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How to Write a Project Proposal (Examples & Template Included)

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Types of project proposals, project proposal vs. project charter, project proposal vs. business case, project proposal vs. project plan, project proposal outline, how to write a project proposal, project proposal example, project proposal tips, what is a project proposal.

A project proposal is a project management document that’s used to define the objectives and requirements of a project. It helps organizations and external project stakeholders agree on an initial project planning framework.

The main purpose of a project proposal is to get buy-in from decision-makers. That’s why a project proposal outlines your project’s core value proposition; it sells value to both internal and external project stakeholders. The intent of the proposal is to grab the attention of stakeholders and project sponsors. Then, the next step is getting them excited about the project summary.

Getting into the heads of the audience for which you’re writing the project proposal is vital: you need to think like the project’s stakeholders to deliver a proposal that meets their needs.

We’ve created a free project proposal template for Word to help structure documents, so you don’t have to remember the process each time.

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Project Proposal Template

Use this free Project Proposal Template for Word to manage your projects better.

In terms of types of project proposals, you can have one that’s formally solicited, informally solicited or a combination. There can also be renewal and supplemental proposals. Here’s a brief description of each of them.

• Solicited project proposal: This is sent as a response to a request for proposal (RFP) . Here, you’ll need to adhere to the RFP guidelines of the project owner.
• Unsolicited project proposal: You can send project proposals without having received a request for a proposal. This can happen in open bids for construction projects , where a project owner receives unsolicited project proposals from many contractors.
• Informal project proposal: This type of project proposal is created when a client asks for an informal proposal without an RFP.
• Renewal project proposal: You can use a renewal project proposal when you’re reaching out to past customers. The advantage is that you can highlight past positive results and future benefits.
• Continuation project proposal: A continuation project proposal is sent to investors and stakeholders to communicate project progress.
• Supplemental project proposal: This proposal is sent to investors to ask for additional resources during the project execution phase.

All the elements in the above project proposal outline are present in our template. This free project proposal template for Word will provide you with everything you need to write an excellent project proposal. It will help you with the executive summary, project process, deliverables, costs—even terms and conditions. Download your free template today.

A project proposal is a detailed project document that’s used to convince the project sponsor that the project being proposed is worth the time, money and effort to deliver it. This is done by showing how the project will address a business problem or opportunity. It also outlines the work that will be done and how it will be done.

A project charter can seem like the same thing as a project proposal as it also defines the project in a document. It identifies the project objectives, scope, goals, stakeholders and team. But it’s done after the project has been agreed upon by all stakeholders and the project has been accepted. The project charter authorizes the project and documents its requirements to meet stakeholders’ needs.

A business case is used to explain why the proposed project is justified. It shows that the project is worth the investment of time and money. It’s more commonly used in larger companies in the decision-making process when prioritizing one project over another.

The business case answers the questions: what is the project, why should it be taken up, who will be involved and how much will it cost? It’s therefore related to a project proposal, but the project proposal comes before the business case and is usually part of the larger proposal.

Again, the project proposal and the project plan in this case are very similar documents. It’s understandable that there would be some confusion between these two project terms. They both show how the project will be run and what the results will be. However, they’re not the same.

The project proposal is a document that aims to get a project approved and funded. It’s used to convince stakeholders of the viability of the project and their investment. The project plan, on the other hand, is made during the planning phase of the project, once it’s been approved. It’s a detailed outline of how the project will be implemented, including schedule, budget, resources and more.

There are several key operational and strategic questions to consider, including:

• Executive summary: This is the elevator pitch that outlines the project being proposed and why it makes business sense. While it also touches on the information that’ll follow in the project proposal, the executive summary should be brief and to the point.
• Project background: This is another short part of the proposal, usually only one page, which explains the problem you’ll solve or the opportunity you’re taking advantage of with the proposed project. Also, provide a short history of the business to put the company in context to the project and why it’s a good fit.
• Project vision & success criteria: State the goal of the project and how it aligns with the goals of the company. Be specific. Also, note the metrics used to measure the success of the project.
• Potential risks and mitigation strategies: There are always risks. Detail them here and what strategies you’ll employ to mitigate any negative impact as well as take advantage of any positive risk.
• Project scope & deliverables: Define the project scope, which is all the work that has to be done and how it will be done. Also, detail the various deliverables that the project will have.
• Set SMART goals: When setting goals, be SMART. That’s an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. All your goals would be defined by those five things.
• Project approach: Define the approach you’ll use for the contract. There are several different types of contracts used in construction , for example, such as lump sum, cost plus, time and materials, etc. This is also a good place to describe the delivery method you’ll use.
• Expected benefits: Outline the benefits that will come from the successful completion of the project.
• Project resource requirements: List the resources, such as labor, materials, equipment, etc., that you’ll need to execute the project if approved.
• Project costs & budget: Detail all the costs, including resources, that’ll be required to complete the project and set up a budget to show how those costs will be spent over the course of the project.
• Project timeline: Lay out the project timeline , which shows the project from start to finish, including the duration of each phase and the tasks within it, milestones, etc.

In addition to these elements, it’s advisable to use a cover letter, which is a one-page document that helps you introduce your project proposal and grab the attention of potential clients and stakeholders.

To make the best proposal possible, you’ll want to be thorough and hit on all the points we’ve listed above. Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing a persuasive priority proposal.

1. Write an Executive Summary

The executive summary provides a quick overview of the main elements of your project proposal, such as your project background, project objectives and project deliverables, among other things. The goal is to capture the attention of your audience and get them excited about the project you’re proposing. It’s essentially the “elevator pitch” for the project life cycle. It should be short and to the point.

The executive summary should be descriptive and paint a picture of what project success looks like for the client. Most importantly, it should motivate the project client; after all, the goal is getting them to sign on the dotted line to get the project moving!

2. Provide a Project Background

The project background is a one-page section of your project proposal that explains the problem that your project will solve. You should explain when this issue started, its current state and how your project will be the ideal solution.

• Historic data: The history section outlines previously successful projects and those that could have run more smoothly. By doing so, this section establishes precedents and how the next project can be more effective using information from previous projects.
• Solution: The solution section addresses how your project will solve the client’s problem. Accordingly, this section includes any project management techniques , skills and procedures your team will use to work efficiently.

