What is past performance and how do I get it?
Past performance is your documented record of completing similar contracts on time, on budget, and to specification. Federal agencies evaluate past performance through CPARS ratings on prior contracts and past-performance questionnaires submitted with proposals. New contractors build past performance starting with small contracts or as subcontractors to established prime contractors.
In federal procurement, past performance is a formal evaluation factor on most RFPs over the SAT. Agencies look at how well you performed on similar prior contracts — measured by CPARS (Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System) ratings, agency interviews, and your own references.
For contracts under $250,000, past performance is often a pass/fail responsibility check. For larger contracts, it's a scored factor that can decide the award.
How agencies evaluate past performance: - CPARS ratings on contracts over $250,000 (federal services) or $750,000 (federal construction) — automatic record - Past-performance questionnaires you include with your proposal (references the agency calls) - The contracting officer's prior experience with your firm - Public records (court cases, SAM.gov exclusions list)
For new contractors with no past performance: 1. Start small. Bid simplified-acquisition contracts where past performance is pass/fail. 2. Subcontract to established primes. Your work as a subcontractor counts as past performance for the prime, and you can ask the prime to provide a past-performance reference letter. 3. Use commercial past performance. Agencies will accept commercial-sector references if they are similar in scope and complexity. 4. Mentor-protege relationships. The SBA Mentor-Protege Program and the DoD Mentor-Protege Program let large primes formally mentor small businesses; the resulting joint ventures can leverage the mentor's past performance.
Once you have past performance, maintain it. Read your CPARS ratings carefully and dispute inaccurate evaluations within the agency's response window. A pattern of "Satisfactory" or better CPARS ratings is among the most valuable assets a federal contractor has.