OPEN DOORS TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS

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1 GET CAPABILITIES STATEMENT READY TO PREPARE Your Capability Statement agency. Company Data. Core Competencies >> Include the following information: Logo Contact information, including: name, phone, Here s the place to include your very short elevator pitch. This will be a brief statement about your company s Some Tips: Use short sentences. No paragraphs! Customize each capability statement for each agency, prime or teaming opportunity. Align your company s strengths and capabilities Try to use one side of the page. Save as a PDF. Short 30 word description of your company. Include your website here. DUNS Comparable Experience List recent customers for whom you have done similar work. (Do not include irrelevant work) private clients. Make sure to prioritize your work: federal, state, city, private. immediate references, including name, title, and phone. NAICS include all relevant NAICS codes GSA Schedule Contract Numbers State Contract Numbers - 8 (a), HUB Zone, SDVOB, others. CUNYBIZ.COM OPEN DOORS TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS 1

2 How should you present your company at an informal setting such as a Business Meet-Up? A well-designed, information-filled Capability Statement is an excellent tool for you to use to present your company at the 2018 CUNY & CUCF MWBE/SDVOB Contract Opportunities Conference. How Do You Craft an Effective Capability Statement? Capability Statements should be clear and concise while including the following information: YOU COMPANY S NAME, LOGO AND TAGLINE AND YOUR FULL CONTACT INFORMATION What is a Capability Statement? INCLUDE YOUR NAME, POSITION, ADDRESS, YOUR PHYSICAL ADDRESS AND ALL TELEPHONE NUMBERS Capability Statements are an important way to present your company to procurement professionals and buyers before and after the initial pitch. Procurement professionals meet hundreds of prospective contractors, subcontractors and suppliers at each event. A strong Capability Statement will serve as a reminder of you and your business, as well as showcase why your firm is the right fit for a project. It enables your business to continue to stand out from the crowd after an event has ended. NEW YORK STATE MWBE OR SDVOB CERTIFICATIONS, ANY ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS, LICENCES AND ACCREDITATIONS YOUR COMPANY POSSESSES A CONCISE LIST OF COMMODITIES AND SERVICES OFFERED AND COMPARABLE EXPERIENCE A SAMPLING OF COMPARABLE PROJECTS AND CLIENTS THAT MATCH CUNY & CUCF S INTEREST INCLUDE YOUR NAICS CODES A BRIEF LIST OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES, SUCH AS SKILLS, TALENT, LOCATION, BONDING CAPACITY, ETC.

3 How Do You Customize Your Capability Statement? What information to include? CORE COMPETENCIES Customizing your Capability Statement is critical to your firm s success. They should be customized for CUNY & CUCF and align your company s strength, experience and competitive advantages to each specific opportunity. As you research your prospects (your buyers), look at the work they are doing and examine your own experience and skills and mirror your Capability Statement to fit the needs of your prospect. PAST PERFORMANCE DIFFERENTIATORS COMPANY DATA COMPARABLE EXPERIENCE SPECIFIC PERTINENT CODES Why Would CUNY & CUCF Contract With Your Firm? Consider why CUNY & CUCF would want to contract with your firm, and then make some notes using the following key capability factors that define your company as you develop the content for your Capability Statement. If some factors or performance areas shine for your company, be sure to highlight them. REPUTATION EXPERTISE EXPERIENCE BONDING AND INSURANCE FINANCIAL STRENGTH YOUR COMPETITIVE DIFFERENTIATORS SAFETY RECORD OPEN DOORS TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS 3

4 Creating Your CAPABILITY STATEMENT CAPABILITIES >> STATEMENT Core Competencies Include the following information: Logo Contact information, including: name, phone, Here s the place to include your very short elevator pitch. This will be a brief statement about your company s Some Tips: Comparable Experience Use short sentences. No paragraphs! Customize each capability statement for each agency, prime or teaming opportunity. Align your company s strengths and capabilities Try to use one side of the page. Save as a PDF. List recent customers for whom you have done similar work. (Do not include irrelevant work) private clients. Make sure to prioritize your work: federal, state, city, private. immediate references, including name, title, and phone. agency. Company Data. Short 30 word description of your company. Include your website here. DUNS NAICS include all relevant NAICS codes GSA Schedule Contract Numbers State Contract Numbers - 8 (a), HUB Zone, SDVOB, others. Let s Examine the Individual Parts Of Your Capability Statement. >> Download Template Here MWBE SDVOB CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES CONFERENCE

5 BASIC CORPORATE INFORMATION The first part of your Capability Statement should include the following information: Your company name, logo, tagline (if you have one) and your certifications Your contact information, including the best number to reach you. If you have more than one office location, be sure to include that. If you have a photo, you may include that. Or better yet, a photo of you on a job site is yet another effective way to send a message about your company. INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR COMPANY The next section of the Capability Statement should include in the briefest way possible, information about your company, what your firm offers, what state-wide contracts your firm has been awarded, your top projects and your best clients. Bulleted lists are the best way to present this information. OPEN DOORS TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS 5

