Building a Strong Past Performance Record for GSA Contracts

Federal agencies want to know what you have done before they commit to working with you. Past performance on GSA contracts is one of the most scrutinized parts of both your initial schedule offer and every subsequent task order competition. Contractors who build a deliberate, well-documented past performance record win more work than those who treat it as an afterthought.

Why Past Performance Matters

When a contracting officer evaluates vendors, past performance serves as a proxy for future reliability. It answers the core question every agency buyer asks: has this contractor done something like this before, and did they do it well? A strong past performance record reduces the perceived risk of awarding you a contract, especially for work above the simplified acquisition threshold.

For your initial GSA schedule offer, past performance is a go/no-go evaluation factor. For task order competitions under your existing contract, it often carries significant weight in technical evaluations. Neglecting this area is one of the most common reasons smaller contractors underperform relative to their actual capabilities.

What Counts as Past Performance

GSA accepts a broader range of references than many contractors realize. Eligible past performance includes:

• Federal contracts: Prime contracts and subcontracts with federal agencies. CPARS ratings are the gold standard here.
• State and local government work: Contracts with state agencies, municipalities, and county governments count, especially if the scope is comparable to what you plan to offer through the schedule.
• Commercial contracts: Private sector work is accepted if it demonstrates capability comparable to the federal requirement. Provide client references who can speak to scope, quality, and timeline.
• Subcontracts: Work performed as a subcontractor under a prime counts, provided you can document your specific scope and obtain a reference from the prime.

How to Document It Properly

The quality of your documentation is as important as the work itself. For each reference, capture:

1. 1

   The right data points

   Contract number (if federal), client name, client point of contact with current contact information, period of performance, dollar value, and a concise description of the work performed and results achieved.

2. 2

   Quantified outcomes

   Specific numbers make references credible. "Delivered a 40-server migration on time and 8% under budget" is more compelling than "completed an IT migration project."

3. 3

   Written confirmation from the reference

   A short letter or email from your client confirming scope, performance, and satisfaction gives evaluators something to verify. References who cannot be reached weaken your application.

4. 4

   Current contact information

   Contracting officers will call references. Make sure your points of contact are still reachable and aware they may be contacted. An outdated reference number is worse than no reference at all.

Using Past Performance in Proposals and Quotes

In a GSA schedule offer, you submit past performance using the format specified in the solicitation. For task order competitions, the evaluation criteria will tell you how past performance is weighted and what format to use.

For eBuy responses, even a brief mention of a directly relevant past project can tip the evaluation. Link your past performance to the specific requirement at hand. "We completed a comparable 12-month managed services engagement for a DoD agency in 2025 and achieved 99.8 percent uptime" speaks directly to what the contracting officer cares about.

For a guide on how past performance fits into your overall schedule proposal, see our post on GSA schedule proposal writing. For guidance on using it in eBuy responses, see how to win on GSA eBuy.

Building Your Record Strategically

• Start before you need it. Do not wait until you are preparing a proposal to realize your past performance record is thin. Document every completed engagement now.
• Request CPARS ratings proactively. Federal contracting officers are required to submit CPARS ratings for contracts above certain thresholds, but delays are common. Follow up with your contracting officer to ensure ratings are submitted and accurate.
• Pursue subcontracting partnerships. If your direct past performance is limited, teaming with a prime contractor on a federal project builds your record while you gain experience. Our guide on GSA schedule teaming agreements covers how to structure these arrangements.
• Document commercial work with the same rigor as federal. State and commercial references are legitimate, but they need to be thorough and verifiable to carry weight with evaluators.

Conclusion

Past performance is not something you can manufacture at proposal time. It is built project by project, documented carefully, and maintained over time. Contractors who treat every engagement as a future reference, document results with specifics, and stay current with CPARS submissions arrive at every new opportunity from a position of strength. Start building your record today, and it will pay dividends on every GSA proposal you submit.