1. EVERYTHING CONTRACT MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT POST-AWARD KICKOFF MEETINGS The contract has been signed, what do you do now? One of the first steps a contract manager needs to take after getting a new contract is to hold a post-award kickoff meeting.

2. WHAT IS A POST-AWARD KICKOFF MEETING? One or two weeks after a contract is signed, the signatories meet to discuss their obligations under the contract. Usually, the contract manager will be working to schedule the meeting in the weeks before the contract is signed.

3. WHY DOES IT MATTER? It’s easy to think that a post-award kickoff meeting is a waste of time. But, holding this meeting is one of the best ways to avoid contract disputes and to make sure the contract is built on a strong foundation of trust.

4. WHO ATTENDS THE KICKOFF MEETING? For a post-award kickoff meeting to be successful, you need to have the right people in the room. The attendees should include: The signatories Contract negotiators from both sides Contract managers from both sides Legal representative from any law firm that helped draft the contract People from both sides that will oversee the execution of the contract

5. SETTING THE AGENDA The most crucial role for the contract manager is setting the agenda and keeping the meeting on track. You want to circulate the agenda to all of the meeting participants before the meeting.

6. AFTER THE KICKOFF MEETING After the post-award kickoff meeting, you should evaluate how well the meeting went.

7. THANK YOU