Relevant Experience Requirement

A relevant experience requirement is the most widely used form of technical and professional ability criterion. It asks suppliers to produce evidence of past contracts of comparable nature, scope, and value to the contract being procured, demonstrating that they have successfully delivered similar work before. For buyers, it is the principal mechanism for filtering out suppliers who are theoretically capable but untested in practice.

What is a Relevant Experience Requirement?

Under Article 58(4) of Directive 2014/24/EU, contracting authorities may require a list of the principal deliveries or services performed during the past three to five years. For works contracts, the reference period is typically the last five years. For supply and service contracts, the last three years is standard, though some buyers extend this to five years for complex or specialised services.

Each reference typically must include: the name and contact details of the client, the contract value, the start and end dates, and a description of the scope delivered. For services contracts, references from both public and private sector clients may be acceptable. For works contracts, references from public bodies are often specifically required.

Value thresholds. Buyers frequently set minimum contract values for qualifying references, such as "at least two contracts each worth a minimum of EUR 500,000." This threshold must be proportionate to the value of the contract being procured. Setting a minimum reference value of EUR 10 million for a EUR 2 million contract would be disproportionate and legally challengeable.

Scope comparability. References must be similar in nature, not necessarily identical. A buyer procuring facilities management services might accept references for cleaning, security, and catering services combined, rather than requiring references for all three services from a single contract.

Number of references. Typically two to five references are required. The number should be proportionate: requiring ten references for a straightforward service contract would restrict competition unnecessarily.

In the UK, the Standard Selection Questionnaire (SSQ) provides a standardised format for experience references across central government procurements, reducing the administrative burden on both buyers and suppliers.

Why Relevant Experience Requirements Matter for Bidders

Experience requirements are the most common technical barrier for growing suppliers seeking to scale into larger or more complex contracts. The fundamental challenge is circular: to win a contract of a certain size, you need references at that size, but to have those references, you must have already won contracts of that size.

Practical strategies to address this include: bidding as part of a consortium or joint venture where another member holds the qualifying references; relying on a subcontractor's experience under reliance on other entities provisions; targeting smaller lots where the reference thresholds are achievable; and building a reference portfolio progressively through framework agreements and lower-value contracts.

Example

A Portuguese security services company wants to bid for a large airport security framework contract requiring at least three security services references each worth a minimum of EUR 1 million in the past five years. The company has delivered two qualifying contracts but lacks a third. It enters into a consortium arrangement with a larger Spanish security firm that holds five qualifying references. The consortium collectively meets the experience requirement, with the Portuguese firm leading delivery at two of the three airports on the framework.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can experience from work as a named subcontractor be used as a reference?

This varies by buyer. Some contracting authorities accept references for work delivered as a subcontractor, provided the supplier can clearly describe its specific contribution and the client can confirm it. Others require prime contractor references only. The procurement documents will specify, and if they do not, a clarification question should be submitted.

What if a reference client has gone out of business or is unwilling to provide a reference?

Buyers will generally accept alternative verification evidence such as signed contract documentation, completion certificates, or project sign-off records if the reference client is unavailable. The procurement documents or Q and A process should be used to clarify acceptable alternatives before submission.

Can references from internal group company work count?

Generally no. References for work performed for a parent, subsidiary, or affiliated company are typically not accepted as objective evidence of delivery capability. The reference must be for an arm's-length commercial or public sector client.