3. Establish a Project Vision & Success Criteria

You’ll need to define your project vision. This is best done with a vision statement, which acts as the north star for your project. It’s not specific as much as it’s a way to describe the impact your company plans to make with the project.

It’s also important to set up success criteria to show that the project is in fact doing what it’s proposed to do. Three obvious project success criteria are the triple constraint of cost, scope and time. But you’ll need to set up a way to measure these metrics and respond to them if they’re not meeting your plan.

4. Identify Potential Risks and Mitigation Strategies

To reduce the impact of risk in your project, you need to identify what those risks might be and develop a plan to mitigate them . List all the risks, prioritize them, describe what you’ll do to mitigate or take advantage of them and who on the team is responsible for keeping an eye out for them and resolving them.

5. Define Your Project Scope and Project Deliverables

The project scope refers to all the work that’ll be executed. It defines the work items, work packages and deliverables that’ll be delivered during the execution phase of your project life cycle. It’s important to use a work breakdown structure (WBS) to define your tasks and subtasks and prioritize them.

6. Set SMART Goals for Your Project Proposal

The best mindset when developing goals and objectives for your project proposal is to use the SMART system :

• Specific – Make sure your goals and objectives are clear, concise and specific to the task at hand.
• Measurable – Ensure your goals and objectives are measurable so it’s obvious to see when things are on track and going well, and conversely, when things are off track and issues need to be addressed. Measurable goals make it easy to develop the milestones you’ll use to track the progress of the project and identify a reasonable date for completion and/or closure.
• Attainable – It’s important every project has a “reach” goal. Hitting this goal would mean an outstanding project that extends above and beyond expectations. However, it’s important that the project’s core goal is attainable, so morale stays high and the job gets done with time and resources to spare.
• Relevant – Make sure all of your goals are directly relevant to the project and address the scope within which you’re working.
• Time-Based – Timelines and specific dates should be at the core of all goals and objectives. This helps keep the project on track and ensures all project team members can manage the work that’s ahead of them.

7. Explain What’s Your Project Approach

Your project approach defines the project management methodology , tools and governance for your project. In simple terms, it allows project managers to explain to stakeholders how the project will be planned, executed and controlled successfully.

8. Outline The Expected Benefits of Your Project Proposal

If you want to convince internal stakeholders and external investors, you’ll need to show them the financial benefits that your project could bring to their organization. You can use cost-benefit analysis and projected financial statements to demonstrate why your project is profitable.

9. Identify Project Resource Requirements

Project resources are critical for the execution of your project. The project proposal briefly describes what resources are needed and how they’ll be used. Later, during the planning phase, you’ll need to create a resource management plan that’ll be an important element of your project plan. Project requirements are the items, materials and resources needed for the project. This section should cover both internal and external needs.

10. Estimate Project Costs and Project Budget

All the resources that you’ll need for your project have a price tag. That’s why you need to estimate those costs and create a project budget . The project budget needs to cover all your project expenses, and as a project manager, you’ll need to make sure that you adhere to the budget.

11. Define a Project Timeline

Once you’ve defined your project scope, you’ll need to estimate the duration of each task to create a project timeline. Later during the project planning phase , you’ll need to create a schedule baseline, which estimates the total length of your project. Once the project starts, you’ll compare your actual project schedule to the schedule baseline to monitor progress.

Now let’s explore some project proposal examples to get a better understanding of how a project proposal would work in the real world. For this example, let’s imagine a city that’s about to build a rapid transit system. The city government has the funds to invest but lacks the technical expertise and resources that are needed to build it, so it issues a request for proposal (RFP) document and sends it to potential builders.

Then, the construction companies that are interested in executing this rapid transit project will prepare a project proposal for the city government. Here are some of the key elements they should include.

• Project background: The construction firm will provide an explanation of the challenges that the project presents from a technical perspective, along with historical data from similar projects that have been completed successfully by the company.
• Project vision & success criteria: Write a vision statement and explain how you’ll track the triple constraint to ensure the successful delivery of the project.
• Potential risks and mitigation strategies: List all risks and how they’ll be mitigated, and be sure to prioritize them.
• Project scope & deliverables: The work that’ll be done is outlined in the scope, including all the deliverables that’ll be completed over the life cycle of the project.
• Set SMART goals: Use the SMART technique to define your project goals by whether they’re specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
• Project approach: Define the methodology that the project manager will employ to manage the project. Also, figure out what type of contract will be used to define the project.
• Expected benefits: Show how the project will deliver advantages to the company and define what these benefits are in a quantifiable way.
• Project resource requirements: List all the resources, such as labor, materials, equipment, etc., needed to execute the project.
• Project costs & budget: Estimate the cost of the project and lay that out in a project budget that covers everything from start to finish.
• Project timeline: Outline the project schedule, including phases, milestones and task duration on a visual timeline.

Whatever project proposal you’re working on, there are a few tips that apply as best practices for all. While above we suggested a project proposal template that would have a table of contents, meaning it would be many pages long, the best-case scenario is keeping the proposal to one or two pages max. Remember, you’re trying to win over stakeholders, not bore them.

Speaking of project stakeholders , do the research. You want to address the right ones. There’s no point in doing all the work necessary to write a great proposal only to have it directed to the wrong target audience. Whoever is going to read it, though, should be able to comprehend the proposal. Keep the language simple and direct.

When it comes to writing, get a professional. Even a business document like a project proposal, business case or executive summary will suffer if it’s poorly constructed or has typos. If you don’t want to hire a professional business writer, make sure you get someone on your project team to copy, edit and proof the document. The more eyes on it, the less likely mistakes will make it to the final edition.

While you want to keep the proposal short and sweet, it helps to sweeten the pot by adding customer testimonials to the attachments. Nothing sells a project plan better than a customer base looking for your product or service.

ProjectManager & Project Proposals

ProjectManager allows you to plan proposals within our software. You can update tasks for the project proposal to signify where things stand and what’s left to be done. The columns allow you to organize your proposal by section, creating a work breakdown structure (WBS) of sorts.

When building a project proposal, it’s vital to remember your target audience. Your audience includes those who are excited about the project, and see completion as a gain for their organization. Conversely, others in your audience will see the project as a pain and something to which they aren’t looking forward. To keep both parties satisfied, it’s essential to keep language factual and concise.

