# Build a capability statement from your SAM record

To build a capability statement with an AI agent, ask it to call get_entity with your UEI and search_awards with recipient_uei. The first returns your codes, NAICS list, business types and SBA certifications; the second returns your federal contract history, which the agent turns into past performance entries with agency, value and dates.

Small businesses preparing for an industry day, a sources sought response or a meeting with a small business specialist. The facts on a capability statement (UEI, CAGE, NAICS codes, certifications, past performance) already sit in SAM.gov and USAspending; retyping them invites mistakes, and buyers check them against those same systems.

## The prompt

```
Draft a one-page capability statement for UEI ABCDEFGH1234. Pull our identifiers, NAICS codes, business types and SBA certifications from SAM.gov, and pick our five most relevant federal contracts as past performance. Leave the core competencies and differentiators for me to write.
```

## What the agent calls

1. get_entity: Identifiers, NAICS list, naics_small (codes where SAM.gov marks the firm small), business types and sba_certs.

```json
{"name":"get_entity","arguments":{"uei":"ABCDEFGH1234","user_request":"capability statement data"}}
```

2. search_awards: Contract history with agency, PIID, description, value and dates for the past performance block.

```json
{"name":"search_awards","arguments":{"recipient_uei":"ABCDEFGH1234","limit":25,"user_request":"past performance for capability statement"}}
```

## Sample output

Trimmed; field names and structure match the live response, values are shortened or illustrative.

```json
{
  "data": {
    "uei": "ABCDEFGH1234",
    "cage": "1A2B3",
    "legal_name": "EXAMPLE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC",
    "registration_status": "active",
    "primary_naics": "541512",
    "naics": [
      "541511",
      "541512",
      "541519",
      "518210"
    ],
    "naics_small": [
      "541511",
      "541512"
    ],
    "business_types": [
      "2X",
      "A2",
      "23"
    ],
    "sba_certs": [
      {
        "type": "A6",
        "exit": "2028-01-25"
      }
    ],
    "city": "RESTON",
    "state": "VA"
  }
}
```

## How to read the answer

- naics_small lists the codes where your registration says you are small. Lead with those codes on a small business capability statement; the others belong in a separate line or not at all.
- sba_certs carries certification type and exit date. Print the program name and the date so a buyer can see it is current.
- For past performance, the agent should prefer recent awards in your target NAICS and agency, with the PIID so the buyer can look it up.

## Make it yours

- Ask for a version tailored to one agency: the agent filters awards by awarding_agency.
- Ask the agent to compare your NAICS list with a target solicitation's code and flag a mismatch.

## Pitfalls

- Never let the agent invent capabilities, clearances or contract values. Everything factual should come from the two calls; your narrative is yours to write.
- Point of contact details are not in the API (SAM.gov does not publish them). Add your own contact block.

## The same job over REST

```bash
curl "https://samgovapi.io/api/v1/entities/ABCDEFGH1234" -H "Authorization: Bearer $SAMGOVAPI_API_KEY"
```

Plan: every plan. Credits: 1 credit per lookup for the entity; 1 credit per 100 rows returned, minimum 1 for awards.

## Questions

### Why are my contact details missing from the data?

SAM.gov does not publish entity points of contact in its public extract, and this API does not show them. Add your own contact details to the statement.

### My subcontracts are not in the award list. Why?

search_awards covers prime contract awards from USAspending. Subcontract work is reported separately and often incompletely, so list it yourself.

All recipes: https://samgovapi.io/agents/recipes.md

Independent. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by GSA, SAM.gov or any U.S. government agency. Registering in SAM.gov is free at sam.gov.