Glossary / Contracts
Period of performancePoP
The period of performance is the window in which a contractor is authorized and required to perform. It is stated for the whole contract and often per line item or per option period, and it governs when costs can be charged, when deliverables are due and when the contract ends. On an IDIQ the ordering period and each order's period of performance are separate dates. Work outside the period is unauthorized unless a modification extends it.
Why it matters to your pipeline
The period of performance sets the cash-flow shape of a contract and the deadline the buyer will judge the contractor by. It also tells the market when an incumbent's contract ends, which is the single most useful date in capture. GovSmith reads the periods of performance on the awards in its Search to predict when a recompete will reach the market.
When this term shows up in an opening GovSmith finds for you, your vCM explains what it means for that pursuit and does whatever it calls for. You decide; we do the work.
Example
A task order's period of performance runs from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. The contractor's final report is due inside that window; a two-week slip needs a no-cost extension in writing before the end date.
Find out what applies to you
Some terms will matter to your business right away and some won’t for years. A vCM can tell you which are which.