Our online kanban boards help you think through that language and collaborate on it effectively with other team members, if necessary. Each card shows the percentage completed so everyone in the project management team is aware of the work done and what’s left to be done.

As you can see from the kanban board above, work has begun on tasks such as product documentation and design. Tasks regarding stakeholder feedback, ideation, market research and more have been completed, and there’s a good start on the engineering drawings, 3D rendering, supply chain sourcing and translation services.

A PDF is then attached to the card, and everyone added to the task receives an email notifying them of the change. This same process can be used throughout the life-cycle of the project to keep the team updated, collaborating, and producing a first-class project proposal. In addition to kanban boards, you can also use other project management tools such as Gantt charts , project dashboards, task lists and project calendars to plan, schedule and track your projects.

Project proposals are just the first step in the project planning process. Once your project is approved, you’ll have to solidify the plan, allocate and manage resources, monitor the project, and finally hand in your deliverables. This process requires a flexible, dynamic and robust project management software package. ProjectManager is online project management software that helps all your team members collaborate and manage this process in real-time. Try our award-winning software with this free 30-day trial .

Deliver your projects on time and on budget

Start planning your projects.

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How to Write a Methodology in a Research Proposal

In academic research, crafting a solid methodology is crucial, acting as the foundation for a reliable study structure. It provides the framework that guides the investigation towards addressing research questions and achieving study objectives. Understanding ‘What is methodology in research?’, the components it entails, its efficient organization, and the essential steps required, is vital for aspiring academics.

This comprehensive guide explores the intricacies of accurately generating a methods section in a research proposal. It includes examples, insights, and strategies meticulously drawn from reputable academic sources, experienced instructors, and educational platforms.

What is a Research Proposal Methodology?

The thought-provoking part – methodology in a research paper – acts as a guide that describes the methods of analysis, research instruments, and procedures utilized to conduct the investigation. It delineates the survey design, analysis techniques, data retrieval methods, and ethics-related concerns, crucial for carrying out the investigation. Let's say that in a qualitative survey exploring the influence of social media on mental well-being, the approach section would elucidate how data is compiled through participant interviews or assessments and examined using thematic analysis.

Struggling with ‘how to write a research proposal’? Explore how our AI-powered Aithor Text Generator Assistant transforms the process, seamlessly generating content, reviewing errors, and providing suggestions for ideas and citations. Enhance your work’s proposal effortlessly with our comprehensive tool.

The Structure of the Research Proposal Methodology

In generating a research proposal, the written part for methodology serves as a pivotal element that charts the course of the investigation, delineating the stages and strategies to be employed. Let’s delve into essential elements to feature in this section.

1.  Research Design: Begin by elucidating the overall academic design of your survey, whether it's a quantitative, qualitative method, or mixed. Let’s say, a quantitative investigation may employ surveys with closed-ended queries to compile numerical data. 

2.  Data Retrieval Methods: Delineate the specific approaches employed to compile data, comprising observations, experiments, interviews, or previously collected material – secondary data analysis. Each method must be justified based on its suitability for addressing the investigation queries.

3.  Sampling Strategy: Describe the way survey participants or data samples are selected, ensuring representativeness, and minimizing bias. As an example, a random sampling method may select partakers from the population.

4.  Data Analysis Techniques: Detail the analytical tools and tactics you will use to scrutinize the compiled data. This can involve various methods such as content analysis, thematic exploration, statistical evaluation, or discourse examination, based on the research queries and the data type.

5.  Ethical Concerns: Consider ethical issues like informed consent, privacy-related concerns, confidentiality, and potential threats to participants. Abiding by ethical guidelines is pivotal for upholding investigation trustworthiness.

Largely, the research design outlines how the inquiry will proceed and guarantees precision and dependability in achieving its objectives.  

How to Write a Methodology Section for Research Proposals: The Essential Steps

Creating a well-planned methods section is essential for precisely managing your investigation. Curious about how to write a methodology section? Begin by clearly defining your investigation issue and the hypothesis to set a robust foundation for your inquiry.

Step 1: Specify a Problem Statement and a Strong Hypothesis

Firstly, state the investigation problem, or query that your work aims to address. Here’s a sample: "The study intends to explore the correlation between youngsters' use of social media and their resulting mental well-being."

Express a strong hypothesis that predicts the expected connection between variables. For instance, "It is hypothesized that greater social site usage linked negatively to self-reported mental health records."

Step 2: Define Your Methodological Approach

Select an appropriate methodological approach depending on your investigation design from techniques named qualitative, quantitative, or mixed.

Validate your preference of approach by explaining its suitability for addressing the queries and aims. To illustrate, "A qualitative method is selected to analyze participants' lived experiences and views regarding social media usage and psychological health."

Step 3: Outline Data Collection Methods

Detail the approaches used to gather data, comprising the tools utilized.

For example, "Semi-structured interviews will be conducted to gather rich qualitative records on participants' experiences with social media platforms."

Discuss any pilot testing or validation procedures conducted for the data retrieval mechanisms.

Step 4: Detail Data Analysis Procedures

Specify the analytical methods employed to assess the gathered data. For instance, "Thematic analysis will be utilized to uncover recurring patterns and themes in the interview transcripts concerning the usage of social media impact and mental condition outcomes."

Examine how data saturation or triangulation will be achieved to establish credibility for the investigation findings.

Step 5: Address Ethical Concerns

Offer a comprehensive overview of the ethical concerns in the inquiry, comprising safeguarding participants' privacy, attaining informed consent, and addressing potential risks.

Detail any ethical approvals or permissions obtained from relevant committees that oversee investigation like ethics panels or IRBs – institution-focused review boards.

Briefly, addressing ethical concerns and obtaining necessary approvals are critical steps in safeguarding the credibility of your inquiry outcomes. Also, stay updated on the methodology outline format to make sure your analysis proposal aligns with current standards and best practices. By precisely detailing your methodology ethics and practices, you contribute significantly to advancing expertise in your domain.

Tips on Improving Your Methodology Section - Strategies and Examples

How can you guarantee that your procedures section is succinct, coherent, and easily comprehensible? Below, we provide actionable steps to guide you in constructing a methodology that elevates the clarity of your writing.

1.  Clarity and Precision: Check and refine your methods section for conciseness, clarity, and lack of ambiguity. Use straightforward language and avoid words or phrases like jargon or technical terms that may hinder reader understanding.

