Capability statement template for Queensland builders and trades

Capability statement template: ten sections, in order

A capability statement template for a construction or trade business has ten short sections: cover, company overview, core services, capabilities and equipment, key projects, licences and accreditations, insurances, safety and quality systems, key people and contact details. Put them in that order across one or two pages and save it as a PDF.

Business Queensland likens a capability statement to a resume for your business, and says to keep it short, with bullet points and tables. This guide is the layout. For what one is and who asks for it, read what a capability statement is.

The example lines below are for a made-up business, Example Civil and Concrete Pty Ltd. They show the style and nothing more. Swap in your own facts, and only write what you can prove.

Page one: cover, overview, services and equipment

• Cover. Your logo, business name, one line on what you do and where, one good photo and the date you last updated it. Example (made-up): Example Civil and Concrete Pty Ltd. Concrete, drainage and civil works for builders and councils in Brisbane and Moreton Bay. Updated October 2026.
• Company overview. Who you are, how long you’ve traded, team size, where you work and who for. Add your ABN, and your ACN if you’re a company. Example (made-up): A family business trading since 2012, with a team of 14. We work for builders, councils and developers between Ipswich and Caboolture.
• Core services. What you do, in the words a buyer would use for the job. Four to six lines is plenty. Example (made-up): Driveways, footpaths and slabs. Stormwater drainage. Kerb and channel. Small civil works for councils.
• Capabilities, plant and equipment. The size of job you can take on, how many crews you run and the plant you own. Leave out anything that doesn’t help win the work. Example (made-up): Jobs from small repairs to multi-lot developments. Two concrete crews. Own excavator, tipper trucks and concrete pump.

Page two: the proof a buyer checks

This page is where a head contractor or council officer decides if you’re safe to hire. Keep every line checkable.

• Key projects. Three to five jobs close to the work you want: what you did, where, when and for whom, with a photo. Ask before you name a client, and leave out private homeowners’ details. A shot from the air shows the size of a big site, and we do drone photography for finished jobs. Example (made-up): Driveways and stormwater connections for a 40-lot townhouse development, Moreton Bay, 2025. Head contractor named with their permission.
• Licences and accreditations. Your QBCC licence number and the name you’re licensed under, plus any trade licences, memberships and ISO certificates you hold. The QBCC says advertising must show your licence name and number, and lists brochures and flyers as advertising, so we’d treat a capability statement the same way. Example (made-up): QBCC licence number 00000000, licensed as Example Civil and Concrete Pty Ltd, trading as Example Concrete. ABN 00 000 000 000.
• Insurances. List each cover with the insurer and expiry date, and keep current certificates ready. Workers’ compensation is compulsory in Queensland if you employ workers, and head contractors and councils will usually ask for public liability cover too. Some work needs extra cover, like home warranty insurance. Example (made-up): Public liability (insurer’s name), expires 30 June 2027. Workers’ compensation policy with WorkCover Queensland, current.
• Safety and quality systems. What you actually do on site, in plain words. WorkSafe Queensland’s guidance says a safe work method statement has to be prepared before high risk construction work starts, and Business Queensland says the white card is for building and construction workers. List an ISO certificate only if you hold one. If your paperwork is thin, our safety documents work can fill the gaps. Example (made-up): Safe work method statements for every high risk task. White cards for every worker. Site inductions on every new site. Toolbox talks each week.
• Key people. Three to five people: name, role, years in the trade, tickets and qualifications, with a small photo. Example (made-up): Sam Example, Director. 20 years in concrete and civil work. White card and supervisor tickets.
• Contact. One named person, a mobile, an email on your own domain, your website and your address. Example (made-up): Sam Example, 04XX XXX XXX, info@example.com, Brisbane.

Format, length and tenders

Save it as a PDF, keep it to one or two pages, and keep the editable file as well. Keep one master copy and trim a version for each tender, with the projects and details that buyer asks about up front. Some tenders give you their own form, and for Queensland Government building projects over $1 million, contractors directly engaged by government need to be prequalified through the state’s PQC system.

Our guide to what a capability statement is covers who asks for one, design and format, and the common mistakes in more detail.

Questions people ask

What should a capability statement for a construction company include?

The ten sections above. For construction work, the ones that matter most are your licence, insurances, safety systems, recent projects and key people, so make those easy to find.

Can I make my own in Word or Canva?

Yes. Business Queensland says free or low-cost design tools are fine. Use real text, your own photos and export a PDF. If you tender often, get it designed once.

Do I need a different capability statement for every tender?

Not a new one from scratch. Keep a master copy and trim a version for each buyer, with the projects, licences and safety details they care about at the front.

If you’d like yours laid out properly and kept up to date, we design capability statements for trade and construction businesses across South East Queensland. Have a look at our capability statement service, and we can photograph your finished jobs for it too.