How to write past performance for a proposal
Past performance is proof you have done similar work: closest projects, your role, and outcomes the buyer can believe. Pick relevance over volume, and match the pack’s schedule format.
Key takeaways
- Lead with the closest two or three projects, not your full archive.
- State client type, scope, your role, outcome, and relevance to this tender.
- Outcomes beat adjectives. Numbers and named results help.
- Follow the buyer’s past performance schedule if they supplied one.
- Past performance supports scored criteria; it does not replace mandatory forms.
- If you lack close proof, say so in bid/no-bid before you invent it.
What past performance means in a proposal
How to write a past performance proposal section means showing comparable delivery, not listing every job you have ever won.
Buyers use it to test risk: have you done this scale, sector, and role before? Referees and artefacts only help if they match the claim.
It overlaps a capability statement, but past performance in a scored response is usually deeper and tied to this pack’s criteria. For method chapters, see technical proposal writing.
Past performance fit ranker
Score candidate projects on sector, scope, scale, role, and outcome. Lead with the highest-ranked matches for this tender.
Ranked for this tender
- Project A (4.2/5 avg, 21/25)
- Project C (4/5 avg, 20/25)
- Project B (3.6/5 avg, 18/25)
Copy ranking
Past performance shortlist (ranked) 1. Project A: 4.2/5 average (total 21/25) 2. Project C: 4/5 average (total 20/25) 3. Project B: 3.6/5 average (total 18/25) Lead with the top two or three closest matches. Park weaker ones unless the pack demands more.
How to write the section
1. Read how many examples they want and any page or word limits.
2. Rank projects for this buyer (use the ranker above).
3. For each selected project, write client/sector, period, scope, your role, outcome, and relevance.
4. Align examples to win themes and high-weight criteria.
5. Attach only what the pack allows (referee contacts, certificates, redacted extracts).
6. Cross-check that commercials and method do not describe a different scope than your examples imply.
Soft product path: Proposit helps teams find evidence in their own documents before they draft. Request access if that matches how you bid.
Past performance card builder
Fill one project card, copy it, then repeat for your top-ranked examples.
Copy project card
Past performance example Client / sector: State government agency (facilities) Period: 2023-2025 Scope: Transition and steady-state cleaning services across three sites Our role: Prime contractor; named contract manager on site weekly Outcome: Zero missed KPIs in first six months; transition completed without unplanned closures Relevance to this tender: Same service type, public-sector client, multi-site transition under live operations Attach only what the pack allows (referee details, certificates, redacted contract extract).
Mistakes that weaken past performance
Listing ten thin projects instead of three close ones.
Claiming “prime” when you were a minor subcontractor without saying so.
Outcomes with no date, scale, or result (“successful delivery”).
Examples from a different sector with no bridge to this buyer’s risk.
Referees who cannot speak to the work you described.
If proof is missing, return to bid / no-bid rather than fabricating a card.
Before you lodge the examples
Count and format match the pack
Each example has a clear outcome
Relevance sentence names this tender’s need
Role and scope are accurate
Confidential details redacted as required
Referees warned they may be contacted
FAQ
Select the closest projects to the tender, write each as client, scope, role, outcome, and relevance, follow the buyer’s schedule format, and lead with proof rather than adjectives.
A short project card: named client type and sector, period, scope you delivered, your role (prime or sub), a measurable outcome, and one sentence on why it matches this tender.
A form some buyers or primes send to referees or bidders to rate delivery on named contracts. Treat it as evidence support for your written examples, and answer only what you can defend.
Whatever the pack asks for. If it is silent, two or three strong, close matches usually beat a long weak list.
Use the closest honest work (including key staff experience if the pack allows), be clear about roles, and decide bid/no-bid if mandatory experience thresholds cannot be met.
Related but not the same. A capability statement is a short credentials overview. Past performance in a proposal is usually deeper project proof tied to scored criteria.
Early access
Ground past performance in files you actually have
Join the list for Proposit early access.
Proposit helps teams check a tender pack against their own documents before they draft. Request access if that matches how you bid.