2.  Justification: Justify every methodology-based selection by explaining its rationale and relevance to your investigation objectives. For example, "The use of purposive sampling ensures the inclusion of participants with diverse experiences related to social media usage."

3.  Transparency: Be sufficiently transparent about any limitations or constraints in this part, be it data collection challenges or sample size limitations. This enhances the trustworthiness of your work.

4.  Validation: Discuss any validation or reliability checks conducted for your data retrieval instruments or analytical procedures. Verification improves the reliability and authenticity of your findings.

5.  Peer Review: Consider obtaining feedback from researchers who are knowledgeable about study methodology to review, enhance, and polish your methodology section. Peer review acts as a helping tool to detect potential weaknesses or areas needing enhancement.

Prioritize justification, transparency, validation, and peer feedback to increase the validity and integrity of your methodology. These elements significantly contribute to the progression of knowledge in your academic field.

Final Thoughts

To wrap up, comprehending how to write a methodology section in a study proposal and eventually mastering this art is essential for carrying out impactful and rigorous studies. By following the ethical guidelines and outlined steps, and carefully organizing your methods section, you elevate the quality and credibility of your investigation. A well-designed methodology supports both your inquiry's execution and the advancement of expertise in your field. Best of luck with your research!

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How to Write a Project Proposal (Examples & Templates)

Written by: Unenabasi Ekeruke

A project is not something that just comes together overnight. It often takes strategic planning and a significant amount of time to get it right and receive the support it needs to thrive.

To fast-track approval for an external or internal project, it’s important to successfully present your ideas . And although a convincing elevator pitch may work in some circumstances, it’s often not enough. This is where writing a project proposal comes in.

But what is a project proposal exactly?

A project proposal is a powerful document that communicates what the project is all about, how it will be executed, and what outcomes can be expected.

Read on to learn what a project proposal is and what it should include. We've also included templates and tips to help you create a winning project proposal.

Here’s a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit project proposal templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

Table of Contents

What is a project proposal, types of project proposals.

• How to Write a Project Proposal

10 Project Proposal Template Examples

The top 7 tips for writing a project proposal, project proposal faqs, give your project proposal an upgrade today.

• A project proposal is a document that communicates everything stakeholders should know about a project, including the objectives, deliverables, timeline and budget.
• Project proposals are created to secure funding and stakeholder buy-in, win clients over and convince higher-ups to allocate resources to an idea.
• The six major types of project proposals include solicited, unsolicited, informal, renewal, continuation and supplemental project proposal.
• Six steps to writing a project proposal: write the executive summary, explain the project background, present a solution, and define the project deliverables and resources needed.
• Top tips for writing a persuasive project proposal: know your audience, keep it simple and make it persuasive, do you research, use a template and cover letter.
• Tap into Visme’s extensive template library to create winning project proposals .

A project proposal is a document or set of documents that clearly communicates and defines your project and ideas, including the goals and objectives, timelines , deliverables and budget.

Project proposals are used to tell the story of why a project idea should be executed and supported.

They are typically created for the purpose of securing funding or buy-in, winning new clients, extending an existing client’s contract or convincing someone to allocate resources to a new initiative.

It should establish what the project is, what you’re aiming to achieve with it, how you plan on getting there and why it’s worthwhile. You can use a timeline maker to visualize timelines, deadlines, and milestones, while a budget planner can help you work out inflow and outflows.

Essentially, a project proposal should not just grab attention for the sake of it. It should be persuasive with a clear, confident and congruent message.

As the project's foundation, project proposals are vital for creating clarity around the goals. They define the priorities and requirements of a project before and when a stakeholder gets involved.

There are different types of project proposals to choose from, depending on your proposal's audience and the type of proposal you're presenting.

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Here's a brief description of each of them.

Solicited Project Proposal

A solicited project proposal is sent in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP). An RFP is a document that gets sent to a qualified organization. It announces a project, describes it and asks for a bid.

RFPs are competitive and often put businesses up against top candidates. They come with highly specific directions and require thorough research and sharp persuasive writing skills.

Unsolicited Project Proposal

An unsolicited project proposal is just that — unsolicited. It’s a bit like the cold call version of a proposal. In this situation, no one has asked for your proposal and there is no RFP involved. However, under the right circumstance, a well-executed unsolicited project proposal can be a game-changer.

A possible downside to unsolicited project proposals is not having clear knowledge of a stakeholder’s needs.

Maybe you've identified a problem and the solution to it. While the opportunity presents itself, you need resources to bring your idea to life. This is when you might turn to an unsolicited project proposal.

Informal Project Proposal

In the case of an informal project proposal, a client may reach out with an informal request for a project proposal to be sent to them. Once completed, you can respond with your pitch.

However, because this isn’t an official RFP , the rules aren’t as well established. This means that this type of proposal most likely isn’t going to come with much context. The writer will need to do a lot of solo research.

Renewal Project Proposal

A renewal is used when a project has run its course and needs to start again. The research that goes into this type of proposal typically stems from the success data of the last project.

In this project proposal format, the goal is to highlight ideal past results produced via the project. If the results are worth it, you should work to persuade project sponsors and other stakeholders of your capabilities to produce similar, or even better, future results.

Continuation Project Proposal

Continuations are usually done on a calendar basis when a project is entering a new phase or when new resources are needed to ensure the project can continue. These proposals don’t require as much work as the project has already been approved and is up and running.

For example, you can send continuation proposals when you seek additional funding to extend the project's duration and scope or continue an ongoing project beyond its initial funding period.

Supplemental Project Proposal

Along the lines of a continuation proposal, a supplemental proposal is needed in situations where you may have gone over budget or need more resources than you originally requested.

Essentially, the project scope has grown beyond initial expectations. The project team needs to modify the project's scope, budget, or timeline to address unforeseen circumstances or take advantage of new opportunities not included in the original proposal.

This proposal aims to persuade stakeholders to invest more resources by proving the value of the modified scope or project.

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How To Write a Project Proposal

After you’ve completed your project proposal outline, it’s time to write.

How you write a project proposal can make or break its success. It’s often the first and last impression a reader will have to make a final decision. So, how do you put together a project proposal that’s impactful, formative and memorable?

