Creating a Capabilities Statement to Market Your 8(a)
A one-page capabilities statement is an asset that every government contractor should have. If you’re a young or unknown firm without an extensive record of past performance, this document is especially important. A well-written capabilities statement will tell government buyers and prime contractors everything they need to know about you when you’re not around to tell them yourself.
In most cases, federal agencies will require you to submit a capabilities statement with your bid. But it’s not just a box to be checked, and it’s definitely more than a regurgitation of text on your website. It’s a valuable piece of marketing collateral that gives you a chance to make a lasting impression and demonstrate qualities like thoughtfulness and attention to detail. It should be appropriately branded and aesthetically sharp, and organized in a way that makes key information easy to find and digest.
Even more importantly, your capabilities statement should contain specific information that every contracting officer will check for when reviewing it. If any of this content is missing or incomplete, don’t expect to be taken seriously.
5 Key Elements
Creating a capabilities statement is a great exercise in understanding your business. It requires you to think carefully about your offering and the attributes that make you unique in the market. Ultimately, it will become a sort of written elevator pitch—telling readers exactly what they need to know about your company as concisely as possible. You could also think of it as a resume for your business. Limit it to a page in length, and focus on these five key elements.
1. Core Competencies – Don’t describe everything you can do here. Instead, list the expertise and services you offer that are most relevant to the agency you’re targeting.
2. Past Performance – Highlight any customers who have benefited from the above services and include contact references. Don’t list more than five organizations here. If you’re trying to decide which projects fit best, pick those with a scope of work most similar to the work you’re pursuing. Keep your descriptions concise (a few words is fine), and use pictures or logos if they help you save space. Include the value of past projects if that data accurately and effectively conveys your current capacity.
3. Differentiators – Identify the attributes that set you apart from competitors. These could be related to product or service quality, pricing, record of past performance, or something else. Highlight key achievements that are unique to your business.
4. Company Data – This section should provide a factual overview of your company. Include company size and capacity, DUNS number, CAGE code, NAICS codes, and any relevant certifications.
5. Contact Information – The basics: phone number, email address, physical mailing address. This section should also include relevant digital properties like your website or social handles (if you use them to communicate with customers). Obviously, you’ll want to make sure all contact information is accurate and that your website and other properties sufficiently reflect the capabilities and quality of work you provide.
Other Considerations
Over time, you’ll want to create a number of different versions of your capabilities statement, each tailored to the particular agency you’re targeting. While it might not seem too significant, a tailored capabilities statement speaks volumes about you and your business. Moreover, by thinking about your company in the context of a very specific agency challenge, you can present your offering as the perfect solution. In some cases, a prime contractor might ask you for a capabilities statement to help them compare you with other possible partners. That’s right, this one should be customized too.