FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 252: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 252.2
DFARS 252.215-7016 Notification to Offerors—Postaward Debriefings.
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
This DFARS provision requires the Government to give postaward debriefings to successful or unsuccessful offerors who timely request them for contract awards valued at $15 million or more. It sets out what information must be shared, how offerors can ask follow-up questions, and when the Government may suspend or terminate the contract if a protest is filed. It matters because it defines your rights to a debriefing and the timing rules that can affect contract performance after award.
Applies to: Offerors on DoD contract awards valued at $15 million or more
What it requires
- Submit a debriefing request within 3 days of notification of contract award to be considered timely
- If debriefed, submit any additional written questions within 2 business days after the debriefing
Key terms: Nontraditional defense contractor · Postaward debriefing · Source selection decision document · Timely request · Protest
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
As prescribed in 215.570, use the following provision:
Notification to Offerors—Postaward Debriefings (OCT 2025)
(a) Definition. As used in this provision—
Nontraditional defense contractor means an entity that is not currently performing and has not performed any contract or subcontract for DoD that is subject to full coverage under the cost accounting standards prescribed pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 1502 and the regulations implementing such section, for at least the 1-year period preceding the solicitation of sources by DoD for the procurement (10 U.S.C. 3014).
(b) Postaward debriefing. (1) Upon timely request, the Government will provide a written or oral postaward debriefing to successful or unsuccessful offerors for contract awards valued at $15 million or more, while protecting the confidential and proprietary information of other offerors. The request is considered timely if received within 3 days of notification of contract award.
(2) When required, the minimum postaward debriefing information will include the following:
(i) For contracts in excess of $15 million and not in excess of $150 million with a small business or nontraditional defense contractor, an option for the small business or nontraditional defense contractor to request disclosure of the agency's written source selection decision document, redacted to protect the confidential and proprietary information of other offerors for the contract award.
(ii) For contracts in excess of $150 million, disclosure of the agency's written source selection decision document, redacted to protect the confidential and proprietary information of other offerors for the contract award.
(3) If a required postaward debriefing is provided—
(i) The debriefed Offeror may submit additional written questions related to the debriefing not later than 2 business days after the date of the debriefing;
(ii) The agency will respond in writing to timely submitted additional questions within 5 business days after receipt by the contracting officer; and
(iii) The postaward debriefing will not be considered to be concluded until the later of—
(A) The date that the postaward debriefing is delivered, orally or in writing; or
(B) If additional written questions related to the debriefing are timely received, the date the agency delivers its written response.
(c) Contract performance. The Government may suspend performance of or terminate the awarded contract upon notice from the Government Accountability Office of a protest filed within the time periods listed in paragraphs (c)(1) through (3) of this provision, whichever is later:
(1) Within 10 days after the date of contract award.
(2) Within 5 days after a debriefing date offered to the protestor under a timely debriefing request in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.506 unless an earlier debriefing date is negotiated as a result.
(3) Within 5 days after a postaward debriefing under FAR 15.506 is concluded in accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 215.506-70(b).
(End of provision)
Sections it refers to
- 215.570 Solicitation provision.
- 15.506 Postaward debriefing of offerors.
- 215.506-70 Opportunity for follow-up questions.
← 252.215-7015 Program Should-Cost Review. · 252.216-7000 Economic Price Adjustment—Basic Steel, Aluminum, Brass, Bronze, or Copper Mill Products. →
Rule changes for DFARS Part 252
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Modifications to Printed Circuit Board Acquisition Restrictions (DFARS Case 2022-D011) ↗ · proposed 2026-07-02 · comments due 2026-08-31
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Certification Requirement for Military Recruitment Advertising (DFARS Case 2024-D022) ↗ · proposed 2026-06-25 · comments due 2026-08-24
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Small Purchase Exception for the Acquisition of U.S. Flags (DFARS Case 2024-D013) ↗ · proposed 2026-06-25 · comments due 2026-08-24
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Mitigating Risks Related to Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (DFARS Case 2021-D011) ↗ · proposed 2026-05-07 · comments due 2026-07-06
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Assessing Contractor Implementation of Cybersecurity Requirements (DFARS Case 2019-D041) ↗ · final rule 2025-09-10 · effective 2025-11-10
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Limitation on Certain Institutes of Higher Education (DFARS Case 2024-D023); Correction ↗ · final rule 2025-08-28 · effective 2025-08-28
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Disclosure of DoD Funding in Technical Publications (DFARS Case 2024-D003) ↗ · proposed 2025-08-25 · comments due 2025-10-24
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Limitation on Certain Institutes of Higher Education (DFARS Case 2024-D023) ↗ · final rule 2025-08-25 · effective 2025-08-25
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.