A capability statement is one of the most misunderstood tools in government contracting. Teams spend hours polishing logos, shrinking fonts, and debating color schemes, yet many still fail to answer the only question that matters: Can this company solve my problem right now? For contracting officers and program teams alike, a capability statement is not a branding exercise. It is a rapid decision aid.
Done well, a capability statement lets a government buyer quickly understand what you do, who you do it for, and why you are a credible option. Done poorly, it becomes a dense one-pager that no one wants to read twice.
Do: The most important rule is that your capability statement must be written from the government’s point of view, not yours. Buyers are scanning for alignment with an active or emerging requirement, not for a corporate biography. Lead with what you do in plain language. If someone cannot understand your value proposition in the first ten seconds, you have already lost their attention.
Do: Make your offerings specific. Phrases like “IT services” or “program management” are not helpful on their own. “Cloud migration for classified networks” or “logistics program management for deployed units” tells a contracting officer exactly where you fit. Specificity signals competence and reduces the mental work required to map you to a real need.
Do: Anchor your claims in proof. Past performance, contract numbers, customer names, and scope matter far more than marketing adjectives. “Supported SOCOM ISR modernization on a $120M IDIQ” is more persuasive than “trusted mission partner.” Your goal is to make the reader comfortable that you have done this before and can do it again.
Do: Make it easy to buy from you. Your contract vehicles, NAICS codes, CAGE, UEI, and small-business status should be easy to find. A contracting officer should not have to search for the information needed to determine whether your company can be used.
Do not: overload the page with everything you have ever done. A capability statement is not a resume. It is a filter. Trying to show every skill makes you look unfocused. It is better to appear exceptional in three areas than average in twenty.
Do not: lead with company history. Buyers care about outcomes, not origin stories. Your founding year and leadership bios belong near the bottom, not at the top.
Do not: make it visually complicated. Fancy layouts, tiny fonts, and dense graphics slow down scanning. A clean, readable one-pager beats a glossy brochure every time.
Do not: treat your capability statement as static. It should evolve with the opportunities you are pursuing. A capability statement for a cyber program office should not look the same as one for a logistics command. Tailoring is not optional. It is how you stay relevant.
The best capability statements are simple, focused, and built to be used. They help contracting officers quickly assess fit. They help customers justify why you belong in the conversation. And they help business development teams open doors that generic marketing material never will.
