Government subcontracting, the way in without past performance
Many firms do not win their first government contract as the prime. They win it as a subcontractor. Captivaq shows you which primes win work in your field and already hire subs.
Government evaluators score past performance, and a firm with no government record starts behind. Primes pick subs on their own terms, usually on capability and commercial references. That makes subcontracting the usual way in for a specialized firm. The work you do as a sub then becomes the past performance your first prime bid asks for.
Why past performance stops most first bids
It is scored, and a blank record scores nothing.
Evaluators look for recent work of similar scope and size, delivered well. A firm with none is not marked down in theory. In practice it loses to bidders who have a record to point to.
This is the wall most specialized firms hit on their first RFP. The work is a fit, the price is fine, and the proposal still scores low on the one factor you cannot write your way around.
How subcontracting gets around it
The prime carries the record. You bring the specialty.
The prime holds the contract and the past performance the buyer scores. You deliver a defined piece of the work. Specialized work is exactly what primes buy rather than build, because staffing it themselves costs more than hiring the firm that already does it.
Primes also have reasons to look for you. In the US, large primes on big federal contracts file small business subcontracting plans and report against them. In Canada, Indigenous participation plans and Industrial and Technological Benefits commitments push primes toward Canadian and Indigenous suppliers.
Many solicitations accept past performance from work done as a sub or by a proposed team member, as long as the role is described accurately. So the sub work counts toward your own bids later.
- The prime's record carries the bid
- Specialists fill gaps primes cannot staff
- Primes have targets for small and Indigenous suppliers
- Sub work becomes your own past performance
What Captivaq shows you
Who actually hires subs, from the record, not a paid directory.
Research, Partners lists the primes that sub out work under your NAICS codes, ranked from reported federal subcontracts, and the subs they already use.
On every opportunity, the Competition tab names the likely incumbent, shows whether they hire subs, and lists the primes that subcontract that kind of work. When a notice is a weak fit, a set-aside you do not qualify for, or asks for past performance you lack, the assessment points you there.
Vendors opens any company's federal record: what they win, who they sub to and who subs to them. Recompetes shows which contracts are ending, so you can reach the prime before the follow-on is released.
- Primes that hire subs in your codes
- The incumbent, and who they already use
- A prompt on notices you cannot prime yet
- Contracts ending, before the follow-on posts
Turn sub work into your own record
Log it once, and every draft can use it.
Add each subcontract to your past performance with the role set to subcontractor, the prime, the value, the dates and a reference contact. When you prepare a bid, Captivaq's drafts cite that work where it fits the requirement.
Keep Willing to subcontract switched on in your profile and Captivaq keeps suggesting the sub route. Switch it off and the suggestions stop.
The US and Canada
Same move, different records.
Subcontract data comes from US federal reporting. Primes must report subcontracts over $30,000, but the rule is not enforced, so treat the numbers as a floor rather than a full picture.
Canada publishes no register of subcontracts. Captivaq still matches and assesses CanadaBuys tenders against your profile, and the approach is the same: find who wins that work, and offer the piece you do best.
Keep the useful signals
Captivaq watches procurement sources against your capabilities, certifications, locations, and past performance. It helps you spend time on opportunities that have a credible fit.
Find primes that hire subsRelated resources
Past performance and CPARS
How evaluators score your record, and how to build one from zero.
Set-aside programs
Limitations on subcontracting, and why teaming between certified firms works.
Bid or no-bid scorecard
Decide whether to prime, go in as a sub, or pass.
Contractors
Look up a prime's federal awards before your first call.
Questions people ask
Can you win government contracts without past performance?
Yes, but it is hard as a prime on competitive work. Many firms start as a subcontractor, or on small direct purchases where past performance weighs less, and build a record from there.
Does subcontract work count as past performance?
Often, yes. Many solicitations accept work done as a sub or by a proposed team member, as long as you describe your role accurately. Check the instructions in each solicitation.
How do I find primes that hire subcontractors?
Look at who wins contracts in your NAICS codes and who reports subcontracts under them. Captivaq ranks those primes from US federal subcontract reports and shows the subs they already use.
Does Captivaq find subcontracting openings for me?
It finds the primes and flags the notices you are better off joining as a sub. Many sub openings are never posted, so the call to the prime is yours.
Is our work too specialized for government?
Usually the opposite. Primes sub out the specialized pieces they cannot staff. A narrow, provable niche is what makes you easy to pick.