# Vendor Award and Decline Letters

Drafts the award letter to a selected vendor and the decline letters to the vendors who were not selected, after a competitive sourcing process closes. Use it as soon as the award decision is final and documented.

## Prompt

## Context
You are assisting a [YOUR ROLE (e.g., procurement manager, contracting officer, operations lead)] at [ORGANIZATION NAME] who has completed a competitive sourcing process for [GOODS OR SERVICES DESCRIPTION]. The solicitation reference is [SOLICITATION NUMBER OR TITLE]. The award decision has been made and is formally documented. Selected vendor: [SELECTED VENDOR NAME]. Vendors not selected: [DECLINED VENDOR LIST (names only)]. Award value: [AWARD VALUE]. Award period: [AWARD PERIOD (e.g., 12 months, June 1 2026 through May 31 2027)]. Debriefs: [DEBRIEF POLICY (e.g., debriefs available on written request within 5 days)].

## Task
Produce two documents:
1. Award letter to [SELECTED VENDOR NAME]. State the award, the value, the period, the next step (e.g., contract execution, kickoff scheduling), and a contact name for questions: [AWARD CONTACT NAME AND EMAIL].
2. A decline letter template that fits all unsuccessful vendors. State that a selection was made, that the vendor's proposal was considered, and whether debriefs are available. Do not rank, score, or compare vendors. Leave a placeholder for the vendor name.

## Standards
- Award letter: under 200 words. Professional and direct. State the award first, then the details.
- Decline letter: under 150 words. Respectful. No criticism of the proposal. No implied promises about future opportunities.
- Do not invent the award value, award period, solicitation number, or debrief policy. Use only what I provided above.
- Both letters must name the solicitation consistently using the exact title or number I gave you.
- Do not include contract terms, payment terms, or scope language. Those belong in the contract, not the award letter.
- If any required field above is missing or unclear, ask me before drafting.

## Variables

- YOUR ROLE
- ORGANIZATION NAME
- GOODS OR SERVICES DESCRIPTION
- SOLICITATION NUMBER OR TITLE
- SELECTED VENDOR NAME
- DECLINED VENDOR LIST
- AWARD VALUE
- AWARD PERIOD
- DEBRIEF POLICY
- AWARD CONTACT NAME AND EMAIL

## Input checklist

- [ ] Confirm the award decision is formally documented and approved before drafting. Letters sent before final sign-off create legal exposure.
- [ ] Award value, period, and solicitation reference copied directly from the award document, not from memory
- [ ] Debrief policy pulled from the solicitation terms or your organization's procurement policy
- [ ] Contact name and email verified as current and correct
- [ ] Confidentiality: keep evaluation scores, ranking details, and individual evaluator comments out of the prompt and out of the letters

## Verification checklist

- [ ] Award value and period in the letter match the award document exactly. Recheck digit by digit.
- [ ] Solicitation title or number is identical in both letters and matches the solicitation document
- [ ] Decline letter contains no scores, ranks, or comparative statements about proposals
- [ ] Debrief language matches the solicitation terms. The AI cannot know your policy.
- [ ] Award letter names the correct next step for your process (contract execution, kickoff call, etc.)
- [ ] No contract terms, payment terms, or scope language crept into either letter
- [ ] Both letters cleared by legal or your contracting authority before release, if required by policy

## Sample output

Sample output. Generated by AI from sample inputs:

AWARD LETTER

Subject: Award Notification: Solicitation 2026-LOG-041, Warehouse Management Software

Dear Ms. Reyes,

Northwind Distribution is pleased to inform Apex Systems that it has been selected for award under Solicitation 2026-LOG-041, Warehouse Management Software Implementation and Licensing.

Award value: $184,000
Award period: July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027

Next step: Our contracts team will send the agreement for signature within five business days. Please direct any questions to Marcus Webb, Procurement Manager, at m.webb@northwinddist.com.

Thank you for your proposal and your interest in working with Northwind.

Sincerely,
Procurement Division
Northwind Distribution

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DECLINE LETTER TEMPLATE

Subject: Notification of Selection: Solicitation 2026-LOG-041, Warehouse Management Software

Dear [VENDOR NAME],

Thank you for submitting a proposal under Solicitation 2026-LOG-041, Warehouse Management Software Implementation and Licensing. After careful review, Northwind Distribution has selected another vendor for this award.

We appreciate the time your team invested in responding. If you would like a debrief, please submit a written request to m.webb@northwinddist.com within five business days of this notice.

We hope to see your firm in future solicitations.

Sincerely,
Procurement Division
Northwind Distribution

## Customization notes

If your organization prohibits debriefs or restricts their scope, adjust or remove that section and confirm with your legal team before sending. Government contracting contexts may require specific regulatory language (FAR, DFARS, state procurement codes) not included here. Have counsel review before release. For sole-source or non-competitive awards, the decline letter does not apply; use only the award letter and adjust the framing.

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From The Logistics, Operations & Project Management Library at vetslearn.com/libraries/logistics-pm