--- title: "Subcontract Reporting (FSRS) and Sub-Award Data: Proving Who You Have Worked For" canonical: "https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/subcontract-reporting-fsrs" lastReviewed: "2026-11-08" markdown_url: "https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/subcontract-reporting-fsrs.md" topic: "Teaming & partner due diligence" summary: "How FAR 52.204-10 subaward reporting works, what USAspending sub-award records do and do not show, and how to use a proven teaming history to find primes and win work." --- # Subcontract Reporting (FSRS) and Sub-Award Data: Proving Who You Have Worked For > How FAR 52.204-10 subaward reporting works, what USAspending sub-award records do and do not show, and how to use a proven teaming history to find primes and win work. - Topic: Teaming & partner due diligence - Last reviewed: 2026-11-08 - Canonical URL: https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/subcontract-reporting-fsrs Prime contract awards are public, but who the primes actually hire is harder to see. **Subaward reporting** fills part of that gap: under **FAR 52.204-10**, primes report their first-tier subcontracts, and the Government publishes those reports on USAspending.gov. For a subcontractor, that record is proof that a prime has already trusted you with real work. For a prime, it shows who has done similar work for your competitors. ## What primes must report FAR subpart 4.14 and the clause at FAR 52.204-10 require most prime contractors to report: - Each **first-tier subcontract** valued at **$30,000 or more**, by the end of the month after the month the subcontract was awarded - The subcontractor's UEI, name, location, amount, award date and a description of the work - In some cases, executive compensation for the prime and its first-tier subcontractors Reports were filed in the FSRS system for years; in 2025 subaward reporting moved into SAM.gov. Either way, the data flows to **USAspending.gov**, where anyone can search sub-awards under a prime award. > **Note:** Some subcontracts are not reported: awards below the threshold, lower-tier subcontracts, contracts with exempt primes and work whose disclosure would reveal classified information. A missing record does not prove a relationship never existed. ## Reading the data with care Subaward data is prime-reported and only lightly checked, so treat it as a strong signal rather than a perfect ledger: | Field | What to watch for | | --- | --- | | Subcontractor name and UEI | Primes sometimes enter a parent company, an old name or a typo; match on UEI when it is present | | Amount | Usually the subcontract value at award, not what was actually paid | | Description | Free text written by the prime; it can be vague or reused across many subcontracts | | Date | The subcontract award date, not the period of performance | | Agency | The agency of the prime award, which tells you which customer the work served | ## Using sub-award history to win work 1. **Build a target list of primes.** Look for primes who already subcontract work like yours in your NAICS codes and at your target agencies. They have a proven need and a supplier process you can enter. 2. **Lead with proof.** When you pitch a prime, cite your prior sub-awards under named primes and agencies. It answers "have you done this before at this scale?" in one line. 3. **Read the incumbent team.** Before a recompete, check which subcontractors the incumbent prime reported. They may be open to a new prime, or they may be the competition. 4. **Check limitations on subcontracting.** On set-aside work, the share you pass to subcontractors is capped; plan the split before you sign. 5. **Verify every partner.** Sub-award history is not a substitute for SAM.gov registration, exclusion and screening checks. ## Keeping your own record accurate If you are a subcontractor, your sub-award history is part of your reputation, so help primes report it correctly: - Give every prime your exact legal name and UEI as they appear in SAM.gov, and update them when you change either - Ask the prime to describe the work in plain terms that match your capability statement - Check USAspending a few months after a new subcontract starts; if the record is missing or wrong, ask the prime to correct its report A clean record turns into searchable proof that primes and agencies can see. ## How TeamingIndex helps - Each week we load reported sub-awards from USAspending and link primes and subcontractors to their profiles. The **Proven teaming graph** on a profile lists the primes a company has subcontracted for, with award counts, totals, agencies and the last award date, citing USAspending as the source. - In the [directory](https://teamingindex.com/directory), the "subcontracted for" filter finds companies that have already worked under a prime you name, by UEI or legal name. - When you post a gap on the [Teaming Board](https://teamingindex.com/board), matching gives extra weight to candidates with sub-award history under your company or at your target sub-agency. Pair this with the [past performance guide](https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/past-performance-that-wins) to turn sub-awards into proposal-ready references, and read the [limitations on subcontracting guide](https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/limitations-on-subcontracting) before you agree on a work split. ## Official sources - [FAR 52.204-10: Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-10) - [FAR Subpart 4.14: Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/subpart-4.14) - [USAspending.gov: prime and sub-award search](https://www.usaspending.gov/) Not legal advice. TeamingIndex guides are general information to help you plan, not legal advice. Regulations, clauses and program rules change and solicitations can tailor them: always work from the current regulation and the clauses in your solicitation, and confirm decisions with your contracting officer or counsel.