How do I win my first federal government contract with no past performance?

Short answer: Bid on small total-small-business set-asides, and bid every one you can price. Federal evaluators must treat an offeror with no relevant past performance neutrally, not unfavorably (FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iv)). You can also build a record as a subcontractor to a prime that already holds the contract, then use that work as your reference.

Steps that work

1. Register free in SAM.gov and list every NAICS code you can perform.
2. Target small set-asides under $350,000 and simple RFQs where price decides.
3. Use private and commercial work as references. Past performance does not have to be federal.
4. Ask your local APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC) for free counseling; they exist in every state.
5. Subcontract to a prime. At XL Eagle you send us your price on a job, we bid it as the prime, and if we win you do the work. That work becomes your documented government experience.

Proposal help

If you bid in your own name, XL Eagle writes the full proposal for $19.99. See the step-by-step guide to getting government contracts.

Sources

• FAR 15.305 Proposal evaluation
• APEX Accelerators directory
• SBA Federal Contracting

XL Eagle LLC (UEI K6SYWSWZAMY9, CAGE 11R42) is an SBA small business and federal prime contractor in Austin, Texas, with 48 federal awards totalling $2.3 million, all public record on USAspending.gov. Updated 2026-11-12. More answers