Federal Contracting Glossary
Past Performance & CPARS
The federal record of how well a contractor performed prior work, documented in CPARS and used as an evaluation factor in future awards.
Definition
Past performance is an assessment of how well a contractor has delivered on prior contracts — quality, schedule, cost control, management, and compliance — and it is one of the most common evaluation factors in federal source selections. The government records formal performance evaluations in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), and evaluators routinely consult CPARS (via the PPIRS/CPARS data) when assessing offerors.
Because Section M frequently weights past performance heavily, a contractor's CPARS history can directly drive its competitiveness. Contractors should review their CPARS ratings, respond to evaluations they disagree with within the comment window, and assemble strong, relevant past-performance references — including from subcontracts and commercial work where the solicitation allows.
How this affects your proposal
Track your CPARS ratings and address weak or inaccurate evaluations promptly through the contractor comment process. In proposals, cite recent, relevant, and similar-sized references — relevance to the current requirement usually matters more than sheer volume.
Common questions about past performance & cpars
What is CPARS?
The Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System — the federal database where agencies record formal evaluations of contractor performance, which feed into past-performance assessments on future acquisitions.
Can I respond to a CPARS rating I disagree with?
Yes. Contractors receive the proposed evaluation and have a defined window to submit comments and request review. Those comments become part of the record, so use the opportunity.
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