Acquisition Planning
3-12 monthsAcquisition planning is the foundational phase where the government defines its needs and develops a strategy for fulfilling them.
Pre-Solicitation
1-6 monthsThe pre-solicitation phase bridges planning and the formal solicitation.
Solicitation
30-90 daysDuring the solicitation phase, the government formally releases the solicitation document — an RFP, RFQ, or IFB — and industry prepares proposals.
Evaluation
30-180 daysThe evaluation phase is where the government reviews and scores submitted proposals against the stated evaluation criteria.
Award
1-30 daysThe award phase culminates the source selection process with the contracting officer making a formal award decision.
Post-Award / Kickoff
30-90 daysThe post-award and kickoff phase transitions the contract from paper to performance.
Contract Administration
1-10 yearsContract administration is the longest phase, spanning the entire period of performance.
Closeout
3-36 monthsContract closeout is the final phase where all administrative actions are completed after the contractor finishes performance.
About the Federal Acquisition Lifecycle
The federal acquisition lifecycle is governed primarily by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency-specific supplements like the DFARS (Defense), GSAM (GSA), and HHSAR (HHS). Each phase builds on the previous one, with specific regulatory requirements, documentation, and decision points that both the government and contractors must navigate.
For contractors, the most important insight is that engagement should begin long before the solicitation phase. Companies that participate in market research, respond to RFIs, and attend industry days during the planning and pre-solicitation phases are significantly more likely to win awards. By the time an RFP is released, the requirements have largely been shaped, and newcomers face an uphill battle.