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What Is a Capability Statement?
Definition: A capability statement is a one- to two-page document that tells government buyers and prime contractors what your business does, the relevant work you have done, what sets you apart, and your registration data, such as your UEI, CAGE code, and NAICS codes. There is no official government template, but six sections have become standard.
Término en español: declaración de capacidades (capability statement). Resumen: es un documento de una o dos páginas que explica a compradores del gobierno y a contratistas principales qué hace su empresa, qué trabajos similares ha realizado, qué la distingue y sus datos de registro (UEI, código CAGE, códigos NAICS). Incluya solo certificaciones que ya tiene; una solicitud pendiente no es una certificación.
Key facts - No federal regulation prescribes a format. One page is the norm; two is the outer limit. - Your UEI is assigned when you register in SAM.gov. Registration is free and must be renewed every 365 days. - A CAGE code is a 5-character ID assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency, usually during SAM registration (FAR 52.204-16). - NAICS codes describe your industry, and your small business size is measured against each code (SBA size standards). - Many sources sought notices ask for a capability statement as an attachment.
What goes in a capability statement? The six sections
Think of the page as six labeled boxes. Contracting officers and prime contractors scan for them in roughly this order.
1. Company overview (2-3 sentences). Who you are, what you do, where you work, and how long you have done it. Facts, not a mission statement. Example: "Ridgeline Grounds LLC is a Virginia landscaping company serving commercial and public properties in Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudoun counties since 2019."
2. Core competencies (4-6 bullets). Specific services, written in the words agencies use in their statements of work. Read three or four recent solicitations for your trade on SAM.gov or eVA and copy their terms: "custodial services," not "cleaning"; "grounds maintenance," not "yard work."
3. Past performance (2-3 projects). Customer, scope, size, dates, and a result you can document. Commercial and municipal work counts when it is similar in scope. If the experience belongs to the owner rather than the company, label it that way (see past performance).
4. Differentiators (3-4 bullets). Things a buyer can verify: OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 cards held by your supervisors, your Virginia DPOR contractor license class, insurance limits, bonding capacity, bilingual crew leads, equipment you own, or how close you are to the work. Skip "quality" and "customer focus"; everyone says that.
5. Company data. Legal name exactly as in SAM.gov, UEI, CAGE code, NAICS codes (primary first), SAM status, and only the certifications you hold today. For Virginia buyers, add your eVA status and the NIGP commodity codes you registered under in eVA.
6. Contact. A named person, title, direct phone, an email on your company domain, website, and address.
What does a capability statement look like for a trade business?
Here are three short examples. The companies are invented for illustration; the format is what matters.
Construction cleanup (has commercial history). - Core competencies: rough clean, final clean, and touch-up (punch) clean for new construction and renovations; window and glass cleaning; floor care; debris removal coordination with the general contractor. - Past performance: "Final and touch-up clean, 48-unit apartment building, general contractor client, 2025, 62,000 sq ft, completed to the GC's turnover schedule. Reference: site superintendent, name and phone." - Differentiators: all crew leads hold OSHA 10 cards and the supervisor holds OSHA 30; general liability and workers' compensation certificates available on request; bilingual English/Spanish supervisors.
Janitorial (has commercial history). - Core competencies: nightly custodial services for multi-tenant office buildings; restroom sanitation; hard floor care (strip, seal, burnish); carpet extraction; day porter services. - Past performance: "Nightly custodial service, three-building office park, property management client, 2023 to present, 140,000 sq ft."
Landscaping, with no federal history yet. A company with no government contracts should not apologize or leave the section empty. Lead with the closest commercial or municipal work and say what it is: - "Weekly grounds maintenance, 22-acre homeowners association, 2022 to present: mowing, edging, seasonal color, leaf removal, snow response." - "Athletic field maintenance, private school campus, 2024 to present, 6 fields." - "Owner experience: 12 years supervising commercial grounds crews before founding the company." (Labeled as owner experience.)
A real example: F2M Consulting LLC, Alexandria, VA's own company data
Here is how F2M fills in section 5 for itself. Notice what is not on it: no certification F2M does not yet hold.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Legal name | F2M Consulting LLC |
| Location | Alexandria, VA |
| SAM.gov status | Registered and active |
| UEI | TLARQX92D444 |
| CAGE code | 25ZJ7 |
| Primary NAICS | 541611 (Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services) |
| Certifications | Only those held. None are listed until approved. |
Can I list a certification that is still pending?
No. List only certifications you hold on the day you send the statement. "Pending" does not mean certified. A contracting officer counts a business toward a set-aside only if its status is current, and a wrong claim can cause serious problems for a company. If you think a pending application matters to a buyer, a plain line such as "application submitted, pending review" is the most you should say, and many firms leave it off until approval. Self-certification for some programs has ended, so check the program's own rules on SBA.gov before listing anything.
