Proposals

Internal vs. External Proposals

Internal-An argument, submitted within an
organization, for carrying out an activity
that will benefit the organization.
External-When a prospective supplier or
outside source is asked to compete for
business by submitting a proposal
Solicited vs. Unsolicited
Proposals
Solicited: When an organization wants to purchase a product
or service, it publishes one of two kinds of statements:
1. An information for bid (IFB)-it is used for standard products.
(i.e. when a state agency needs desktop computers it
informs computer manufacturers of the configuration it
needs.
2. A request for proposal (RFP)-used for more customized
products or services (i.e. if the Air Force gives specifications for a
needed device, they will want someone who can make the
device.
Unsolicited-Like a solicited proposal
except that it does not refer to an RFP.
Usually the supplier is invited to
submit a proposal after people from
the two organizations met and
discussed the project.
Research Proposals
Research Proposals-A promise to perform research and then
provide a report about it (this is the proposal you are writing
for this project)
If your proposal is accepted, you would be required to write
one or more progress reports to explain how work on the
project is proceeding.
At the end of the project, researchers prepare a completion
report (also called a final report, a project report, or a
recommendation report). We will discuss this further during
your next project.
Parts of this proposal
Letter of transmittal: A letter of transmittal
is like getting your foot in the door. Think
of it as making sure that your proposal
gets through the secretarys desk and onto
the desk of your intended reader. It is
formatted like a cover letter and should
provide general (and brief) information
about your organization and why you are
writing the proposal
Executive Summary: This is where you introduce
yourself and your agency. You will explain who
you are as an agency (you may borrow from your
Feasibility Study) and briefly explain what it is
you want to do. The executive summary is
usually between 1-3 paragraphs, but the length
can vary. It is a good idea to cover the major
elements in a few sentences. Define the
problem in a few sentences and provide a brief
statement of your qualifications and experience.
Introduction: Persuades the audience of the
NEED of what you are proposing, defines and
substantiates that NEED, Provides necessary
background information that your reader needs
to comprehend your proposal, includes
important and necessary info from your
Feasibility Study. It might be a good idea to
include some research about why your project is
NEEDED here.
Plan: Provide detailed info on how to accomplish
the proposed work and describe the specific
activities that will need to take place to apply for
funding. Discusses what will need to be included
in the grant proposal (if needed), and enables
audience to envision the end goal.
When writing the plan, think about permits,
approvals, legality, construction, etc.
Benefits: Show that the benefits outweigh the objectives.
Other Info as needed: budget (think about the costs of
parts of your plan), schedule (think about how long it will
take you to get permits, how long construction will take,
etc.), methodology (how you plan to implement these
things?)
End Matter: Copy of grant proposal (if needed),
references, other supporting documents (tables, graphs,
etc.)