Past performance
Also called: Past performance references, Relevant experience
Updated
What is Past performance?
Past performance is the record of how well a contractor delivered on recent, similar contracts, and in a federal source selection it is an evaluation factor in its own right. Evaluators judge each reference for recency, relevance and quality, using what the offeror submits plus CPARS reports and contact with references.
How past performance is evaluated
Under FAR 15.304(c)(3), past performance must be evaluated in negotiated competitive acquisitions expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, unless the contracting officer documents why it is not appropriate. FAR 15.305(a)(2) sets the rules: the agency considers the currency and relevance of the information, and an offeror with no relevant record may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on it.
The solicitation defines recency (often the last three or five years) and relevance (similar size, scope and complexity). Evaluators read your write-ups, then check government records such as CPARS and may call your references.
Presenting past performance well
Pick references that match the scope in Section C, not your biggest contracts. For each, state the contract number, agency, value, period and your role, then explain in specific terms why it is relevant and what results you delivered.
Common mistakes: citing old work outside the recency window, references whose government point of contact has left and cannot be reached, and write-ups that list tasks without outcomes. State and local buyers usually ask for references too, often with a form and a minimum number of similar projects.
Keep the raw material ready before an RFP arrives: contract numbers, periods, values, the government point of contact's current details, CPARS reports and a few quantified results per contract. Teams that gather this during capture write better past performance volumes than teams that start the week the RFP drops. When the solicitation allows teaming partners' or key personnel's experience, ask partners for the same information early, in the format the RFP requires, so their write-ups do not arrive late and in a different style.
Past performance in ProposalWorkspace
ProposalWorkspace keeps a Past Performance library with contract, agency, value, role, CPARS rating and evidence files for each reference, pre-fills a record from an uploaded CPARS or award document, and runs five readiness checks per reference, such as recency, CPARS on file and a reachable government contact.
Past performance: questions and answers
What if my company has no past performance?
Under FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iv), an offeror without a record of relevant past performance may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance. Teaming with a partner, or citing the experience of key personnel where the RFP allows it, can help.
How many past performance references do I need?
The solicitation says, usually three to five. Submit exactly what it asks for, in the format and page limits it sets.
Is past performance the same as experience?
Not always. Some solicitations evaluate experience (have you done similar work) separately from past performance (how well you did it). Read Section M to see which is scored.
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