Five Tips On Basic Proposal Writing

A written proposal is often the first time a contractor, agency or a corporation hears about your business.  To make that first impression a good one, here are a few basic rules to follow.

Tip Number 1:  Read the RFP or RFQ very carefully.
A proposal is often written in response to a published RFP (Request For Proposal) or RFQ (Request For Quote).  These are documents outlining in varying levels of detail the goods to be purchased or services to be contracted.  They also give strong indications of the primary focus areas by the administration of the agency or management of the corporation.  You will be wise to respond to these focus areas specifically and with some attention to detail.

Tip Number 2:  Undertake the basic research.
Basic research for proposal writing can take many forms, but the principal areas to concentrate your efforts are (a) understanding the contracting agency or corporation and (b) the competition.  You can learn amazing amounts of information about the vendor by researching past RFP’s and finding out who responded – and who won those bids.  Usually, initial research takes the form of a simple phone call to find out how much of this information is available and where to get it.  The Internet has made everyone’s job a lot easier and it pays to use the Net to track down not only vendor information, but also more data on the possible competition.  Other resources include industry trade magazines and discussions with professional organizations.  In tracking down possible competitors, use simple filters in your search such as geographic guidelines and industry experience requirements stipulated in the RFP.  Unless you have a strategic reason to do otherwise, for the short-term goal of writing your proposal, there is little sense in tracking down competitors who do not qualify for the current or past RFP’s.

Tip Number 3:  Keep your proposal simple and to the point.
Your proposal should address the specific questions and focus areas of the RFP.  Use very simple language that spells out clearly what your company intends to do to fulfill the bid.  Show supporting detail and references where asked and state clearly how you intend to solve the problems specifically addressed by the RFP.  Do not assume that the reader of your proposal has extensive industry experience.  And when asked to present pricing, use numbers that will ensure your firm makes a profit from this contract. 
Above all else, sell the capabilities of your business in clear and concise language and use exact supporting information where it will help to state your case on why your firm is the best one for this job.  Very often the RFP will call for past performance as part of the RFP, so it pays to stay in touch with previous contracting officers where your company performed.  It is also a good idea to get testimonials from them to include in your past performance package.

Tip Number 4:  Follow the presentation guidelines.
The RFP usually has clear guidelines on how your proposal should be presented or packaged.  These guidelines include the number of narrative pages, font size, spacing, and an index of forms to be completed.  They may also include presentation parameters including binding (or no binding), cover information and labels and overall packaging. 
One other obstacle area:  most RFP’s can be modified at any time by the issuing vendor.  Governmental agencies will require that you comply with any amendments or modifications to an RFP, even those issued a few days before the proposal due date.  You must continually monitor the Web site or other information center that handles the RFP to ensure that no such amendment has been issued.  In addition, your completed proposal generally requires the amended or modified RFP pages to be signed and attached as part of your response and package.

Tip Number 5:  Consider getting help with the proposal process.
The proposal writing and respondent process is as much an art as a science.  If you or your firm have never been involved in that process, it can be daunting.  If possible, try to obtain copies of past proposals written by firms like yours (with the owners’ permission) to see how an RFP was crafted.


If you are serious about the process, some of the best money you may spend will be in retaining a professional writer of proposals and grants.  Not only will they bring their writing capabilities to the process, they will bring an independent viewpoint to your business and its capabilities.