Is past performance important in government contracting?

by Melanie Berman - February 27, 2020

Lack of government past performance should not deter new small businesses from entering the government marketplace.

If your business is new to the government market, it's important to realize that the government does not see your lack of past performance as either good or bad. With that said, however, if you just completed the process of setting up your LLC, S-Corp, etc, you should focus on building your commercial business before entering the government market.

While having core competencies listed on your company's capability statement is crucial, what's more important is that you show the government that your business has performed those core competencies, with high-quality results. 
 
When considering your company's past performance, you may want to think about adding a point of contact from each of the jobs listed on your capability statement, who will speak favorably regarding your work.

Similar to providing a prospective employer with your personal and professional references, you'll want to make sure that those points of contact agree to be listed as references for your past performance, and that they'll speak highly of your company's work.