What key activity occurs during the Award phase?

During the Award phase of a contracting process, the key activity is to formally award the contract. This involves finalizing the selection of the contractor or vendor who will carry out the project and officially transferring the contract to them. The Award phase includes crucial steps such as preparing the contract documents, ensuring that all compliance and regulatory requirements are met, and sometimes conducting post-selection negotiations to finalize details. The intention is to ensure that both parties are fully aligned on the contract terms before it is signed.

While forming the contract is a critical activity within the overall contracting process, it occurs after the award decision has been made. This is why it is considered part of the Award phase—documentation occurs to formalize the award of the contract to the selected vendor rather than merely forming the contract from its beginnings. Therefore, awarding the contract encapsulates the essential action in the Award phase of the contracting process.