Proposal

A proposal is a document written to persuade readers that what is proposed will

benefit them by solving a problem or fulfilling a need. When you write a proposal,
therefore, you must convince readers that they need what you are proposing, that it
is practical and appropriate, and that you are the right person or organization to
provide the proposed product or service.

Proposal Contexts and Strategies

In a proposal, support your assertions with relevant facts, statistics, and examples.
Your supporting evidence must lead logically to your proposed plan of
action or solution. Cite relevant sources of information that provide strong
credibility to your argument. Avoid ambiguity, do not wander from your
main point, and never make false claims.

Audience and Purpose

Whether you send a proposal inside or outside your organization, readers will
evaluate your plan on how well you answer their questions about what you
are proposing to do, how you plan to do it, how much it will cost, and how it
will benefit them. Because proposals often require more than one level of
approval, take into account all the readers in your audience. Consider
especially their levels of technical knowledge of the subject. For example, if
your primary reader is an expert on your subject but a supervisor who must
also approve the proposal is not, provide an executive summary written in
nontechnical language for the supervisor. You might also include a glossary
of terms used in the body of the proposal or an appendix that explains
highly detailed information in nontechnical language. If your primary reader
is not an expert but a supervisor is, write the proposal with the non-expert in
mind and include an appendix that contains the technical details.
Writing a persuasive and even complex proposal can be simplified by
composing a concise statement of purpose—the exact problem or
opportunity that your proposal is designed to address and how you plan to
persuade your readers to accept what you propose. Composing a purpose
statement before outlining and writing your proposal will also help you and
 any collaborators understand the direction, scope, and goals of your
proposal.

Types of Proposals
There are 4 kinds of proposals, categorized in terms of whether or not they were
requested, and whether they are meant to solve a problem within your own
organization or someone else’s.
1. Solicited Proposals
Solicited proposals are prepared in response to a request for goods or
services. Such proposals usually follow the format prescribed by the
procuring organization or agency, which issues a request for proposals
(RFP) or an invitation for bids (IFB). An RFP often defines a need or
problem and allows those who respond to propose possible solutions. The
procuring organization generally distributes an RFP to several
predetermined vendors. The RFP usually outlines the specific requirements
for the ideal solution. The RFP also may contain specific formatting
requirements, such as page length, font type and size, margin widths,
headings, numbering systems, sections, and appendix items. When
responding to RFPs, you should follow their requirements exactly—
proposals that do not provide the required information or do not follow the
required format may be considered “nonresponsive” and immediately
rejected.
In contrast to an RFP, an IFB is commonly issued by federal, state, and local
government agencies to solicit bids on clearly defined products or services.
An IFB is restrictive, binding the bidder to produce an item or a service that
meets the exact requirements of the organization issuing the IFB.
2. Unsolicited proposals
These proposals are submitted to a company or department without a prior
request for a proposal. Companies or departments often operate for years
with a problem they have never recognized. Many unsolicited proposals are
preceded by an inquiry from a salesperson to determine potential interest and
need. If you receive a positive response, you would conduct a detailed study
of the prospective customer’s needs to determine whether you can be of
 help, if so, exactly how. You would then prepare your proposal on the basis
of your study.
3. Internal Proposals
Internal proposals, which can be either solicited or unsolicited, are written by
employees of an organization for decision-makers inside that organization.
The level of formality of internal proposals often depends on the frequency
with which they are written and the degree of change proposed. Routine
proposals are typically informal and involve small spending requests, requests
for permission to hire new employees or increase salaries, and requests to
attend conferences or purchase new equipment. Special-purpose proposals are
usually more formal and involve requests to commit relatively large sums of
money. They have various names, but a common designation is a capital
appropriations request or a capital appropriations proposal.
4. External proposals
These Proposals are prepared for clients, customers, or other decision-makers
outside a company or an organization. They are either solicited or unsolicited.
External proposals are almost always written as formal proposals.

