Who reads it and what they are deciding
The reader is usually deciding whether you are worth inviting to price, adding to a supplier list or shortlisting for a package. They want to know, quickly, what work you do, at what scale, with what resources, and whether you are a safe choice. They may be an engineer, a contracts administrator, a procurement officer or a project manager, so write for a capable reader who does not know your business.
A capability statement supports that decision. It does not replace prequalification, compliance with a tender’s requirements, a competitive price or the buyer’s evaluation criteria.
The checklist
1. Company overview
- A one-line descriptor that says what you do and where
- Years operating, ownership and structure, stated accurately
- The regions you work in and any depots or yards
2. Services and work packages
- The packages you deliver, for example earthworks, drainage, roadworks or utilities, in the terms buyers use
- Whether you work as a head contractor, subcontractor or both
- The typical scale of work you take on
3. Project experience
- A short sheet for each relevant project: client type, location, your package and role, scale, period, key constraints and what you delivered
- Only client names, values and photographs you have permission to publish
- A referee contact where the client has agreed
4. Plant and equipment
- Owned plant by category and size, separate from hired-in plant
- Specialist equipment relevant to the work you want
5. People and capacity
- Key personnel with role and relevant experience
- Workforce numbers by category, and how you scale for larger jobs
6. Systems and credentials
- Safety, quality and environmental management systems, with any third-party certification you actually hold
- Prequalification categories and supplier registrations that are current, with the scheme named
- Licences and insurances relevant to the work
- Expiry dates kept in an internal register, so the document is never out of date
7. Local and community outcomes
- Local employment, training, apprenticeships or Indigenous participation, only where you can document it
8. Contact and next step
- A named person for tenders and estimating, with direct contact details
- A link to your website and a current digital version of the statement
Annotated sample layout
This is a template for how the information is usually organised, drawn as a cover and an inside spread. It is not a client document and the labels are placeholders.
[Civil works descriptor, e.g. earthworks and drainage subcontractor]
Who we are
Work packages
Project sheet
Plant and people
Systems and credentials
Contact
- Cover: one-line descriptor, region and a photograph you own. The reader should know what you do before opening it.
- Who we are: three or four sentences, with ownership, years operating and structure stated accurately.
- Work packages in the buyer’s terms, and whether you deliver as head contractor, subcontractor or both.
- One project sheet per relevant project, in the same order every time, with only what you may publish.
- Plant and people: owned plant by category, key personnel, workforce numbers and how you scale.
- Systems and credentials with the scheme named and expiry dates tracked internally.
- A named person for tenders and estimating, direct contact details and the website.
Illustrative example: one project sheet
This is a made-up example to show the structure. It is not ORYX client work.
| Project | Industrial subdivision, stage 2 (fictional) |
|---|---|
| Client type | Private developer, via a head contractor |
| Our role | Earthworks and stormwater subcontractor |
| Scope | Bulk earthworks, lot regrading, stormwater pipework and pits |
| Constraints managed | Wet-season programme, live access road, adjoining residents |
| Evidence available | Photographs, referee from the head contractor, completion date |
Blank capability content brief
Use this to gather the content before anyone designs a page. Print it, or download the text version, and fill it in with the people who hold the facts. Nothing is submitted to ORYX. It is a template, not ORYX client work.
Capability content brief: civil contractor
Prepared by [name] on [date]. Facts checked by [name and role].