How is a capability statement used in Virginia and DC?
Federal guides skip this, but it matters for trade businesses here. - eVA: Virginia's e-procurement portal. Supplier registration is free, and state agencies require it before they issue orders. When you register, you choose NIGP commodity codes (3-digit class and 5-digit item codes; codes starting with 9 are services); put the ones that match your trade on your statement so state buyers can connect the two. - SWaM status line: Virginia's small, women-owned, and minority-owned (SWaM) certification is run by SBSD at no charge. Show it only after SBSD approves it. - Northern Virginia localities: counties and cities buy landscaping, janitorial, and construction services directly. Some post through eVA and some keep their own vendor registration, so check each locality's procurement page and tailor the statement to its language. - Washington, DC: DC agencies have their own procurement system and local business certifications (CBE through DSLBD, which requires a DC principal office). Use the same six sections, adjusted to DC's terms.
Who reads a capability statement, and how do you get it to them?
- Contracting officers, often when reviewing responses to a sources sought notice.
- Agency small business offices (OSDBU / small business specialists), who help connect firms with buyers.
- Prime contractors, especially their small business liaison officers, who need subcontractors in specific trades. For many trade businesses, subcontracting is the most realistic first step.
- Matchmaking events. The Virginia APEX Accelerator, run by George Mason University, is a free resource that hosts events and reviews capability statements at no cost.
- Your SAM.gov profile. Keep the statement current wherever you post it.
If you're a prime contractor
Primes use capability statements to find small subcontractors and to support subcontracting plans. Ask subs for statements with SAM data, NAICS codes, and only current certifications, so your own reporting stays accurate.
What mistakes get a capability statement ignored?
- Vague services ("we do facility work") instead of specific scopes.
- Missing UEI, CAGE, or NAICS codes.
- Listing certifications that are pending or expired.
- One generic statement for every buyer instead of a tailored version.
- Running past two pages, or a file named "Document1.pdf." Use a name like "CapabilityStatement_CompanyName_2026.pdf."
How F2M helps
F2M Consulting LLC, Alexandria, VA provides contract management and bid strategy for trade businesses in Virginia, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia: landscaping, janitorial, construction, transportation, and restoration. We help owners get bid-ready, read solicitations, organize registrations and compliance documents (OSHA, licensing), and plan subcontracting with prime contractors, with your crew doing the work. English or Spanish. We help trade businesses turn real job history into a one-page capability statement that matches the language buyers use, with only the certifications you actually hold. See how GovCon Launch gets a new contractor's registrations and capability statement ready, or how our contract management and bid strategy for trade businesses works.
FAQ
How long should a capability statement be?
One page is the standard, and two pages is the maximum. Contracting officers and prime contractors scan many of them for each opportunity, so keep it to the six sections: overview, core competencies, past performance, differentiators, company data, and contact. Save detail for proposals.
Can I write a capability statement if my business has no government contracts?
Yes. Use commercial and municipal jobs that are similar in scope and size, with the customer, scope, dates, and a reference. You can also include the owner's or key staff's experience, as long as you label it as theirs and not the company's.
Should I list a certification that is still pending?
No. List only certifications you hold today. Pending does not mean certified, and buyers rely on what you state. At most, write “application submitted, pending review,” and confirm the program's rules on SBA.gov or with the state agency first.
Do prime contractors read capability statements?
Yes. Prime contractors use them to find qualified subcontractors in specific trades and locations. Send yours to a prime's small business liaison officer, tailored to the work that prime performs in your area.
Do I need a capability statement for Virginia state and local contracts?
It helps. State agencies and Northern Virginia localities use the same basic format. For Virginia buyers, add your eVA registration status and the NIGP commodity codes you selected in eVA, and show SWaM status only after it is approved.
Related terms
- SAM.gov registration
- CAGE code
- NAICS codes
- Sources sought notice
- Past performance
- eVA
Official sources
- SAM.gov entity registration: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration
- FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-16
- SBA size standards: https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/size-standards
- SBA contracting assistance programs: https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs
- eVA (Virginia): https://eva.virginia.gov
- Virginia SBSD SWaM certification: https://sbsd.virginia.gov/certification-division/swam/
- DC DSLBD certification: https://dslbd.dc.gov/getcertified
- Virginia APEX Accelerator (George Mason University): https://virginiaapex.org
Educational information only, from F2M Consulting LLC, Alexandria, VA, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with the official source. Last reviewed: Oct 19, 2026 by Franklin F. Montano, PMP, CEO and Founder, F2M Consulting LLC, Alexandria, VA.
About the author: Franklin F. Montano, PMP, CEO and Founder, F2M Consulting LLC, Alexandria, VA. Retired Army Officer, Former Pentagon Senior Program Manager (DoD), and disabled veteran. Bilingual in English and Spanish.