What is a Capability Statement Anyway?

What is a Capability Statement: Your Complete Guide to Winning More Contracts!

Picture this: you’ve found the perfect government tender that matches your expertise perfectly, but your application gets lost in a sea of competitors who seem to present their qualifications more effectively. Or perhaps you’re networking at an industry event, meeting potential clients who could transform your business, but you struggle to communicate your value in those crucial first moments. This scenario plays out daily for businesses where exceptional skills and experience often go unrecognised due to poor presentation.

A beautifully designed capability statement solves this fundamental challenge. It’s a professional document that showcases your business’s skills, services, and achievements to potential clients in a format that decision-makers actually want to read. Think of it as a powerful marketing tool that opens doors to major clients and transforms how procurement officers perceive your organisation’s capabilities.

In fact, you could think of your capability statement as a superhero cape for your business.  It’s slick, it’s powerful, and it shows off your company’s superpowers: your core competencies, amazing achievements, and unique value proposition. It’s like your business résumé, only shinier.

Whether you’re targeting government contracts, building relationships with major contractors, or expanding into new markets, understanding what a capability statement is and how to create one effectively can be the difference between winning contracts and watching opportunities slip away to competitors.

Capability Statements: What Every Business Owner Needs to Know

Before we jump into the details, here’s the lowdown on capability statements, because if you’re serious about growing your business, this little doc needs to be on your radar.

It’s your business showcase: A capability statement showcases your skills, services, and wins to the people who make big decisions (like awarding contracts or choosing suppliers).

It helps you land more work: Think of it as your ticket into tenders, partnerships and new opportunities. It builds trust and shows you’re the real deal.

It’s a must-have for government and B2B work: Whether you’re chasing council jobs or pitching to big private clients, a well-designed capability statement gets you noticed.

It can be short and sharp or more detailed: Need a quick overview? Go single-page. Got lots to share? Go multi-page. It all depends on who you’re talking to.

It’s not about you – it’s about them: The best capability statements focus on how you solve problems, not just what you do.

And here’s a stat to back it all up: over 60% of successful government tender applications include a tailored capability statement. In the construction and engineering industry, it’s even higher – 80% of major public tenders ask for one just to get through the door.

The bottom line: if you’re not using an eye-catching capability statement yet, you’re missing out on opportunities. Let’s fix that.

So, where do you start?

Simple: gather the wins you’ve already got under your belt. Think projects you’ve nailed, feedback you’ve earned, and the skills that set your team apart.

Because when you can clearly communicate your value, people take notice—and the right people start knocking.

  And if you need some help, our capability statement design service is here to make the process easy.