The best way is to follow this step-by-step plan, regardless of the type of proposal. These project proposal writing steps below will  make sure your proposal is a winner.

Step 1: Write the Executive Summary

Coming up with an executive summary is the first step to take when writing a project proposal. It’s a relatively shorter section designed to give investors and stakeholders a brief overview of the most important information about the project. It should summarize what’s coming and also persuade the reader to continue reading.

It often contains a short statement that addresses the main selling points of the project, such as:

• The core problem your proposal aims to solve
• Who will benefit and how
• What resources are needed
• A timeline and budget
• How the success of the project will be measured
• Return on investment (ROI) and more

The goal of an executive summary is to capture your audience’s attention . It should get them excited and motivated about the project you’re pitching and its potential impact.

Follow the executive summary tips below.

Step 2: Explain the Project Background

This section gives you the opportunity to go into the background of the project.

When putting together the project background, it’s critical to explain the current state of the problem and why your audience should care about solving it. Using references and statistics in this section can be helpful in getting your point across effectively.

Some points to cover may include:

• A deeper dive into the problem your project addresses
• What’s already known about the problem
• Who has addressed the problem before
• What research is out there already (if any) and
• Why past research has been insufficient at fixing the problem.

The best practice is to keep this section no longer than one page.

Step 3: Present a Solution

Now that you’ve presented the problem, you must now present the solution. This section serves as a great opportunity to outline your project approach in more extensive detail.

Some of the key items to include are a vision statement, the project schedule and any important milestones . Also include project team roles and responsibilities, reporting tools to be used throughout the project and more.

This section is great for showcasing how you’ll be measuring and reporting on your project’s success. Give an overview of which metrics you’ll watch and how you intend to display those results accurately.

Step 4: Define the Project Deliverables

Defining your project deliverables is a crucial step during the project proposal process. Stakeholders want to know just what it is you’re going to be delivering to them at the end of the project. This could be a product, a program, an upgrade in technology or something similar.

For example, depending on your project type, your project deliverable can be any of these things:

• A software application
• Training material
• Report, plan or policy document
• Infrastructure (buildings, bridges, or highways)
• Artistic or literary works

When defining project deliverables, the stakeholders should easily be able to visualize your project and the end goal in mind. Also, include realistic timelines outlining the time and date of each deliverable.

Step 5: Request Your Needed Resources

Hopefully, by this point, you have convinced your reader that your project can’t wait and needs to be implemented. Congratulations! But you're not out of the weeds yet.

Now is the time to share the pivotal details on:

• The project budget. This involves everything from the supplies needed to create the project to ad pricing and team salaries.
• A breakdown of the costs. This should cover why you need the specific resources you do. That way, stakeholders have a firm grasp on what their buy-in is being used for.
• A resource allocation plan. It’s important to include an overview of your resources being allocated and where they plan to be used. For instance, if you need $100,000 to complete your project, where will this money be going? Technology, materials, etc.?

Requesting resources can be tricky. So it’s important to be clear on what you need, how much you need and most importantly, why you need it.

It’s a good idea to save the required resources for the end of your project proposal so you’re not overwhelming anyone right away with requests. It’s better they know first what their resources are actually going to provide and the objective at hand.

Step 6: State Your Conclusion

The conclusion section of a project proposal should give a final summary and brief review of all the points already discussed. This is your last chance to win over your audience. So make it count by ensuring it incorporates the absolute most important evidence in order to receive approval.

This serves as the closing moment to emphasize the impact of your project. Prove you have adequately researched all potential solutions and are positive your proposed method is the best way to go.

This section is typically dedicated to any additional graphs , charts , images or reports that were not already cited in the proposal. With Visme’s data visualization tool , you can bring your project proposals to life with interactive graphs and charts like the one below.

For example, you can visualize key financial metrics associated with the project, such as

• Gross margin
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Return on investment (ROI) analysis
• Break-even analysis

When visualizing project tasks, milestones, and dependencies, Also, Gantt charts, PERT charts and flowcharts can come in handy.

The amount of detail you choose to include in your project proposal can vary significantly, depending on the project itself and its scope. In some cases, a brief proposal may suffice; in others, an extensive document spanning many pages may be a better fit.

No matter what amount of detail or length your project proposal needs to be, Visme has got you covered. We offer a variety of beautiful and customizable project proposal templates.

If you’re short on time and need a project proposal ASAP, use Visme’s AI Designer . This AI-powered tool will ask you a series of questions to craft a personalized template for your industry and project needs. Either way, you’re bound to find a template you love!

Here's what Autumn, a finance manager, has to say about Visme.

“I feel that for anyone who wants to improve efficiency and effectiveness at the workplace, VISME gives you the extra edge to take things forward. It's an apt tool for quickly converting your thought process into a unique communication.” 

Take a look at some of Visme’s top proposal template examples.

Example #1: Web Development Project Proposal

With this project proposal template, you can share your project ideas, attract investor interest and get them to pull out their checks. The template features an attractive cover page, color combination and layout bound to hold your readers spellbound.

Every design element in this template is customizable. You can swap content, colors, fonts, shapes and logo to match your branding.

Example #2: Project Management Proposal Template

Share your business idea and impress potential clients with this project management proposal template. The template features a sleek black theme with multiple bright colors flowing through the footer, giving off a trendy look.

Notice how this project proposal example uses icons on the cover and images in the adjoining pages. That’s the beautiful thing about using Visme. You can switch things up as much as you want.

Visme has a rich library of high-quality images and other design assets, including 3D icons, shapes and illustrations and animated graphics to make your proposal shine. So, when you’re creating a proposal template, it’s more likely to stand out professionally and visually.

Even if you don’t find a perfect fit, Visme’s got your back. You can upload yours or use our AI-image generator tool to whip up stunning images, art, illustrations and graphics in seconds.

Example #3: Technical Project Proposal

If you’re embarking on a technical project and need to secure approval, funding and the resources needed for execution, this proposal template is a must-have. This proposal serves as a plan of action that outlines the steps necessary to complete the project and helps stakeholders understand the technical aspects of the project.

Visme’s intuitive editor makes it super easy for you to customize every part of their template. You can visualize data using graphs, charts, diagrams and widgets like progress bars and radial gauges.

Notice how page 5 depicts the project timeline. You can do that and more with Visme’s timeline maker .

