---
title: "Capability statements that get you on the team"
canonical: "https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/capability-statements"
lastReviewed: "2026-11-08"
markdown_url: "https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/capability-statements.md"
topic: "Capture & proposals"
summary: "What contracting officers and primes look for in a one-page capability statement, the identifiers and credentials to include, how to tailor it for an agency, a prime or a sources sought response, and the mistakes that get it ignored."
---
# Capability statements that get you on the team

> What contracting officers and primes look for in a one-page capability statement, the identifiers and credentials to include, how to tailor it for an agency, a prime or a sources sought response, and the mistakes that get it ignored.

- Topic: Capture & proposals
- Last reviewed: 2026-11-08
- Canonical URL: https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/capability-statements

A **capability statement** is a one- or two-page summary of what your company does, the proof that you do it well and the facts a buyer needs to work with you. Contracting officers and small business specialists use capability statements in **market research** (FAR Part 10), including to decide whether enough capable small businesses exist to set a requirement aside. Primes use them to decide whom to call when they need a partner. In both cases a reader decides in under a minute whether to keep reading.

## What to put on the page

| Section | What to include |
| --- | --- |
| Header | Legal business name as registered in SAM.gov, logo, a point of contact who answers, phone, email and website |
| Core competencies | Three to six capabilities, in the customer's language, specific enough to be tested |
| Past performance | Three to five relevant contracts or customers, with scope, your role and a measurable result |
| Differentiators | What you do better or differently, with evidence: a method, a tool, a certification, a metric |
| Company data | UEI, CAGE code, primary NAICS and product or service codes, socioeconomic statuses, contract vehicles held (and your role on each) |
| Credentials | CMMC status exactly as SPRS shows it (level, Final or Conditional, assessment type), ISO 9001 or AS9100 and other certifications relevant to the work |

Two items need care:

- **Security posture.** State your CMMC status precisely; overstating it creates legal exposure (see [Final vs. Conditional status](https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/cmmc-final-vs-conditional-status)). You do not need to publish an exact SPRS score to show readiness; a statement that your NIST SP 800-171 assessment is current in SPRS often answers the question (see [blind SPRS brackets](https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/blind-sprs-brackets)).
- **Facility clearances.** Before you mention a facility clearance, check with your facility security officer: DCSA guidance restricts using an FCL for advertising or promotional purposes.

Never include CUI, export-controlled technical data or customer information you are not authorized to share. See [CUI and Zero-CUI practices](https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/cui-and-zero-cui-practices).

## Tailor it to the reader

A single generic statement serves no one well. Keep a master version and tailor it for each audience:

- **For a contracting officer or small business specialist**: lead with the capabilities that match the requirement, your size and socioeconomic status under the requirement's NAICS code, and relevant federal past performance. If you are answering a sources sought notice, answer its questions in its order first, then attach the statement.
- **For a prime**: lead with the gap you fill. Primes look for specific capabilities, a CMMC level or clearance they need, small business status that helps them on a set-aside or with subcontracting goals, presence in a location, and a vehicle you hold. State the role you want (subcontractor, joint venture partner) and the workshare you can carry.
- **For an agency customer you are courting**: lead with outcomes you have delivered for similar missions and the vehicles they can use to buy from you.

> **Tip:** Write each core competency so a reader could check it. "Cybersecurity services" tells them nothing; "Continuous monitoring and incident response for DoD networks, NIST SP 800-171 implementation for 40-person engineering firms" tells them whether to call.

## Make it easy to scan

- One page for most uses; two only if the second page carries real proof
- Short phrases and bullets rather than paragraphs, with the most important facts at the top
- Body text large enough to read when printed, and enough white space for the eye to move
- A PDF file named with your company name and the audience or date, under a few megabytes so it passes email filters
- Contact details that reach someone who can answer a capability question the same day

## Capability statement checklist

- [ ] Legal name, UEI and CAGE code match SAM.gov exactly
- [ ] NAICS codes and socioeconomic statuses match your SAM.gov representations
- [ ] Each core competency is specific and matches the reader's requirement
- [ ] Every past performance entry has scope, role and a measurable result
- [ ] Certifications and CMMC status are current, with nothing overstated
- [ ] Vehicles list your role on each: prime, subcontractor or joint venture partner
- [ ] No CUI, export-controlled data or unauthorized customer information
- [ ] A named contact who will answer

## Common pitfalls

- **Generic claims.** "Innovative, agile, best-in-class" without proof is skipped.
- **Mismatched identifiers.** A name, UEI or NAICS code that does not match SAM.gov makes a reader doubt the rest.
- **Out-of-date credentials.** An expired certification or a stale CMMC status undermines trust quickly.
- **Listing every NAICS code you have.** Lead with the codes that matter for this reader.
- **Burying the contact.** If a prime cannot reach you in a day, it moves to the next statement.

## How TeamingIndex helps

- Your TeamingIndex profile works as a living capability statement: SAM.gov identifiers, award history from USAspending.gov, vehicles and compliance credentials, each with its source and as-of date. [Claim your profile](https://teamingindex.com/claim) to control it.
- Edit capabilities, differentiators and what you are open to in [your profile](https://teamingindex.com/dashboard/profile); every public profile also has a machine-readable capability.md twin that AI agents and search engines can read.
- Draft a sharper capability narrative from your verified profile data with the [AI analyst](https://teamingindex.com/intel/new?kind=capability_narrative), then tailor it per audience.
- Check that your SAM.gov record is right first: see [SAM.gov registration and your UEI](https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/sam-registration-and-uei).

## Official sources

- [FAR Part 10: Market Research](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-10)
- [SAM.gov: entity registration (UEI, CAGE and representations)](https://sam.gov/)
- [SBA: Size standards](https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/size-standards)
- [USAspending.gov: award records](https://www.usaspending.gov/)

Not legal advice. TeamingIndex guides are general information to help you plan, not legal advice. Regulations, clauses and program rules change and solicitations can tailor them: always work from the current regulation and the clauses in your solicitation, and confirm decisions with your contracting officer or counsel.