OpenBid Learn · Skills course
Stable · checked October 2026Writing a Capability Statement
Eight short lessons on the one page a government buyer asks for first. You learn what goes on it, how to say what you do in the buyer's words, how to show a record when you have no government work yet, and where to put it so buyers find you.
Who it is for
This course is for a small business or nonprofit that is registered or getting registered, and now needs the one-page summary that contracting officers, small business offices and prime contractors ask for.
After it, you will be able to
- Say what a capability statement is, who reads it, and what they are looking for.
- Lay out the four parts buyers expect: what you do, your record, why you, and your company facts.
- Describe your work in the words and the codes a government buyer searches by.
- Show a record of past work, even when none of it was for the government.
- Write differentiators that are specific and that you can prove.
- Fill in your profile on the SBA Small Business Search, and know when to send your statement.
Lessons
8 short lessonsRead them in order, and tick each one off. The first is free.
Words to know
24 termsThe words you meet on bids, in plain English, with a box to find one fast.
Help
Sabrina insideOur AI assistant answers your questions on every lesson.
To keep
Course notesEvery lesson and every word on one page, to print or save as a PDF.
Watch out
This is teaching, not legal advice.
- Go by what the buyer asks for. An agency or a prime contractor may want something different from what is taught here. Follow their instructions.
- Every notice has its own terms. Read the official notice. The contracting officer decides.
- Nobody can promise a win. OpenBid cannot guarantee results.
Rules as of October 2026. Rules change. The government's own instructions are what count.
No refunds once a course is opened.
A course counts as opened as soon as you open any lesson in it after paying. If you paid and have not opened it yet, contact us and we will refund it. See the terms.
Lesson 1 · Free
What a capability statement is, and who reads it
About 6 minutes
- A capability statement is a short summary of your business written for government buyers. Think of it as a resume for your company.
- It is usually one page. It says what you do, shows that you have done it before, says why a buyer should pick you, and gives the facts a buyer needs to look you up.
- SBA's own training calls it the most important marketing piece you will create for your business.
- Three kinds of people read it. Contracting officers, who sign contracts. Small business specialists, whose job is to find small firms for their agency. And prime contractors, the large companies that hire subcontractors.
- They read it fast. A buyer may give your page less than a minute, so the first lines have to say what you do.
- You will be asked for it often: when you answer a market research notice, when you meet a small business office, when you approach a prime, and at outreach events.
- It is not a government form. No rule sets how it must look, and no agency approves it.
- It is not a bid. It does not win a contract by itself. It gets you remembered, searched for and invited.
Watch out
- Everything on it must be true. A buyer can check your registration, your certifications and your past work.
- Nobody can promise that a good capability statement leads to a contract. It opens doors, and the bid still has to win.
What is in the rest of the course
7 more lessons
- Lesson 2: The four parts buyers expect
- Lesson 3: Core competencies: say what you do in the buyer's words
- Lesson 4: Past performance: your record, even with no government work
- Lesson 5: Differentiators: why you
- Lesson 6: Company data: the facts a buyer looks up
- Lesson 7: One page, easy to read, made for each buyer
- Lesson 8: Putting it to work
- Words to know. 24 government terms in plain English.
- Sabrina, our AI assistant, to answer your questions as you go.
- Course notes to print or save as a PDF.
The government's own pages
- SBA Small Business Search (opens in a new tab)The SBA site where federal buyers look for small businesses. Your profile here is where your capability narrative and keywords go.
- SAM.gov (opens in a new tab)Where you register, and where your Unique Entity ID, CAGE code and NAICS codes come from.
- SBA contracting guide: basic requirements (opens in a new tab)Plain-language steps from the Small Business Administration on what you need before you can bid.
- SBA size standards tool (opens in a new tab)Look up the size limit for a NAICS code to see whether your business counts as small.
- MySBA Certifications (opens in a new tab)Where SBA certifications are applied for and shown. List only the ones you actually hold.