Guide · Updated July 2026
Capability statement examples: three worked versions
Real structures for a trade business, an ICT consultancy and a cleaning contractor — plus the weak wording each one replaced.
The fastest way to improve a capability statement is to see the difference between a weak version and a strong one side by side. Below are three worked examples across different industries, each showing the wording most businesses actually write and the wording that gets shortlisted.
All three follow the six section structure set out in our capability statement template. The businesses are fictional; the patterns are not.
Example 1: Plumbing SME chasing education and health work
Meridian Hydraulic Services — 11 staff, Sydney metro and Illawarra, targeting school and hospital hydraulic maintenance.
Company snapshot
Meridian Hydraulic Services Pty Ltd · Trading as Meridian Hydraulic · ABN 12 345 678 901, GST registered · Established 2014 · 11 employees across 3 crews · Sydney metropolitan and Illawarra, with regional NSW mobilisation on request · NSW Fair Trading plumbing and drainage licence 123456C
Core capabilities
- Hydraulic services maintenance — planned and reactive maintenance across education and health building portfolios
- Backflow prevention and TMV servicing — testing, certification and compliance reporting; 4 accredited technicians
- Amenities refurbishment — bathroom and toilet block strip-out and rebuild, delivered within holiday access windows
- Sewer and stormwater relining — CCTV inspection, cut and patch, full length lining
Weak vs strong wording
| What most businesses write | What gets shortlisted |
|---|---|
| We have many years of experience working on school projects across Sydney. | Delivered 27 school hydraulic projects since 2019 across the Sydney South, Sydney West and Illawarra education regions. |
| We are known for our fast response times and reliability. | Average attendance 3.2 hours against a 4 hour contractual SLA across 340 reactive callouts in 2025. |
| Our team is fully qualified and experienced. | 11 tradespeople including 2 licensed supervisors; 4 hold current backflow and TMV accreditation. |
| We take safety seriously. | ISO 45001 certified since 2021. Zero lost time injuries across 41,000 worked hours. |
Past performance
- Amenities refurbishment program — 9 primary schools, Sydney South region, Jul 2025, $840k. All 9 sites handed over within the 3 week July holiday window; no term-start delays.
- Backflow compliance contract — local council, 140 devices, 2024–2026 ongoing. 100% of annual compliance certificates submitted before due date.
- Hospital hydraulic upgrade — regional health facility, 2024, $310k. Delivered in 6 staged night works packages with no disruption to ward operations.
Notice that each entry names the constraint that mattered — holiday windows, compliance deadlines, live ward operations. That is what tells a buyer you understand their environment. For more on what NSW buyers specifically look for, see NSW plumbing tenders.
Example 2: ICT consultancy chasing Commonwealth work
Ardent Digital — 24 staff, Canberra based, targeting Commonwealth application development and cloud migration.
Company snapshot
Ardent Digital Pty Ltd · ABN 98 765 432 109, GST registered · Established 2017 · 24 employees, 18 security cleared · Canberra based, delivering nationally · ISO 27001 certified · Panel member on relevant Commonwealth digital and ICT arrangements
Weak vs strong wording
| What most businesses write | What gets shortlisted |
|---|---|
| We provide innovative digital transformation solutions. | Legacy application modernisation and cloud migration for Commonwealth agencies, with 6 completed migrations to accredited cloud environments. |
| Our staff hold security clearances. | 18 of 24 staff hold current clearances: 11 Baseline, 5 NV1, 2 NV2. All Australian citizens. |
| We follow best practice security standards. | ISO 27001 certified. IRAP assessed hosting environment. Essential Eight maturity level 2 attested. |
| We deliver projects on time and on budget. | 11 of 12 engagements since 2022 delivered within approved schedule and budget; the exception was rescoped at agency request. |
Differentiators that work here
- Cleared workforce depth — 18 cleared staff is a genuine barrier to entry, since sponsoring clearances takes many months
- Panel membership on the arrangements the agency actually buys through
- IRAP assessed environment, which removes an assurance step for the buyer
In Canberra the cleared workforce claim is the differentiator that most reliably narrows the field — our ACT IT and ICT tenders guide explains why panels and clearances dominate that market, and you can see current listings on the IT and ICT tender feed.
Example 3: Cleaning contractor chasing council and school contracts
Clearview Facility Services — 60 staff, southeast Queensland, targeting council building portfolios and school cleaning.
Company snapshot
Clearview Facility Services Pty Ltd · ABN 45 678 901 234, GST registered · Established 2011 · 60 employees, 78% permanent part time · Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich and Moreton Bay · All staff hold current Blue Cards
Weak vs strong wording
| What most businesses write | What gets shortlisted |
|---|---|
| We offer competitive rates and quality cleaning services. | Priced to a fully compliant Cleaning Services Award 2020 labour model, with classification and penalty rate breakdown available on request. |
| Our staff are trustworthy and well trained. | 60 staff, 78% permanent part time rather than casual. All hold current Blue Cards. Average tenure 3.4 years. |
| We provide good supervision. | 1 supervisor per 12 cleaners, with fortnightly documented site audits and quarterly client reporting. |
| We have experience with council contracts. | Currently servicing 34 council sites across 3 local government areas, including 2 aquatic centres and 6 libraries. |
Why the labour compliance framing matters
Cleaning is the sector where the lowest price frequently signals non-compliance with award obligations, and government buyers increasingly know it. Leading with a transparent, compliant labour model turns what feels like a pricing disadvantage into a credibility advantage. Our Queensland cleaning tenders guide covers this in detail, and the same dynamic is even stronger in Victoria.
Staff retention statistics are also unusually persuasive in cleaning, because buyers have generally experienced the service failures that high turnover produces.
The pattern across all three
Different industries, same underlying moves:
- Every claim carries a number
- Past performance names the constraint that mattered, not just the scope
- Differentiators are things competitors genuinely cannot write
- Compliance detail is specific — licence numbers, insurance limits, certification dates
- Language mirrors the buyer's terminology
Apply those five to your own document using the writing process guide, then verify it with the checklist. When it is ready, find live opportunities on our tender feeds.
Frequently asked questions
Can I copy these capability statement examples directly?
Use the structure and the wording patterns, but not the content — the numbers must be yours and verifiable. A statement containing claims you cannot substantiate is worse than a modest one, because buyers do check past performance with referees.
What if my numbers are small compared to these examples?
Small numbers stated precisely beat large numbers stated vaguely. "4 council contracts across 2 local government areas" is credible and useful. Buyers assessing smaller contracts are not expecting enterprise scale, they are looking for evidence you can deliver reliably at the size in question.
Should I include a photo or logos of past clients?
A project photo can help, particularly for trades where the work is visual. Client logos should only be used with permission, and some government agencies specifically prohibit using their branding to imply endorsement. Naming the client in text is safer and equally effective.
How do these examples differ from a tender response?
These are general credibility documents in a format you control. A tender response must answer specific published evaluation criteria in the buyer's mandated structure — see our tender response template. The capability statement supports the response; it does not replace it.
Which section do buyers actually read first?
In practice, the snapshot to confirm eligibility, then past performance to assess risk. Capabilities and differentiators are read by evaluators who have already decided you are worth considering. That is why the template puts verifiable facts near the top and why padding the capabilities section rarely helps.