1. Company overview
| One-line descriptor | [what you do and where, in one sentence] |
|---|---|
| Years operating and structure | [e.g. established year, ownership, entity type] |
| Regions and depots | [regions worked, yards or depots] |
| Role | [head contractor, subcontractor or both] |
2. Work packages
| Work package | Typical scale | Buyers for this package |
|---|---|---|
| [work package] | [quantities, duration or crew size] | [council, agency, head contractor, developer] |
| [work package] | [scale] | [buyers] |
| [work package] | [scale] | [buyers] |
3. Project sheets (one block per project)
| Project and location | [project name or description] · [location] |
|---|---|
| Client type and our role | [client type] · [head contractor / subcontractor / JV] |
| Scope delivered | [the package in the buyer’s terms] |
| Scale and period | [quantities, duration, crew size] · [start and completion] |
| Constraints managed | [traffic, weather, live services, neighbours, programme] |
| Evidence source | [photographs, completion certificate, referee, drawings] |
| Publication permission | [who gave permission, on what date, any limits] |
4. Plant and equipment
| Category | Owned | Hired in when needed |
|---|---|---|
| [category and size] | [number] | [yes / no] |
| [category and size] | [number] | [yes / no] |
5. People and capacity
| Key personnel | [name, role, relevant experience] |
|---|---|
| Workforce by category | [supervisors, operators, labourers, office] |
| How we scale for larger jobs | [labour hire, subcontract partners, additional plant] |
6. Systems and credentials
| Item | Scheme or certifier | Current certification and expiry | Evidence source |
|---|---|---|---|
| [safety management system] | [scheme] | [certificate number and expiry] | [certificate on file] |
| [quality management system] | [scheme] | [expiry] | [source] |
| [environmental management system] | [scheme] | [expiry] | [source] |
| [prequalification or supplier register] | [scheme and category] | [expiry] | [source] |
| [licence or insurance] | [issuer] | [expiry] | [source] |
7. Local and community outcomes
[local employment, training, apprenticeships, Indigenous participation, each with the record that supports it]
8. Contact and approval
| Tender and estimating contact | [name, role, direct phone, email] |
|---|---|
| Website and digital version | [URL] · [where the current PDF lives] |
| Content approver | [name and role] |
| Next review date | [date] |
When the brief is full, the writing and design can start. ORYX writes and designs capability statements from exactly this material, or you can use it with your own designer.
Common mistakes
- Listing everything. A long list of every job ever done hides the relevant ones. Select projects for the work you want.
- Vague claims. “Quality, safety and reliability” says nothing a competitor cannot say. Show the system, the credential or the project instead.
- Out-of-date credentials. An expired certificate or a superseded prequalification undermines trust in everything else.
- A different business online. If the website shows different services, projects or people, the reader notices.
- No owner. Nominate someone to update it after each significant project or credential change.
How long should it be?
Long enough to prove capability and short enough to be read. A full statement can run to a number of pages, with a one or two page summary cut from the same content for introductions and meetings. Where a buyer sets a format or page limit, follow it.
Capability statement or tender response?
A capability statement introduces your business. A tender response answers a specific opportunity’s requirements. Use the capability statement as supporting material and a source of approved content, not as a substitute for answering the questions asked.
Primary sources
Prequalification and supplier registration rules change, so check the current scheme documents before relying on anything here:
- Austroads: National Prequalification System for civil road and bridge construction, applied by each state road agency.
- Queensland Transport and Main Roads: TIPDS Volume 3, Prequalification System.
- Business Queensland: the Prequalification (PQC) System for government building work, with the criteria for building contractors.
Councils and head contractors run their own supplier registers and panels. Their published criteria, not a capability statement, decide eligibility.
Getting help
ORYX writes and designs capability statements for civil, construction, engineering and manufacturing companies, styled to match your website. See our work for civil contractors, read how to win tenders without being the cheapest, or book a call with our team.
Common questions
Does a capability statement help with prequalification?
It can present your current prequalifications clearly, but it does not replace them. Prequalification schemes and supplier registers have their own application and assessment processes.
Should we include project values?
Only where you are allowed to publish them and they help the reader judge scale. Otherwise describe scale in other terms, such as quantities, duration or crew size.
How often should we update it?
After each significant project, and whenever a credential, insurance or key person changes. Keep a register of expiry dates so nothing goes out of date.
Can one capability statement serve a group of companies?
Yes. A group capability statement can cover the parent and each related company, with a section and contact for each.