Example #4: Architectural Project Proposal

This template has everything you need to create a winning project proposal. From the aesthetics to the layout to the content, every part of this proposal oozes elegance and quality. It features sections like project goals, milestones and budgets, plus lots of images to add more context, each helping to bring your best project proposal ideas to life.

Amp up your proposal and create engaging reading experiences using animation and interactive elements like popups, hover effects, animated icons, illustrations and special effects.

Example #5: Simple Business Proposal Template

This simple business proposal template cuts across a wide range of use cases. You can use it to secure buy-in for a short or long-term project or business. It features key sections like introduction,  services, customer reviews, setup process, delivery timeline and pricing.

Sometimes it can be difficult to create project proposals in silos. Fortunately, you can get your team involved in the process and collaborate with style using Visme’s collaboration feature .

You can add your team to a single workspace and assign user roles and permissions. Team members can tag each other, leave comments and feedback, react, resolve and delete comments.

Furthermore, you can take advantage of the workflows feature to assign different sections of the proposal to specific team members. Likewise, you can use it to ask the team lead for approval on the final design.

Example #6: Construction Proposal Template

Win your next project bid with this attention-grabbing project proposal template. The bright color combination and high-quality images are next-level, giving your proposal a trendy and professional look.

Customize the template by replacing the placeholder text and then proceed to edit the visual elements until you’re satisfied with the look and feel.

Once done, you can download your proposal in PDF, JPG, PNG and HTML5 format. Or share it online using a live link or embed it on your website.

Example #7: Nonprofit Proposal Template

Are you running a nonprofit organization and want to solicit funding, grants, or other forms of support from individuals, corporations, or government agencies? We’ve got a project proposal template for you.

Share important information about your project, program or initiative using this enchanting proposal template from Visme. The template has a superb selection of high-resolution stock photos that add flair to your design, plus an exquisite design layout that will help you draw attention to your content.

Example #8: Financial Proposal Template

Elevate your company's product proposal using Visme's polished proposal template. Our templates offer a sophisticated design layout, a range of high-quality stock photos, and separate sections for product specifications, budget, and usage. This expertly crafted template serves as the perfect example of a proposal that knows how to stand out.

Utilize our data visualization tools to effectively visualize financial details like budget, cost and expenditure analysis. You can even add an extra page to your document to capture investment requirements, cost analysis, revenue projections, risk analysis and more.

Example #9: Corporate Proposal Template

This template is professionally to grab the attention of potential business partners and give your corporate image a boost. You can customize the proposal for a new product development project or corporate initiative.

Visme’s brand design tool can help ensure your proposal stays on brand. You can create beautiful templates, a library of assets and reusable content blocks tailored specifically to your brand. Simply input your website address into the AI-powered brand wizard and watch the magic happen.

Example #10: Partnership Proposal Template

Writing a partnership proposal requires putting your best foot forward. And that’s what this template offers. It encapsulates all of the key details, including the company overview, benefits or value proposition and legal considerations.

With Visme’s Dynamic Fields , preparing a proposal is a piece of cake. You can easily update information throughout your projects and ensure you don’t miss out on anything important.

Example #11: Purchasing Proposal Template

Writing a good proposal is also an essential skill for procurement experts. If you’re looking to convince higher-ups, clients and other stakeholders to release funds for procurement, this template is a perfect pick. It highlights why they should invest in the equipment, the specifications and pricing details.

Feel free to add in more details as you deem fit. Add a flipbook effect so your readers can flip through pages as though they are opening a book.

Example #12: Freelance Proposal Template

Whether you’re a freelancer, creative or professional, you need a captivating proposal that pitches your service in the most compelling way.

The good news is that this template fits the bill. The template displays unique designs, distinctive layout, color and font combinations on all pages.

Use it to show your clients why you’re the best fit for the project, what they should expect, goals, payment and budget. After sharing your proposal, monitor Visme’s analytics to see who has viewed or clicked on it.

Example 13: Bid Proposal Template

Make a strong case for your company and win your next bid with this stunning project proposal template from Visme.

The proposal template features a minimalist yet sleek design that captures the eyes. The colorful geometric pattern and a blend of high-resolution photos make this template a masterpiece.

Furthermore, it includes a formal letter, budget and conditions for project commencement and completion.

Get help writing critical proposal sections so they’re concise and easy to understand, using the Visme AI Writer . Use the prompt window to ask the AI to condense, reword, summarize or edit your proposal text.

Make this template your own by editing content, changing image(s), applying custom colors, fonts and logo and more.

Example #14: One Page Proposal Template

Who says your proposal has to consist of multiple pages? Visme allows you to switch things up with your designs.

Capture the essence of your project using this attractive one-page proposal . The template design layout allows you to keep the information short, sweet and to the point, making it easy for clients to make decisions fast.

Didn’t see what you were looking for? No problem. Visme has a large variety of proposal templates that are colorful, visual, attractive and simple to use. Check out the rest of our project proposal templates in our fully stocked library.

No matter which proposal format you’re working on, here are seven tips that apply as best practices for all.

1. Know Your Audience

It’s important to keep your audience (i.e. the stakeholders) in mind while you write your proposal. Consider where they’re coming from. Why should they give you funding? Will it have a direct impact on them? Knowing your audience can help increase your chances of winning your audience over.

2. Keep It Simple

Although a project proposal is often a hefty lift, that doesn’t mean it needs to be overly complex. This means you can discuss the project plan , but you don’t need to discuss every technical detail. It’s also imperative to keep your writing style simple, clear and free of errors .

3. Be Persuasive

If your reader isn’t intrigued by your project, it will be much harder to get them on board. To combat this, focus more on how it will benefit others and how it will positively impact your industry, rather than just sharing the features it will offer.

4. Do Your Research

A winning project proposal includes thorough research and knowing the ins and outs, backwards and forwards. Be sure you can back up your problem - and solution - with reputable sources via outlets such as case studies , customer testimonials, user analytics, statistics or charts.

5. Utilize the Smart Method When Setting Goals

When writing a project proposal, setting your project’s objective and locking down the right goals should not be overlooked.

If you’re running into roadblocks, consider implementing the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) method. They help ensure your KPIs cover everything and every goal can be met effectively.

6. Include a Cover Letter and Table of Contents

Your project proposal should read like a book. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that your proposal should also include a cover letter and a table of contents .

