No federal contracts yet? How to show past performance from commercial work

Most federal bids ask how well you've done similar work before. If you've never held a federal contract, it's easy to assume that question rules you out. It doesn't. The work you do for property managers, schools, hospitals and towns counts, and in a formal evaluation, having no relevant record can't be held against you.

What makes the difference is choosing the right jobs to show and writing them up with real numbers. This guide covers both.

What agencies mean by past performance

Past performance is how well you've done similar work for other customers. It's different from experience, which is simply what you've done. Agencies want proof that you show up, meet the standard and fix problems.

The rules give contracting officers room to judge it. They consider how recent and relevant each job is, where the information came from and the overall trend. For commercial services, the newer rule text tells them to look at sources inside and outside the government, including commercial market experience and work done as a subcontractor. Each solicitation spells out its own approach, so read its evaluation section first.

What counts, besides federal contracts

Commercial clients count, whether that's office buildings, property managers, hospitals, schools, churches, retail centers or homeowners' associations. So does work for state and local government, such as counties, cities, school districts, state universities and transit authorities. The rules name federal, state, local and private contracts together.

If you've worked as a subcontractor on a federal job, that counts too, and you can get it in writing. A small business can ask the prime contractor for a past performance rating within 30 days of finishing, and the prime has 15 days to provide it.

Agencies should also consider the relevant experience of key personnel and predecessor companies. If your site manager ran a federal cleaning contract for a previous employer, name them and say so.

If you have no relevant record at all

The rules protect you more than you might expect. In a formal evaluation, a firm without relevant past performance "may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably" on it.

On lowest-price bids, past performance is often pass or fail. Under the newer rule text, a small business that's otherwise in line to win but fails on past performance must be referred to the SBA for a Certificate of Competency. More broadly, a contracting officer may not find a company unfit solely because it lacks performance history. A small business that is found unfit gets referred to the SBA before it's turned away.

Still, neutral loses to a strong, relevant record. Your aim is to show the closest match you have, even if it isn't federal.

How to pick your three references

Most bids ask for a short list of recent, similar jobs. Choose the ones that look most like this bid, not your biggest or oldest clients.

Size is the first thing to match. A 60,000-square-foot office is a better comparison for a federal office building than a dentist's office. Then match the work itself, meaning the same tasks at the same frequency, whether that's nightly cleaning, floor care, restrooms, mowing cycles or snow response. The setting matters too. Secure or regulated buildings like hospitals, labs and schools carry weight for federal sites.

Use ongoing work or jobs from the last few years, and check how far back the bid allows. Finally, pick references who will actually answer. The best job on your list is no use if nobody returns the call.

How to write each one

Keep each write-up to half a page, and describe the tasks in the bid's own words. This format works well:

Prepare your references for the questionnaire

Many agencies send a past performance questionnaire to your references, who fill it in and return it directly to the contracting officer. You won't see what they write, so set them up well.

1. Before you list them, call each reference and tell them which agency and bid to expect.
2. When the questionnaire arrives, send it to them the same day, with the deadline highlighted.
3. A few days before it's due, follow up. A missing questionnaire can count as no information.

Common mistakes

The most common one is listing every client, when three strong matches beat ten loose ones. Close behind is leaving out numbers. "High-quality cleaning" tells an evaluator nothing, while square feet, staff counts and inspection scores do. Check every phone number and email before you submit, because a stale contact is an easy way to lose a reference. And don't stretch anything. Agencies check, so claim only what your records and references will confirm.

Build your federal record over time

Every federal job, however small, starts a record. Smaller, simpler bids are a good place to begin. Subcontracting to a firm that already holds a federal contract also works, and you can ask for a rating at the end. Once you hold federal contracts, your evaluations are kept in the government's CPARS system, which agencies use for future awards. For when bids come out during the year, see our federal calendar guide.