Writing Persuasive Proposals

 Analyze your audience carefully to determine how to best meet your
readers’ needs or requirements.
 Write a concise purpose statement at the outset to clarify your proposal’s
goals.
 Divide the writing task into manageable segments and develop a timeline for
completing tasks.
 Review the descriptions of proposal contexts, structure, and types.
 Focus on the proposal’s benefits to readers and anticipate their questions or
objections.
 Incorporate evidence to support the claims of your proposal.
 Select an appropriate, visually appealing format.
 Use a confident, positive tone throughout the proposal.
Proposal Forms
Proposals are written within a specific context. Understanding the context will
help to determine the most appropriate writing strategy as well as the proposal’s
length, formality, and structure.
1. Informal Proposal Structure
Informal proposals are relatively short (about five pages or fewer) and typically
consist of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
 Introduction The introduction should define the purpose and scope of your
proposal as well as the problem you propose to address or solve. You may
also include any relevant background or context that will help readers
appreciate the benefits of what you will propose in the body.
 Body The body should offer the details of your plan to address or solve the
problem and explain (1) what service or product you are offering; (2) how
you will perform the work and what special materials you may use; (3) the
schedule you plan to follow that designates when each phase of the project
will be completed; and (4) if appropriate, a breakdown of project costs.
 Conclusion The conclusion should persuasively resell your proposal by
emphasizing the benefits of your plan, solution, product, or service over any
competing ideas or projects. You may also need to include details about the
time period during which the proposal is valid.
2. Formal Proposal Structure
Proposals longer than five pages are often called formal proposals and typically
include front matter and back matter. The number of sections in a proposal
depends on the audience, the purpose, and the scope of the proposal; or on
the specific requirements outlined in an RFP or IFB. If you are responding
to an RFP or IFB, follow the proposal organization and format
requirements exactly as stated; otherwise your proposal may be considered
rejected without review. If you are not responding to an RFP or IFB,
sections of formal proposals can often be grouped into front matter, body,
and back matter.
Front Matter
• Cover Letter or Letter of Transmittal. In the cover letter, express appreciation for
the opportunity to submit your proposal, any help from the customer (or decision-
maker), and any prior positive associations with the customer. Then summarize the
proposal’s recommendations and express confidence that they will satisfy the
customer’s or decision-makers needs.
• Title Page. Include the title of the proposal, the date, the name and logo of the
organization to which it is being submitted, and your company name and logo.
• Table of Contents. Include a table of contents in longer proposals to guide
readers to important sections, which should be listed according to beginning page
numbers.
• List of Figures. If your proposal has six or more figures, include a list of figures
with captions as well as figure and page numbers.
Body
• Executive Summary. Briefly summarize the proposal’s highlights in persuasive,
nontechnical language for decision-makers.
• Introduction: Identify the problem you intend to solve or the opportunity you
want to pursue.
Background or statement of the problem: Briefly review the situation at hand,
establish a need for action, and explain how things could be better. In unsolicited
proposals, convince readers that a problem or an opportunity exists.
Solution: Briefly describe the change you propose, highlighting your key selling
points and their benefits to show how your proposal will solve the reader’s
problem.
Scope: State the boundaries of the proposal—what you will and will not do.
Report organization: Orient the reader to the remainder of the proposal and call
attention to the major divisions of thought.

• Body: Give complete details on the proposed solution and describe anticipated
results.
Facts and evidence to support your conclusions: Give complete details of the
proposed solution and anticipated results.
Proposed approach: Describe your concept, product, or service. Stress reader
benefits and emphasize any advantages you have over your competitors.
Work plan: Describe how you’ll accomplish what must be done.

Statement of qualifications: Describe your organization’s experience, personnel,

and facilities—relating it all to readers’ needs. Include a list of client references.
Costs: Prove that your costs are realistic—break them down so that readers can see
the costs of labor, materials, transportation, travel, training, and other categories.
• Conclusion
Summarize key points, emphasize the benefits and advantages of your proposed
solution, and ask for a decision from the reader.
Review of argument: Briefly summarize the key points.
Review of reader benefits: Briefly summarize how your proposal will help the
reader.
Review of the merits of your approach: Briefly summarize why your approach
will be more effective than alternatives.
Request: Ask for a decision from the reader.

Back Matter
• Appendixes. Provide résumés of key personnel or material of interest to some
readers, such as statistical analyses, organizational charts, and workflow diagrams.
• Bibliography. List sources consulted in preparing the proposal, such as research
studies, specifications, and standards.
• Glossary. If your proposal contains terms that will be unfamiliar to your intended
audience, list and define them in the glossary.

Research Proposals
Research proposals request approval to conduct research to investigate a problem
or possible improvements to a product or an operation. Because their purpose is to
gain approval to conduct research, they do not focus on particular solutions or
ultimate results. For example, an engineer may submit a research proposal to a
manager for permission to research a new method that improves cement strength
for bridges. Similarly, students often submit research proposals to request approval
of their research plans for term projects, such as formal reports, or thesis projects.
Research proposals are persuasive when they clearly define your research goals,
your plan for achieving those goals, and your qualifications to perform the
research. The proposal typically includes the following key components:
• Introduction. It explains the reasons for and the benefits of the proposal. What
can readers expect as a result of the proposed research, and what is the value of
your potential findings?
• Background. Describe the problem your research will address so that readers are
confident that you understand the problem completely. Illustrate how both your
primary audience and others will benefit from the results of your proposed
research.
• Research Plan. Discuss in detail your plan for conducting the research. First,
focus on your research objectives—what specifically you plan to investigate. Then,
focus on your research methods— how you plan to achieve your objectives
(through interviewing? on the Web? through other sources?).
• Work Schedule.
• Qualifications.
• Budget.
• Conclusion.

Organization of Proposal
The writer should organize the proposal around three questions:
1. What is the problem?
2. What is the solution?
3. Can the solution be implemented?
What Is the Problem?
Describing the problem is a key part of many proposals. You must establish three
things about the problem:
 The data
 The significance
 The cause
What Is the Solution?
To present an effective solution, explain how it will eliminate the cause, thus
eliminating whatever is out of step with the standard you hope to maintain.
Can the Solution Be Implemented?
The writer must show that all the systems involved in the proposal can be put into
effect.