A cover letter, paired with a table of contents, makes for a great couple. When combined, they are a perfect way to help set your audience up mentally for what they’re about to read.

To enhance reader experience, consider making your Table of Contents (TOC) clickable. This allows readers to easily navigate between sections of your proposal.

7. Use a Template

In a lot of ways, project proposals are all about making the best impression possible. Establishing a proposal using a pre-built template can help keep everyone on the same (virtual) page. It also helps keep your template looking modern and visually eye-catching. When in doubt, use a template .

Even more, use AI-backed tools like Visme’s AI document generator . Use the chatbot prompt to describe what your project proposal needs to include and the tool will suggest a number of styles based on Visme templates. Choose one and let the AI save you time and effort to create a first draft for your project proposal.

Q. Project Proposal vs. Project Charter

A project proposal is a preliminary document used to secure approval and funding for a project. The proposal typically includes a high-level overview of the project, a description of the problem or opportunity the project addresses, the proposed solution, the expected outcomes, and the cost and resource estimates.

On the other hand, a project charter is a formal document used to initiate and manage the project once it has been approved. ​​

The purpose of a project charter is to provide a clear, concise, and shared understanding of the project and its objectives and to establish a framework for project management and decision-making. The charter is typically created after the project proposal has been approved, and it provides a more detailed and specific plan for the project.

Q. What Is the Difference Between a Project Proposal and a Project?

A project proposal and a project are two distinct concepts in project management.

A project proposal is a document that outlines the plan for a proposed project. It describes what the project is about, what needs to be done, and how it will be done.

A project on the other hand, is the actual work that is carried out to achieve the objectives outlined in the project proposal. It is a specific set of activities that are planned, executed, and monitored to achieve a specific goal within a defined timeline and budget.

Q. What Are the Two Types of Proposals?

The two types of proposals are solicited proposals and unsolicited proposals .

Solicited proposals are those that are requested by a client or organization. The client typically issues a Request for Proposal (RFP) that outlines the requirements and specifications for the project and invites interested parties to submit proposals in response.

Solicited proposals are usually more structured and formal, as they need to address the specific needs and requirements outlined in the RFP.

Unsolicited proposals, on the other hand, are submitted without a formal request or invitation. These proposals are typically used to pitch an idea, product or service to a potential client or organization and persuade them to consider a partnership or collaboration. This type of proposal is usually less structured and formal.

Q. What Are the 6 Types of Project Proposals?

As highlighted in the article, the six types of project proposals include:

• Unsolicited project proposals
• Solicited project proposals
• Informal project proposals
• Renewal project proposals
• Continuation project proposals
• Supplemental project proposals

Q. What Are the 4 C’s in Proposal?

The 4 C's in a proposal refer to the key components that should be included to make a winning proposal.

Customer-focused: A good proposal should be customer-focused, meaning it should be tailored to meet the specific needs and requirements of the customer.

Clear: The proposal should be clear and concise, with a well-defined structure and logical flow. It should be easy to read and understand. Try to avoid technical jargon or unnecessary complexity.

Compelling: The proposal should be compelling, capturing the customer's attention and persuading them to take action. Make sure to use persuasive language, compelling visuals, and a well-crafted value proposition.

Competitive: The proposal should be competitive, meaning it should demonstrate how your solution is superior to that of your competition. You can achieve this by highlighting your unique selling proposition, competitive advantages, and value proposition. Also, include a clear pricing strategy and demonstrate good value for money.

Q. How Long Should a Project Proposal Be?

The length of a project proposal can vary depending on the complexity and scope of the project.

However, as a general rule, a project proposal should be concise and to the point while still providing enough information to fully describe the project, including the purpose, scope, objectives, deliverables, timelines, budget, and potential impact.

A typical project proposal can range from 5 to 20 pages, although it can be shorter or longer depending on the funding organization's requirements or the nature of the project.

Q. What Is The Format of a Proposal?

The basic proposal writing format is as follows:

• An executive summary to introduce the proposal.
• The project’s background and the problem it aims to solve.
• The potential and expected solutions the project offers.
• A list of project deliverables that will be done at the end of the project.
• A request for resources to complete the project.
• Financial metrics to highlight a budget and costs.
• Review and conclusion to close the proposal.

You can create a proposal as a document or as a presentation. Both options are viewable as flipbooks, when created with Visme.

When it comes to proposal writing and designing, it’s in your best interest to follow a formula that’s tried and true. Stick to what your clients expect from you and add a dose of your brand personality through the messaging.

Make the best impression possible and get one step closer to your goal by using a visually striking and compelling professional proposal template from Visme. Then, deploy all the design and business features to plan, create, share and manage all sorts of content within the platform.

Start creating your project proposal today with our free and easy-to-use tool.

Put together compelling proposals in seconds using Visme

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About the Author

Unenabasi is a content expert with many years of experience in digital marketing, business development, and strategy. He loves to help brands tell stories that drive engagement, growth, and competitive advantage. He’s adept at creating compelling content on lifestyle, marketing, business, e-commerce, and technology. When he’s not taking the content world by storm, Unenabasi enjoys playing or watching soccer.

Thesis, major paper, and major project proposals

• Definitions
• Introductory section
• Literature review

Methodology

• Schedule/work plan
• Other potential elements
• Proposal references
• Ask for help

The methodology section can include (but isn't limited to):

• A description of the research design and methods
• A description of data-gathering instruments
• Methods of data collection
• Ethical considerations
• Analysis strategies and techniques
• Potential participants
• Rationale for your choice of methodological choices
• How the methodology is appropriate for the organization or participants
• The advantages and disadvantages of the methodology
• References to scholarly literature that support the chosen research design and methods

If you are unsure if including the methodology is required in your thesis, major project, or research paper proposal, please consult with your instructor or advisor.

This information regarding the methodology section of a proposal was gathered from RRU thesis and major project handbooks, current in 2020, from programs in the Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences, the Faculty of Management, and the College of Interdisciplinary Studies. If the details here differ from the information provided in the handbook for your project, please follow the handbook's directions.

Image credit: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

• In SAGE Research Methods Project Planner ; access via this link requires a RRU username and password.

Data Collection

How Do I Write About Theory?

• In SAGE Research Methods: Writing Up ; look for the How Do I Write About Theory? drop down option. Access via this link requires a RRU username and password.

