What Is a Project Reference Sheet?

A project reference sheet is a one-page document that describes a completed project as verifiable proof of a firm’s experience. It states the client, scope, contract value, dates, and a reference contact who can confirm the work. Procurement teams request project reference sheets in tenders, prequalification questionnaires, and vendor evaluations.

Unlike a portfolio or brochure, a reference sheet is written to be checked. Every field exists so an evaluator can call the client and verify what you delivered - which is why the same document is also called a client reference sheet or an entry in a project reference list.

What does a project reference sheet include?

Public and private tender forms ask for the same core fields with remarkable consistency:

• Project name and location
• Client or contracting authority, plus their sector
• Reference contact: name, role, phone, and email of someone who will vouch for the work
• Contract value (state the currency; a range is acceptable where confidentiality applies)
• Start and completion dates, noting whether the project finished on schedule
• Scope description: three to six sentences on what your firm actually delivered and in which role (prime contractor, subconsultant, JV partner)
• Key personnel assigned, when the evaluator also scores team experience

Evaluators skim dozens of these per procedure. Keep each sheet to one page and use an identical field order across all references so they can be compared side by side.

When do you need a project reference sheet?

Three situations account for nearly all requests:

1. Tenders and RFPs. References are a standard selection criterion in public procurement. Directive 2014/24/EU, Annex XII lets authorities request lists of works from the past five years and services or deliveries from the past three. In US federal procurement, the equivalent evidence is evaluated as past performance.
2. Prequalification questionnaires (PQQs). Framework agreements and vendor registries typically require 3-5 comparable tender references before you may bid at all.
3. Client pitches. Two or three relevant reference sheets attached to a proposal do more than pages of self-description - they show you have solved this exact problem before.

How to choose which projects to cite, and how to match them to award criteria, is covered in the guide to project references in bids and tenders.

Example: a completed project reference sheet

A compact entry from a fictional engineering firm:

Project: Harbor Road Stormwater Upgrade - Tacoma, WA Client: City of Tacoma, Public Works (public sector) Reference: J. Alvarez, Senior Project Manager · +1 253 555 0142 · j.alvarez@tacoma.example.gov Contract value: USD 4.2M · Role: Prime consultant Period: 03/2024 - 11/2025, completed on schedule Scope: Detailed design and construction supervision of 2.8 km of stormwater mains, two pump stations, and SCADA integration. Meridian Civil Engineering staffed a team of six and managed all permitting.

Reference sheet vs. data sheet vs. fact sheet

The three documents overlap but serve different readers. A project data sheet records a project’s technical facts for internal reuse; a project fact sheet presents it to a broad external audience; and a project summary narrates the same project in plain language. The reference sheet is the only one with a contactable referee - it exists to be verified, not just read.

Where to get a template

Start from the free project sheet template (Word, Google Docs, PDF) and mirror each tender’s required field order. The same project records also feed the past-performance section of your capability statement.

Or stop retyping the same projects into every form: the free SUNAGO project reference manager stores each project once and generates formatted reference sheets on demand - update the record, and every document stays current. Build these from your projects automatically - create a free SUNAGO account.