Past Performance Reference Check

A past performance reference check is a buyer's verification of a bidder's previous, relevant contract performance. The buyer contacts the references the bidder supplied and collects information about how the earlier work went. It is different from a simple list of prior experience, because the buyer can confirm the work, its relevance, its quality and whether it was successfully completed.

NATO solicitation documents describe the process as collecting information from bidder-provided references. They require the bidder to authorize NATO to contact those references. Without that authorization, the past performance will not be considered in the evaluation, as set out in a NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) solicitation.

How NATO conducts the check

The check sits inside past-performance evaluation in competitive procurement. NATO bodies including Allied Command Transformation (ACT) and the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) use it in their solicitations. The bidder names the contracts and the people who can speak to them. NATO then contacts those people and gathers information on the work.

Because NATO can only contact references it is authorized to contact, the authorization is a condition of being evaluated, not a courtesy. A bidder that omits it risks having its past performance left out of the assessment.

What bidders must supply

NATO documents ask for a consistent set of details about each prior contract:

• The contracting entity, contract number and contract type.
• The contract value and period of performance.
• Reference contact details.
• A description of the work and how it relates to the current statement of work.
• Authorization for NATO to contact the references.

NATO ACT collects these items on a document titled the Past Performance Information Form. The prior contracts are expected to be relevant in size, scope, complexity or financial magnitude. One NATO CMRE solicitation asks for a contract from the previous five years that is similar in size, scope, financial magnitude and complexity to the requirement.

Reference counts and quality expectations

The number of references varies by solicitation. The Quantum Zero Beacon solicitation from NATO ACT requires at least three past performances from the previous five years, each with a detailed description of work relevant to the statement of work. Another ACT solicitation requires at least one reference from the previous five years and states that generic or vague references may be disqualified.

The Secure Cloud Service solicitation requires at least two references per lot. In that solicitation, ongoing contracts may be used where the relevant activities have been successfully completed.

In a separate solicitation, NATO stated that successful completion of similar previous work is normally shown by describing completed work on prior contracts. A letter of reference could be accepted instead of prior contract experience in that case.

Terms used in solicitation documents

NATO's wording is not uniform. The documents use "past performance," "past performance references," "past performance information" and "past performance (including references)." CMRE, for example, requires bidders to include Past Performance (including References) in some quotation submissions. Bid teams should read each solicitation's own instructions, since the count, time window and form differ from one to the next.

What it means for suppliers bidding on public contracts

Canadian suppliers pursuing NATO work should treat reference details as a core part of the bid. Select prior contracts that match the requirement in size, scope and complexity, and describe their relevance specifically. Confirm that each reference contact is current, and give NATO the authorization to contact them. Check the solicitation's limits on the number of references and the look-back period. NATO publishes current procurement opportunities and business opportunities at NATO Headquarters, where bid teams can review the requirements of each solicitation.