Past Performance

Past performance is a record of a contractor's prior work experience evaluated as part of a proposal assessment. It demonstrates the contractor's ability to successfully perform similar work.

How It Works

Past performance is one of the most important evaluation factors in government contracting. Agencies look for recent (typically last 3-5 years), relevant (similar scope, size, and complexity) contract examples. Information is verified through references, the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), and Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS). New businesses with no past performance are rated neutral, not negative.

Example

A proposal includes three past performance references: a $2M janitorial contract for the city of Denver (95% satisfaction rating), a $1.5M facilities contract for a school district, and a $500K cleaning contract for a federal courthouse. Each demonstrates increasing capability and positive client feedback.

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