Past performance is where many otherwise capable businesses weaken their GSA offer. The problem is usually not a total lack of history. It is a mismatch between the work they did and the specific work they are asking GSA to believe they can perform under the chosen SIN.
What strong past performance proves
- The company has delivered similar scope successfully.
- The reference is recent enough to be credible.
- The example supports the exact type of work the offer is claiming.
What weak references look like
| Weak pattern | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| Broad company history with no SIN match | Does not prove capability for the offered scope |
| Outdated or unverifiable references | Creates confidence problems for the reviewer |
| References that describe adjacent but different work | Leaves the CO to make a leap the file should already support |
Read next: contract requirements, technical proposal, and SIN categories.