Award

An award is the government's acceptance of an offer, which creates a binding contract between the government and the contractor. The award represents the culmination of the procurement process, occurring after solicitation, proposal evaluation, and source selection. Awards may be made with or without negotiations depending on the procurement approach. The contracting officer executes the award by signing the contract document or issuing an award notification. Award information is publicly posted on SAM.gov and USASpending.gov after contract execution. Award does not authorize work to begin until the contractor receives a notice to proceed or the contract specifies an effective date. Unsuccessful offerors are notified of the award and may exercise debriefing and protest rights.