SupplierGateway Capability Badges

1. What are capability badges?

Capability badges on SupplierGateway represent what your company does — the services, processes, and disciplines you can deliver to buyers. They are separate from compliance badges, which cover insurance, legal standing, and regulatory certifications.

A capability badge is earned by completing a scored assessment for a specific discipline. Assessments are evaluated by Aria, SupplierGateway's AI evaluation agent. Results are typically available within 1–2 business days.

Capability badges exist to help buyers find the right suppliers faster, and to give suppliers a credible, verified way to demonstrate their expertise — beyond a company description or self-declaration.

2. Capability badges vs. compliance badges

	Capability badges	Compliance badges
What they cover	What your company does — services, processes, expertise	What your company holds — insurance, certifications, legal standing
How they are earned	Scored assessment evaluated by Aria	Document submission and verification
Who sees them	Buyers — tier level visible; full detail by supplier approval only	Buyers — visible on your profile
Validity	18 months from assessment date	Varies by certificate type
Resubmission	Any time (14-day minimum between submittals)	When document expires or changes

3. How scoring works

Each capability badge assessment is scored on a 100-point scale. Your total score is the sum of points earned across the assessment dimensions — typically two to four dimensions per badge, each weighted by its importance to buyer decision-making.

Your score determines your tier outcome:

Tier	Score range	Badge awarded	Resubmission window
Needs Improvement	0 – 40	No	After 30 days
Developing	41 – 59	No	Any time
Qualified	60 – 79	Yes	Any time
Advanced	80 – 100	Yes	Any time

Badges always reflect your most recent assessment score. If a resubmission results in a lower tier, your badge is updated to reflect the new tier. There is no mechanism to hold a previous higher tier after resubmission.

What does each tier mean?

• Qualified (60–79):  Strong foundational capability demonstrated — meets the baseline threshold buyers expect for this discipline.
• Advanced (80+):  Exceptional depth across all assessed dimensions — positions you as a top-tier provider in this discipline.
• Developing (41–59):  Meaningful capability present but gaps identified. No badge is awarded. Aria's report will tell you specifically what to address.
• Needs Improvement (0–40):  Significant gaps across key dimensions. No badge awarded. A 30-day minimum applies before resubmission to allow time to address development priorities.

How dimensions are scored

Each question in an assessment is assigned to a dimension and carries a point value. Scoring methods vary by question type:

• Capability questions use tiered scoring — your score is based on the highest capability level you select, not the total of all selections. Selecting five options does not score higher than selecting one high-tier option alone.
• Process and quality questions use direct scoring — your chosen answer carries a fixed point value.
• Some questions are unscored but used for buyer matching metadata (e.g. production volume range, delivery geography).
• Some questions are unscored gates — a failed gate is flagged in your report regardless of your total score.

4. What happens after you submit

Once you submit a capability badge assessment:

• Aria evaluates your responses across all dimensions.
• Aria cross-references your answers against your SupplierGateway profile (certifications, compliance records) for context — this never inflates your score.
• A Capability Assessment Report is generated. It covers your dimension scores, what is working well, specific gaps identified, vertical readiness (how your profile positions you for different buyer sectors), and a prioritised development plan.
• Your report and badge (if awarded) are available to download from your badge dashboard.
• Results are typically available within 1–2 business days.

All assessments are fully resolved by Aria. There is no human review step, and there is no appeal process. If you believe your submission was not accurately represented, the right path is to address the gaps and resubmit.

5. Badge validity and resubmission

• Badges are valid for 18 months from the date of assessment.
• You will receive a reminder before your badge expires.
• You may resubmit any badge at any time (subject to the tier-specific windows above) if you have meaningful changes to report — new equipment, processes, certifications, or track record.
• The minimum gap between submittals is 14 days for Developing, Qualified, and Advanced tiers, and 30 days for Needs Improvement tier.
• There is no limit to the number of times you can resubmit over the life of the badge.

Resubmitting when you have not made meaningful changes is unlikely to improve your score and uses your resubmission window. Aria's report will identify the specific actions most likely to move your score — address those before resubmitting.

6. What buyers see

Buyers on SupplierGateway can see that you hold a capability badge and which tier you have achieved (Qualified or Advanced). This is visible on your supplier profile.

Buyers do not see the detail of your assessment — your individual question responses, dimension scores, or the full assessment report — unless access is granted. Access can be granted in two ways:

• You approve a direct request from a buyer to view your form responses.
• You are invited to participate in a buyer's prequalification activity, where the sourcing agent asks whether you wish to take part and share your capability detail as part of that process.

In both cases, access is controlled by you. Buyers cannot access assessment detail without your approval.

7. Available capability badge disciplines

SupplierGateway currently covers 109 capability disciplines across 12 sectors. You can apply for as many badges as are relevant to your business.

