← Blog · April 6, 2026

Past Performance in Government Contracting: How to Build It from Zero

If you're trying to break into federal contracting, you've probably run into the classic catch-22:

To win a government contract, you need past performance. To get past performance, you need to win a government contract.

It's frustrating — but it's not impossible. Every successful government contractor started with zero past performance. The key is knowing where to look for opportunities that don't require it, and how to strategically build your track record from the ground up.

This guide shows you exactly how.

Why Past Performance Matters

Federal contracting officers evaluate proposals using weighted criteria. Past performance — your demonstrated ability to successfully deliver on similar work — typically accounts for 10-30% of a proposal's score. In many cases, it's a pass/fail gate: if you can't show relevant experience, your proposal gets eliminated before anyone even looks at your technical approach.

The federal government wants to minimize risk. Awarding a contract to a company with no track record feels risky to a contracting officer, even if your technical approach is rock solid.

But here's what many contractors don't realize: not every contract requires past performance. There are specific pathways designed for businesses just getting started.

The "No Past Performance Required" Opportunities

1. Micro-Purchases (Under $10,000)

Federal micro-purchases are the easiest entry point. These are contracts under $10,000 that agencies can award without competitive bidding in most cases. They typically don't require past performance evaluations because the risk is minimal.

Where to find them: SAM.gov, filtering by "Award Amount" under $10,000. These can be awarded through Simplified Acquisition procedures and often go to first-time bidders.

Strategy: Use micro-purchases to build relationships with contracting officers. Deliver excellent work, and you'll be on their radar when larger opportunities arise.

2. Simplified Acquisitions ($10,000 - $250,000)

Under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, the government uses streamlined procedures that often don't require detailed past performance documentation. Instead, they may ask for references or a demonstration of responsibility.

Key advantage: These contracts are small enough that agencies are more willing to give new contractors a chance, especially if your proposal shows strong understanding of the requirement.

3. Set-Aside Contracts for New Businesses

Many set-aside programs have specific provisions for new entrants:

8(a) Business Development Program: The 8(a) program is specifically designed for socially and economically disadvantaged businesses. The first years of the program are meant for building capability, and contracts are awarded with the understanding that you may not have extensive past performance.
HUBZone: HUBZone contracts don't require past performance for the set-aside itself — the geographic qualification is the primary criterion.
SDVOSB: Service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses can compete on sole-source contracts up to $4.5 million without past performance requirements.

How to Build Past Performance from Scratch: A Step-by-Step Strategy

Step 1: Start with Subcontracting

This is the most common and effective path. Large prime contractors who win government contracts need subcontractors to fulfill portions of the work. Subcontracting doesn't require you to submit a full proposal to the government, and you don't need past performance.

How to find subcontracting opportunities:

Register in the SBA's Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS)
Contact primes that win contracts in your NAICS codes
Attend industry days and pre-bid conferences
Use GovLens to identify which companies are winning contracts in your space, then reach out

Why this works: The prime contractor handles the past performance question. You just need to demonstrate you can do the work. And every subcontract you complete becomes past performance you can cite on future proposals.

Step 2: Team Up for Joint Proposals

Partner with another small business that has complementary capabilities. Together, you can submit a proposal that leverages each other's strengths. If your partner has past performance, it can strengthen your joint proposal while you build your own track record.

Step 3: Pursue State and Local Government Contracts

State and local governments often have less stringent past performance requirements than federal agencies. Winning a county IT services contract or a state consulting engagement gives you government experience that translates into federal past performance.

Many states have their own procurement portals — check your state's procurement office website and the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) resources.

Step 4: Bid on Small, Set-Aside Federal Contracts

Target set-aside contracts under $150,000 where the evaluation criteria emphasize technical approach over past performance. In these cases, the contracting officer is more concerned with whether you understand the work than with how many times you've done it before.

Look for solicitations that say "lowest price technically acceptable" (LPTA) — these evaluations focus on meeting minimum requirements, not on demonstrating decades of experience.

