SUMMARY: A Short Primer on Federal Bid Protests.

This short (5 page) introduction to bid protests is for the business that is considering bidding on government contracts and lawyers wanting to understand more about the wonderfully bizarre world of federal government contracts.

Selling to the federal government is unique in many ways. One significant difference with selling in the commercial market is the availability of legal remedies for disappointed bidders. The proposal process required for government procurements can be lengthy and expensive. Offerors who have made large investment in proposals in the hope of winning large government contracts routinely employ these legal remedies in hopes of salvaging that investment. Offerors who feels strongly that they have not been treated fairly have a way to challenge the government’s actions. By the same token, winning offerors also need to be aware of these remedies and the necessity to defend their winning proposal from protests by other bidders.

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