the supplier receives its evaluation results or learns that another supplier received the contract. The steps are described in the CanadaBuys page on what to do following a bid.

A federal debriefing may be conducted in writing, by telephone or in person. Federal notices commonly repeat this language. A bidder may request a debriefing from the Contracting Authority within 15 working days of receiving the results, and the debriefing is available in any of those three formats, as shown in this federal notice of proposed procurement.

Federal time limits for requesting and receiving a debriefing

CanadaBuys says suppliers should request a debriefing within 15 working days of receiving the procurement results or the cancellation notice. The debriefing should normally take place within 10 working days after the request is received. Both limits are stated in the CanadaBuys debriefing guidance.

The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman describes debriefing as the process through which suppliers receive the results of bid evaluations. Federal departments and agencies should identify the contact point and the applicable time limits in their notices, according to the Ombudsman's review chapter on debriefing.

What a federal debriefing can cover

A federal debriefing may address the following:

• the name of the successful supplier;
• the total estimated contract cost;
• the successful offeror's evaluated price and score, where applicable;
• general information about the relative strengths of the successful submission;
• the reasons the supplier's own submission was unsuccessful; and
• the supplier's scores on rated criteria, with enough explanation to understand them.

The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman notes that a debriefing explains why an unsuccessful bidder, offeror or supplier was not accepted. It also supports fairness, openness and transparency, as outlined in its 2024 procurement practice review. Information about competing submissions that is confidential is not disclosed.

Provincial rules in British Columbia and Alberta

The term also appears in provincial procurement guidance, and the deadlines differ from the federal ones.

• British Columbia: the Ministry Guide to the Request for Proposals says debriefing meetings give unsuccessful proponents an opportunity to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of their proposal.
• Alberta: the Government of Alberta procurement FAQ requires a written debriefing request to reach the purchasing department within 10 business days after the vendor is notified it was unsuccessful, unless the purchasing department specifies otherwise.
• Alberta public-private partnerships: the Alberta P3 Framework and Guideline provides for debriefings at the RFQ and RFP stages, including after shortlisting and after selection of the preferred proponent, while protecting commercially confidential information.

What a debriefing request means for your bid team

Check the solicitation and the results or regret letter for the stated procedure and deadline, then send your request to the named contracting authority or purchasing department within that limit. Federal guidance gives 15 working days, while Alberta's cited guidance gives 10 business days. A missed deadline can cost you the feedback.

Be ready for the debriefing to be written, by telephone or in person. Treat it as feedback on your own submission: your scores, the reasons you were unsuccessful and the general strengths of the winning bid. Bring those findings into your next response.