What is a capability statement?
A business capability statement is like your company’s resume. You use it to present your products and services in a professional manner. On the surface, putting one together is a simple task, since all the information you need should be available within your company. However, it’s a real challenge to get all the technical details on the page in a way that is both concise and visually striking. If you want to create a quality capability statement like that, you’ll likely need a team of professionals to work with you every step of the way.
Why do you need a capability statement?
The best part of owning a professional capability statement is that you will always have an enterprise-grade document on hand. Whether you have enquiries coming in, are meeting prospective clients, or are bidding for a new tender, a capability statement gives you a high level summary that puts your business in the best possible light. It might be impossible to capture every product and service you offer, but an effective design will entice prospects to contact you directly to learn more!
Win new clients
Highlight your track record, core competencies, qualifications, and other relevant information to help win contracts and attract prospective clients.
Get more tenders
When sudden requests for tender come up, you won’t be empty handed. A solid capability statement completely removes the stress from applications.
Promote your business
Showcase your major selling points and differences in a format that consumers trust. You’ll be able to professionally promote your business to get ahead of your competitors.
What does a capability statement look like?
A professional capability statement is typically a 1-2 page document in PDF format that’s easy to scan and visually appealing. Think of it as a polished, branded snapshot of your business – not a lengthy brochure.
Here’s what you’ll usually see:
Format and structure
- Clean, professional layout with your company branding (logo, colours, fonts)
- Clear sections with bold headings that guide the reader
- Bullet points rather than dense paragraphs
- White space to make it easy on the eyes
- High-quality images or photos (not generic stock imagery)
Typical sections included
- Company overview with your unique selling points
- Core capabilities or services you offer
- Key team members or management profiles
- Notable projects or case studies
- Certifications, accreditations, and compliance details
- Contact information
Visual style The best capability statements look polished and professional without being flashy. They use authentic photography of your team, projects, or facilities. The design should reflect your brand identity while remaining clean and scannable – after all, decision-makers often review these quickly during tender evaluations.
Most importantly, a good capability statement looks trustworthy and credible. It presents your business in a way that makes clients confident in your ability to deliver.
How to write a capability statement?
Start the writing process by following these simple steps:
1. Define your audience
Even though you are writing to showcase your strengths, the content and presentation must still be relevant to your target audience. What do they want from you? What can you offer them? Build on these thoughts as you plan things out.
2. Create your capability statement template
Prepare information for the following sections:
- Company overview
- Core capabilities (services)
- Team overview or overview of someone from the management team
- Projects/past jobs
- Any relevant certifications
- Contact information
3. Use relevant visuals to stand out professionally
A capability statement carries your business’s identity, so make sure it looks presentable to potential customers. Use authentic photography and images where possible to distinguish yourself as the genuine article.
4. Create a shareable PDF copy of your capability statement
Capability statements need to be readily accessible at any time if you want to reach your full audience. PDFs are legible on most devices, so it’s important that you convert text documents into this format before distributing.
What are the tips for writing a capability statement?
When writing your capability statement, keep the following in mind:
Quality over quantity
It doesn’t matter whether you have tens or hundreds of accomplishments – you don’t need to include them all in your capability statement. Just highlight what is most relevant or remarkable.
No long paragraphs
A capability statement should be easy to read or scan through. Avoid writing long, overwhelming sections of text; use bullet points and headlines to present ideas succinctly.
Be presentable
While the main purpose of your capability statement is to explain what your company does, you should also focus on how good the document looks! An experienced Graphic Designer can advise you on how to integrate your branding into a sleek and professional visual style.
Examples of successful capability statements
Want to see examples of how to pull off this balance between concise content and visual flair? Check out these awesome capability statement examples in our gallery, all proven to have been super effective!
Capability statement template
If your company keeps its information filed and protected safely, pulling the data together to write a capability statement should be a piece of cake. You can get started on creating your own with this free template for a capability statement from us (we’ll even throw in a free 30-minute consultation for when you want to take things to the next level!).
