How to write a capability statement for government contracts (with template)

A capability statement is a one or two-page summary of what your company does for the government. Contracting officers ask for it in sources sought notices, small business offices collect them at events, and prime contractors use them to pick subcontractors. Here is what to put in it, with a template.

What it is for

It is not a brochure. A contracting officer reads it to answer one question: could this company do our job? Everything on the page should help them answer yes quickly, which is why the best ones are short, specific and full of identifiers they can check.

The five sections

Core competencies: three to six lines on exactly what you do, in the words agencies use (for example "roof replacement and repair, commercial and institutional buildings" rather than "quality roofing solutions").
Past performance: three to five recent jobs, federal or not, with the customer, what you did, the value and the year. Jobs similar in size to what you want to win count most.
Differentiators: what makes you a lower-risk choice: certifications, bonding capacity, licenses, equipment, response times, local presence.
Company data: legal name, Unique Entity ID, CAGE code, NAICS codes (primary first), size status, certifications (8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB), bonding capacity for construction, and whether you accept the government purchase card.
Contact: one named person, phone, email and website.

Template

[Company name], [city, state]
Core competencies: [what you do, in agency language, 3 to 6 lines]
Past performance: [Customer] – [scope] – [$ value] – [year]; [repeat 2 to 4 times]
Differentiators: [licenses, certifications, bonding capacity, equipment, response time]
Company data: UEI [ ] | CAGE [ ] | NAICS [primary], [others] | [small business / 8(a) / HUBZone / SDVOSB / WOSB] | Bonding capacity [ ] | Accepts government purchase card
Contact: [name, title] | [phone] | [email] | [website]

Tips

Keep a general version, and adapt the core competencies and past performance to each sources sought notice you answer.
Use the agency's own words from the notice; a contracting officer skims for them.
Save it as a PDF of one page if you can, two at most, and name the file with your company name.
No past federal work? List commercial and state jobs; they count as relevant experience.

Next: how to answer a sources sought notice with it.

Last reviewed October 20, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and dollar thresholds change, so check the solicitation and the official sources linked above.