Step 5: Leverage Commercial Experience

If you've done similar work for private-sector clients, that counts too. Many solicitations accept commercial past performance as evidence of capability. The key is framing your commercial experience in terms that federal contracting officers understand.

Rather than "we built a web application for Company X," frame it as "we delivered a secure, web-based information system serving 500+ users with 99.9% uptime over 18 months." Those are terms a contracting officer can evaluate.

Documenting Your First Wins

Once you win your first contract — no matter how small — document everything:

Performance evaluations: Request a Customer Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) or Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) entry after every contract. These become your official federal past performance record.
References: Maintain relationships with your government contracting officer and program manager. Their willingness to serve as a reference will be invaluable.
Contract details: Keep records of contract number, period of performance, dollar value, scope of work, and performance rating. You'll cite these on future proposals.
Case studies: Write up brief summaries of what you did, the challenges you overcame, and the results you delivered. These are useful for marketing, proposals, and your website.

The Exponential Growth Effect

Here's the thing about past performance: it compounds.

Your first contract takes the most effort to win. The second one is easier because you can cite the first. By the time you have three contracts, you're no longer a "no past performance" bidder — you're an established government contractor.

Most first-time bidders win their first contract within 12-18 months of starting. But that timeline shrinks dramatically when you're strategic about which opportunities to pursue and how you build your track record.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Bidding on contracts that are too large. If a $500,000 contract requires 5 years of relevant past performance and you have none, you're wasting your time. Start small.

Ignoring subcontracting opportunities. Some contractors turn down subcontracting work because they want to be the prime. Don't make this mistake. Subcontracting is the fastest way to build federal past performance.

Not requesting past performance evaluations. After you complete a contract, proactively request a performance evaluation. Some contracting officers won't do it unless you ask, and a missing evaluation is a missed opportunity.

Applying the same approach to every solicitation. Customize your past performance section for each proposal. A contract for IT services should cite IT past performance, not facilities management experience.

How GovLens Helps You Find the Right Opportunities

The key to building past performance quickly is finding the right contracts at the right time — ones that match your capabilities and don't require experience you don't have yet.

GovLens uses AI to match your business profile with relevant opportunities and sends you daily alerts when new contracts are posted. You can filter for:

Contract amount (target micro and simplified acquisitions)
Set-aside type (8a, HUBZone, SDVOSB)
NAICS code
Agency

Start tracking opportunities for free →

You don't need to spend hours on SAM.gov manually searching. Let the tool do the work while you focus on writing proposals.

FAQ

What counts as past performance in federal contracting?

Past performance includes federal, state, local, and commercial contracts that demonstrate your ability to perform work similar to the requirement. It should be recent (typically within the last 3-5 years), relevant to the scope of work, and verifiable with references.

How many past performance references do I need?

Most solicitations ask for 2-3 relevant references. If you only have one, cite it and explain your broader relevant experience. Some solicitations accept "no relevant past performance" as a neutral rating — meaning you won't be penalized, but you won't get bonus points either.

Can I use personal past performance?

Yes. If the key personnel on your proposal team have relevant past performance on similar contracts, even if it was at a different company, you can often include that in your proposal. The key is to show that the people doing the work have relevant experience.

How long does past performance stay relevant?

Typically 3-5 years, though some solicitations specify a different window. After 5 years, most agencies consider past performance stale. This is why maintaining an active contracting pipeline is important.

What if I get a negative past performance evaluation?

Negative evaluations stay in your record. You can submit a rebuttal if the evaluation is factually incorrect, but the best defense is delivering quality work and maintaining open communication with your contracting officer throughout performance.

Building past performance from zero isn't easy — but it's absolutely achievable. Start with the opportunities that don't require it, be strategic about building your track record, and within 18-24 months, you'll have a portfolio of government experience that opens doors to much larger contracts.

The first step is finding the right opportunities to pursue. Sign up for GovLens free and start seeing government contracts that match your capabilities — before your competitors do.