A capability statement is a one-page summary that tells a contracting officer who you are, what you do, what you have done, and how to reach you. It is often the first thing a buyer, small business specialist or prime contractor sees from your company, and it is usually the thing they keep. This guide walks through what to include, gives you a copy-ready template outline, shows short examples by industry, and lists the mistakes that get a statement ignored.
Quick answer: Write a capability statement as a one-page document (front and back at most) with five blocks: core competencies, past performance, differentiators, company data (UEI, CAGE code, NAICS codes, certifications) and contact details. Tailor it to each agency or prime you send it to, and keep the language specific and scannable.
A capability statement is a short marketing document that summarizes your company’s qualifications for government buyers and prime contractors. Think of it as a business resume: it lists what you do, proof that you have done it, why you are different, and the registration data a buyer needs to look you up or set aside work for you.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services describes it as a marketing document that showcases your company’s qualifications to potential government clients, and recommends keeping it to one page, front and back. The NorCal APEX Accelerator gives the same advice: short, generally one page, and tailored to the agency or opportunity, the way you would tailor a resume to a job.
You will use it in several places:
A capability statement does not replace a proposal. It gets you onto a buyer’s radar; the proposal wins the work. If you are at the proposal stage, see our guide to government proposal writing.
Include four content blocks plus contact details: core competencies, past performance, differentiators, and company data such as your UEI, CAGE code, NAICS codes and certifications. Official guidance from HHS and APEX Accelerators lists the same essentials. Everything should fit on one page and be readable in under a minute.
A logo and company name go at the top. A one- or two-sentence company overview can sit above the four blocks. Beyond that, every line should earn its space.
Core competencies are the three to six things you do best, written in the language buyers use. List services or products, not values. “Network installation and structured cabling for federal facilities” tells a contracting officer far more than “innovative IT solutions.”
Past performance shows that you have already done the work. List two to five relevant projects or clients, government or commercial. For each, give the customer, a one-line description of the scope, and a result or scale indicator you can back up, such as the number of sites, users or deliverables.
Differentiators answer the question “why you and not the next firm?” Florida’s APEX Accelerator calls these discriminators. Two to four specific, provable points are enough.
This is the block buyers use to look you up and check eligibility for set-asides. Put it in one clearly labeled box so it is easy to find.
Make sure every value matches your SAM.gov registration and your profile in SBA’s Small Business Search, which contracting officers use to find small businesses. A mismatch between documents is an easy reason to be passed over.
Use the outline below as a capability statement template. Copy it into your own document, replace every bracketed placeholder, and delete any line that does not apply. Lay it out on one page, with company data in a sidebar or bottom box and the four content blocks in the main column.
Save it as a PDF with a clear file name, such as “[Company]-Capability-Statement-[Agency].pdf”. Keep a master version and create a tailored copy for each agency or prime you approach. If you need help with layout or content, your local APEX Accelerator reviews capability statements; the program, formerly the Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP), is DoD-funded and, per NorCal APEX, offers its services at no cost.
The examples below show how the same template changes by industry. They are fictional placeholders for illustration only, not real companies. In each, notice that competencies are specific, past performance includes scale, and differentiators are things a buyer could verify.
When you tailor a version for a prime, research the prime first: what it wins, which agencies it supports, and where your work fills a gap. The OryonIQ supplier list lets you browse primes and specialist suppliers by industry, city and state, and Polaris lets you search FPDS and USAspending award data to see who holds the contracts in your NAICS code. Our guide to teaming agreements and joint ventures covers what comes after that first conversation.
The most common mistakes are going over one page, using generic language, listing nothing a buyer can verify, and sending the same version to every agency. Outdated registration data, such as an old DUNS number or a lapsed certification, also undermines trust quickly. Each of these is easy to fix before you hit send.
Once your statement is ready, put it to work. Our guide on where to find government contracts covers the sources to watch, and our 8(a) certification guide explains one of the certifications many buyers look for.
One page. HHS recommends a maximum of one page, front and back, and APEX Accelerators give the same advice. Buyers skim, so keep it short, use bullets, and put the most relevant information for that reader first.
A capability statement is a short, general marketing document that introduces your company to a buyer or prime. A proposal is a formal response to a specific solicitation that follows the instructions and evaluation criteria in that RFP or RFQ.
Yes. Buyers use your UEI and CAGE code to look you up in SAM.gov and confirm your registration. Include your NAICS codes and current small business certifications in the same section, and remove any old DUNS number, which the UEI replaced in April 2022.
Yes. Use relevant commercial projects, subcontract work, and the experience of key staff, and label each clearly. Specific scope and results from commercial work are more convincing than an empty past performance section.
APEX Accelerators, formerly known as the Procurement Technical Assistance Program, help small businesses with government contracting, including capability statements. Many centers state their services are no cost. Agency small business offices (OSDBUs) also run training on capability statements.
You should tailor it. Keep a master version, then adjust the order of competencies, the past performance you highlight, and the NAICS codes you list so each version matches the agency or prime you are sending it to.
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