6 INFORMATION FOR IDENTIFYING HOW A BUYER CAN FIND YOU Especially in government procurement, businesses are organized by their certifications. This is the place on your Capability Statement to include your EIN and your certifications (and include your certification numbers if you have them). HOW SHOULD YOU LIST YOUR COMPANY DESIGNATIONS? Procurement professionals in the public sector will suggest that you identify specific codes that represents what your company does. CUNY & CUCF use NAICS Codes, which will require you research the codes that represent your company. You can do this by checking out several websites that will help you navigate codes. Here are some helpful links to enable you to navigate codes as well as code crossovers. Now list the information you need in the section of your Capability Statement allocated to this data: >> >> >> >> Be sure that your certification profile on the New York State Contract Reporter System includes the right codes for what you do. If you have added skills and capabilities and want to have additional codes added, you will need to update your profile by requesting this update and providing sample contracts that demonstrate you now can perform additional services. If you are an SDVOB, be sure your codes on the OGS SDVOB directory are correct. This is a process, but well worth the time and energy spent when it can open the door to a new contract opportunity MWBE SDVOB CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES CONFERENCE

7 HOW CAN YOU DIFFERENTIATE YOUR COMPANY FROM YOUR COMPETITORS? THINK LIKE A BUYER! What information and data would distinguish your firm from your competition? If you have room, be sure to add this information efficiently and briefly. Your competitive differentiators are likely the reasons why a buyer will want to speak with you, or at least schedule a second meeting to learn more about your firm.? Some additional TIPS CAPABILITIES STATEMENT Core Competencies >> Include the following information: Logo Contact information, including: name, phone, Here s the place to include your very short elevator pitch. This will be a brief statement about your company s Some Tips: Use short sentences. No paragraphs! Customize each capability statement for each agency, prime or teaming opportunity. Align your company s strengths and capabilities Try to use one side of the page. Save as a PDF. agency. Company Data. Short 30 word description of your company. Include your website here. Comparable Experience List recent customers for whom you have done similar work. (Do not include irrelevant work) private clients. Make sure to prioritize your work: federal, state, city, private. immediate references, including name, title, and phone. DUNS NAICS include all relevant NAICS codes GSA Schedule Contract Numbers State Contract Numbers - 8 (a), HUB Zone, SDVOB, others. Should You Customize Capability Statements for Different Market Sectors? Yes, it is wise to understand your prospects. Evaluate what skills, experience and special expertise they are seeking in their contractors, subcontractor or suppliers, then customize your Capability Statement to these specific areas. That means you could have more than one Capability Statement with slight variations, depending on the market you are prospecting. For example, if you are a building contractor, but want to enter the higher ed market, consider how you present your building experience and how it might translate to building for accademic institutions. The same applies if you are a communications, compliance, design or IT consultant or contractor. Try to consider your prospects needs and give them information that resonates with their expectations. OPEN DOORS TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS 7

8 Some additional TIPS CAPABILITIES STATEMENT>> Core Competencies Include the following information: Logo Contact information, including: name, phone, Here s the place to include your very short elevator pitch. This will be a brief statement about your company s Should You Add Your Capability Statement to Your Website? Some Tips: Use short sentences. No paragraphs! Customize each capability statement for each agency, prime or teaming opportunity. Align your company s strengths and capabilities Comparable Experience List recent customers for whom you have done similar work. (Do not include irrelevant work) private clients. Absolutely! You can even include two or three different Capability Statements, depending on your market expertise. Be sure to include the notice that your Capability Statement is available on line and where to locate it on your website. You can also include a navigation icon highlighting your capability and certification status availability. Can You Vary Your Presentation Orientation Portrait Versus Landscape? Yes! Standard portrait presentations are the most commonly used formats for Capability Statements. If you have the services of a graphic designer, you may want to alter the format to better present the key performance indicators that highlight your company. You can use a standard portrait presentation, and if you want to be creative, try a landscape presentation. You want to stand out but be sure that all the important information is included. Should You Include Photos of Projects and/ or Key Team Members? And How Can You Fit This Into Your Full Capability Statement? If you have room or want to use the reverse side of the Statement, do so. Just make sure that heavy color printing on the reverse side doesn t interfere with the presentation of side one. Be sure to use a heavier stock for your Capability Statement MWBE SDVOB CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES CONFERENCE

9 Should You Include References? Yes, but only if you have room. You can use the reverse side of your Capability Statement if you choose. Just be sure to use the reverse side prudently. Remind your reader there s another side to your company credentials! Should You Include Awards? Again, yes! If you have room. What To Do The Night Before a Conference? Pack a least 50 to 100 Capability Statements and lots of business cards in your briefcase for distribution at the conference. Be sure to distribute your information only to prospects that make sense for your business, both for new opportunities and new relationships. OPEN DOORS TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS 9

10 FOLLOW-UP Notes Use the sheet below to write your notes for follow-up actions. NOTES Get Ready to Present Your Capabilities Statement Guide Prepared by MWBE SDVOB CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES CUNYBIZ.COM CONFERENCE