After you bid
What is past performance in government contracting?
Past performance is the record of how well you performed previous contracts, used as an evaluation factor in most negotiated procurements, and a firm with no relevant record must be evaluated neither favourably nor unfavourably on it.
Also written as: past performance evaluation, past performance information, no past performance.
FAR 15.305(a)(2) makes past performance an evaluation factor in negotiated acquisitions unless the contracting officer documents why it is not appropriate, and requires the assessment to consider currency and relevance, source, context and general trends.
The provision that matters most to a new entrant is in the same section: an offeror without a record of relevant past performance, or for whom information is not available, may not be evaluated favourably or unfavourably on past performance. That is the regulatory answer to the chicken-and-egg complaint — a blank record is neutral, not disqualifying.
Relevant past performance does not have to be federal. Commercial work of similar scope, size and complexity counts, and so does performance as a subcontractor, which is one of the strongest arguments for taking subcontract work early.
What this means when you bid
No federal record is not a bar. Present relevant commercial and subcontract work, with contact details that will actually answer the questionnaire.
Past performance compared with the terms it gets confused with
Past performance vs CPARS
Past performance is the evaluation factor; CPARS is the government system in which the performance record that feeds it is written.
What CPARSmeans →Where this definition comes from
Federal contracting is one of the few fields where the authoritative answer is free, public and one click away. These are the sources this page is built from — go and read them.
- FAR 15.305→
Proposal evaluation.
- FAR subpart 42.15→
Contractor performance information.
This page explains a term in plain English and cites the authority it comes from. It is not legal advice, and the regulation governs where this page and the regulation differ.
Free tools for government contractors
Knowing the term is one thing. These free tools do something with past performance. No login, no credit card.
See the contracts this applies to
A free weekly digest of new government solicitations for your trade and your state, each summarized in plain English by Sam — so you find out about the work while there is still time to bid it.
We email you bid alerts — that's it. No spam, no selling your address. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy Policy.
Free. No credit card. Unsubscribe any time.
Past performance— common questions
- What is past performance in government contracting?
- Past performance is the record of how well you performed previous contracts, used as an evaluation factor in most negotiated procurements, and a firm with no relevant record must be evaluated neither favourably nor unfavourably on it.
- What is the difference between Past performance and CPARS?
- Past performance is the evaluation factor; CPARS is the government system in which the performance record that feeds it is written.
- Why does past performance matter when you are bidding?
- No federal record is not a bar. Present relevant commercial and subcontract work, with contact details that will actually answer the questionnaire.
Related terms
- CPARS — Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System
- RFP — Request for Proposal
- Debriefing
- Teaming agreement