Manufacturing  (20 badges)

• Machine shop / CNC machining
• Sheet metal fabrication
• Welding & structural fabrication
• Casting & foundry
• Forging & stamping
• Electronics manufacturing (PCB/PCBA)
• Semiconductor & microelectronics
• Cable & wire harness assembly
• Plastics & injection moulding
• Rubber products
• Composite & advanced materials
• Additive manufacturing / 3D printing
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Medical device manufacturing
• Food & beverage processing
• Commercial printing & packaging
• Textile & apparel manufacturing
• Aerospace components & assemblies
• Automotive parts & assemblies
• Surface treatment & finishing

Construction & Facilities  (11 badges)

• Civil & structural engineering
• General contracting
• Electrical installation
• Mechanical, plumbing & HVAC
• Specialty trades
• Demolition & site preparation
• Facilities management & maintenance
• Commercial cleaning & janitorial
• Landscaping & grounds maintenance
• Physical security & access control
• Environmental assessment & remediation

Technology & IT  (11 badges)

• Custom software development
• SaaS / cloud platforms
• IT infrastructure & managed services
• Cybersecurity services
• Data analytics & BI
• AI / ML services
• Networking & telecommunications
• Hardware supply & integration
• QA, testing & certification
• Cloud architecture & DevOps
• ERP & enterprise systems integration

Professional Services  (14 badges)

• Legal services
• Audit & assurance
• Accounting & bookkeeping
• Management consulting
• HR & people consulting
• Staffing & contingent workforce
• Training & learning services
• Marketing & communications
• Market research & insights
• Creative & design services
• Translation & localisation
• Environmental & sustainability consulting
• Architecture & interior design
• Engineering consulting

Logistics & Supply Chain  (10 badges)

• Trucking & freight (FTL/LTL)
• Air freight & express
• Ocean freight & shipping
• 3PL / warehousing & distribution
• Customs brokerage & trade compliance
• Last mile & courier delivery
• Cold chain & temperature-controlled logistics
• Hazardous materials handling & transport
• Reverse logistics & returns management
• Procurement & sourcing services

Healthcare & Life Sciences  (9 badges)

• Clinical research organisation (CRO)
• Laboratory & diagnostic services
• Pharmaceutical distribution
• Home health & care services
• Dental products & services
• Medical imaging services
• Medical waste management
• Healthcare staffing & locum
• Regulatory affairs consulting

Energy & Utilities  (8 badges)

• Electrical utility services
• Oil & gas extraction services
• Renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro)
• Water treatment & utilities
• Waste management & recycling
• Environmental remediation
• Pipeline & infrastructure services
• Asset inspection & integrity services

Financial Services  (7 badges)

• Insurance carriers & brokers
• Payment processing & fintech
• Financial audit & compliance
• Risk & actuarial services
• Investment & asset management
• Banking & depository services
• Foreign exchange & treasury services

Real Estate & Facilities  (4 badges)

• Commercial real estate services
• Property management
• Equipment & vehicle leasing
• Flexible workspace & co-working

Agriculture & Natural Resources  (5 badges)

• Crop farming & agricultural services
• Livestock & animal husbandry
• Forestry & timber
• Fishing & aquaculture
• Mining & quarrying services

Media, Events & Education  (6 badges)

• Content creation & production
• Digital media & social media services
• Events management & venue services
• Publishing & editorial services
• Education & e-learning services
• Public relations & communications

Government & Public Sector  (4 badges)

• Defence & security systems
• Civic & public administration services
• Grant management & compliance
• International development services

8. How to improve your score

If you did not reach the tier you were aiming for, Aria's Capability Assessment Report contains a prioritised development plan specific to your submission. The report identifies:

• Which dimensions your score fell short in and by how much.
• The specific gaps Aria identified — not generic advice, but direct observations from your answers.
• The two to four actions that would have the most material impact on your score if addressed before resubmission.
• How your current profile positions you for specific buyer verticals, and what would need to change to become ready for each.

You can also ask Aria directly. If you are working on a specific badge or trying to understand what a particular question is looking for, Aria can help you think through your response and understand what buyers in that vertical typically expect.

Aria cannot pre-score your answers or tell you what to write to maximise your score. What Aria can do is help you understand what the assessment dimensions are looking for, what strong evidence looks like in your sector, and whether your planned response is likely to address the gap identified in your report.

9. Frequently asked questions

Can I hold multiple capability badges?

Yes. You can apply for any badge that is relevant to your business, across as many disciplines and sectors as apply. Buyers can see all of your earned badges on your profile.

Does a capability badge replace a compliance certification?

No. Capability badges and compliance badges serve different purposes. A capability badge demonstrates what you can do. A compliance badge demonstrates that you hold a specific certification, insurance policy, or regulatory standing. Many buyer programs require both. They are managed separately in your SupplierGateway portal.

What if my business covers more than one discipline in a sector?

Apply for each discipline separately. Each badge has its own assessment tailored to that specific discipline. Holding multiple badges across a sector strengthens your profile significantly for buyers sourcing in that sector.

Will my score change if I upload supporting documents?

Scores are derived from your form responses only. Supporting documents submitted as part of an assessment question are evaluated by Aria as evidence for that specific answer — they can strengthen the quality of your response and influence your score for that question, but documents alone do not add points outside the question scoring framework.

What is 'vertical readiness' in my assessment report?

Vertical readiness is an indicative assessment of how your current capability profile positions you against the specific expectations of key buyer sectors — General Commercial, Aerospace, Medical Devices, Automotive OEM, Defence, and Energy / Oil & Gas. It is not a formal prequalification for those verticals. It is Aria's read of whether your current submission meets the typical baseline expectations buyers in those sectors apply when evaluating suppliers.

My badge expired — do I have to start from scratch?

No. When you resubmit after expiry, you complete the same assessment again. Your previous responses are not carried forward automatically, but you are free to provide the same answers if your capability has not changed. The assessment will be re-evaluated in full.

Can I see how my badge compares to other suppliers?

No. SupplierGateway does not publish comparative rankings or benchmarks across suppliers. Your badge and tier are presented to buyers on their own merit.