Color Team Reviews
Color Team Reviews
Color team reviews are structured checkpoints used by government contractors to improve the quality and competitiveness of their proposals. A color team review is designed to evaluate strategy, compliance, persuasiveness, and pricing at different stages of the proposal lifecycle. By organizing internal reviews into color-coded phases, companies can ensure that every draft is refined, aligned with capture strategy, and positioned to meet customer evaluation criteria.
The proposal color review process has become a standard in federal contracting. Pink team review sessions focus on early drafts, red team review sessions simulate the perspective of evaluators, and gold team review sessions provide final quality and executive oversight. Additional reviews such as blue, green, and white teams may also be included, depending on the organization’s proposal management framework.
What Is a Color Team Review?
A color team review is an organized internal evaluation that occurs at a specific stage of the proposal development process. Each color corresponds to a different milestone, and each team has unique responsibilities. The goal of the proposal color review process is to identify weaknesses, refine strategy, strengthen compliance, and ensure the proposal aligns with win themes and customer expectations.
For government contractors, structured GovCon color review practices help catch issues early and build proposals that are both compliant and persuasive.
Types of Color Team Reviews
Blue Team Review (Strategy and Structure)
The blue team review is conducted before proposal writing begins. It validates strategy, capture plans, and solution architecture, ensuring the proposal’s structure reflects customer priorities.
Confirm the capture plan, win themes, and high-level strategy.
Define the technical approach, management plan, and solution framework.
Outline proposal sections and assign owners.
Identify required resources, teammates, and subcontractors.
Pink Team Review (Storyboards and Early Content)
The pink team review evaluates storyboards, outlines, and early draft content when the proposal is roughly 20 to 25 percent complete. This review ensures compliance planning and narrative flow are on track.
Review the compliance matrix for coverage of all requirements.
Examine storyboards and outlines for logical flow and clear win themes.
Provide feedback on tone, messaging, and alignment with customer needs.
Red Team Review (Evaluator’s Perspective)
The red team review takes place when the proposal is 70 to 80 percent complete. Reviewers act as if they are government evaluators, applying source selection criteria to assess persuasiveness, compliance, and responsiveness.
Assess compliance with solicitation instructions and evaluation factors.
Evaluate clarity, consistency, and persuasiveness.
Identify gaps, inconsistencies, or assumptions that may reduce scores.
Recommend corrective actions before submission.
Green Team Review (Pricing and Cost)
The green team review focuses on pricing, cost realism, and financial assumptions. This review ensures that pricing strategies align with the technical solution and agency budgets.
Validate cost elements, rates, and labor categories for compliance.
Confirm alignment between the pricing approach and technical scope.
Identify opportunities for optimization without sacrificing quality.
Gold Team Review (Final Quality and Executive Approval)
The gold team review is the final checkpoint before submission. It ensures that all edits from earlier reviews are incorporated and that leadership approves the final product.
Verify incorporation of red and green team feedback.
Check formatting, branding, and compliance with customer requirements.
Ensure executive summaries and cover letters are persuasive and polished.
Obtain leadership sign-off for submission.
White Team Review (Lessons Learned and Improvement)
The white team review occurs after contract award decisions. It documents lessons learned and evaluates strengths and weaknesses for future pursuits.
Collect feedback from all participants on process effectiveness.
Document best practices, challenges, and recommended improvements.
Update proposal templates, checklists, and processes for future bids.
Color Team Roles and Responsibilities
Each color team has unique responsibilities in the GovCon color review process. Understanding these color team roles ensures that the right expertise is applied at each stage.
Blue Team: Defines strategy, solution design, and proposal structure.
Pink Team: Evaluates outlines, storyboards, and early content.
Red Team: Acts as the evaluator, testing compliance and persuasiveness.
Green Team: Reviews pricing and ensures alignment with technical volumes.
Gold Team: Conducts the final review and executive approval.
White Team: Documents lessons learned for continuous improvement.
Pink vs Red Team: Key Differences
It is important to understand pink vs red team differences to use them effectively. A pink team review takes place early, at around 20 to 25 percent completion, and focuses on structure, compliance planning, and narrative direction. A red team review takes place later, at 70 to 80 percent completion, and evaluates the proposal from the evaluator’s point of view to identify gaps, weaknesses, and missed opportunities.
Both reviews are critical. Pink team reviews catch issues before writing progresses too far, while red team reviews ensure the near-final draft is strong enough to win.
Color Review Best Practices
Implementing color team reviews effectively requires discipline and preparation. Following color review best practices helps organizations maximize the value of each checkpoint.
Schedule reviews at clear milestones and allow time to implement feedback.
Define the scope and purpose of each review for participants.
Use cross-functional teams including capture, proposal, pricing, and SMEs.
Encourage constructive, actionable feedback.
Capture recommendations and assign owners for follow-up.
Use collaboration tools, version control, and a color team checklist to track changes.
Maintain momentum by keeping review sessions focused and efficient.
A structured color team checklist ensures that no compliance requirements, action items, or quality checks are overlooked.
Final Thoughts
Color team reviews are a cornerstone of strong proposal development in government contracting. By structuring reviews into phases—blue, pink, red, green, gold, and white—organizations can refine strategy, content, compliance, and pricing at the right times. A disciplined GovCon color review process not only produces more competitive proposals but also builds institutional knowledge for future pursuits.
With clearly defined color team roles, a repeatable proposal color review process, and adherence to color review best practices, contractors can ensure their submissions are persuasive, compliant, and aligned with customer expectations. Ultimately, color team reviews help transform capture strategy into winning proposals.