How Do I Write My Methodology Section?

• In SAGE Research Methods: Writing Up ; look for the How Do I Write My Methodology Section? drop down option. Access via this link requires a RRU username and password.

Research Ethics

Image credit: Image by Mohamed Assan from Pixabay

• << Previous: Literature review
• Next: Schedule/work plan >>
• Last Updated: Jan 8, 2024 12:29 PM
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How to Write a Proposal for a Project (With Examples)

An excellent project proposal should address the client’s main concerns and goals, sell your unique approach, and clarify the project process.

If the project is crystal clear to both you and your client, you can reduce confusion, scope creep , and complaints.

In this guide to writing proposals for projects, we dive into what this type of proposal must include and how to write one. Plus, we showcase excellent examples to copy and data-driven best practices to follow.

What’s in this guide:

What is a project proposal?

What to include in a project proposal, how to write a project proposal.

Examples of project proposals

Tips for writing a project proposal

Looking for proposal templates, automated follow-ups, and closing insights? Get a custom Proposify demo .

A project proposal is sent by a design, consulting, or other type of firm to a potential client in order to present important project details like deliverables, timelines, expected outcomes, and costs. When the terms of service are included, a signed project proposal can double as a contract for the legal protection of both parties.

A project proposal is not to be confused with a request for proposal (RFP), which is sent by a corporation or government agency to multiple consulting firms in order to receive the maximum amount of proposals and pricing options for a project that they’ve already defined internally.

A project proposal, on the other hand, is created as part of a consultative selling process and can benefit a client even if they don’t move forward with the work because of the helpful project breakdown.

Types of project proposals

There are many different types of project proposals, from different lengths to fee structures.

Project length:

Short, one-time project

Longer, phased project

Retainer or ongoing project

Paid discovery or audit project

Payment type:

Hourly with estimated hours

Hourly with min and max hour range

Hybrid flat rate and hourly (common in interior design, event planning, and other fields with hard costs and hourly costs)

Industries:

Website design

Graphic design

Architecture and engineering

Construction and property services

Commercial leasing

Interior design

Event planning

Software subscriptions

Administrative management

Payroll and HR management

Market research and analysis

Software development

Product development

Solicitation types:

Solicited proposals sent in response to an RFPs

Unsolicited proposals sent without a prior RFP

A successful project proposal will include all or most of these important sections. You can mix and match them with your own templates or AI writing tools to craft the perfect project proposal outline.

The cover page is the easiest page to write.

It typically includes:

Your company’s name

The client’s name or project name

A photograph or graphic design

You might also choose to include your contact information on the cover page, but this is usually reserved for the About Us page or a dedicated contact page.

Executive summary or letter

The executive summary is where you offer an overview of your methodology and the proposed project. Consider it elevator pitch. Shoot to write approximately 75 - 200 words.

Use this free AI-enabled character counter to help both get through writer's block as well as make sure your executive summary is the right length.

Many other parts of the proposal will be written as bullet points or very short phrases, so use this section to really paint the full picture of the project with language that is on-brand.

Goals or objectives

You can include the project goals and objectives of the client in the executive summary, in the project summary, or in a section dedicated just for this purpose.

You might write 75 - 150 words describing the goals, or utilize a bulleted list of 3-8 goals.

The approach section can go by a lot of different names, such as “solution” or “methodology.” In this section, you’re describing the strategy behind your approach. It sets the stage for the project details and budget to follow.

This is particularly important when winning over new clients who aren’t familiar with what sets your business apart from the competition.

A catering company might use this proposal page to talk about the sort of experience or quality of food they provide.

Meanwhile, a marketing company might include its brand ethos or core beliefs here.

Project summary and deliverables

While the previous section is about the strategy, this section is all about the specifics. Spell out exactly what you’ll do for the client.

Here’s what you might include in the project summary:

A quick description of the project

A list of project deliverables

A description of project phases with their own deliverables

A project timeline or roadmap

Your project management process

The collaboration or communication software you plan to use

Measurable or specific milestones in the project

A description of the project team and the talent included

About the company

You can write an About Us page, an Our Team page, or both. An About Us page should include a description of what your company does, your target audience, and the results you provide. An Our Team page will feature bios of important people on your team.

You need to spell out the project costs. Depending on the nature of your business, you might show a flat rate project total, your hourly rate alongside the number of estimated hours , or a variety of package options for the client to choose from.

Terms and conditions

Next up: terms and conditions. When using a proposal management software with e-signatures , your proposal can work as a binding contract. Include your master service agreement and allow the project summary to serve as the statement of work.

Social proof and samples

Prospective clients will need some reassurance to help them trust your business.

Consider including:

Testimonials

Star rating averages

Portfolio pieces

Work samples

Mini case studies

Ready to pitch a new project? Here’s a step-by-step process to create a winning project proposal.

1. Discover the client’s needs

The first step is to understand the client’s current challenges and goals. As part of your discovery process, you might conduct a single sales call, or several.

Some companies actually charge for a longer discovery or audit process, and use a proposal to sell that introductory service. They will then later upsell that client on a project based on their findings with a custom proposal. However, most firms conduct the discovery process for free and then make project recommendations in their first proposal.

2. Define their core problem and goals

Next, you’ll want to distill everything the client has shared with you. You might take some time to gather your notes, talk it through with a colleague, and then determine the most important objectives. These project objectives will guide all further decisions.

3. Determine the best approach to serve them

Now it’s time to decide which method or approach will lead to project success. If you have a templatized project process and always serve similar clients, you can offer your usual solution.

But if you offer custom work unique to each client, then you’ll need to decide on the approach. For example, an event planner might decide to offer event marketing, registration, setup, and breakdown services if a client doesn’t have any in-house resources, but they might only offer setup and breakdown if the client has in-house marketing and ticketing specialists.

4. Breakdown the project into deliverables, timelines, etc.

Now that you’ve done your research and decided what to pitch to the client, it’s time to break the project down.

Determine the project costs or pricing options, break up work into phases, and clarify deliverables. You can jot this down on a piece of paper or work directly inside of a proposal template .

5. Add all necessary sections and details to your proposal

Write out your proposal and make sure that you’ve covered all of the bases. It’s worth noting that longer isn’t necessarily better. Through our analysis of 1 million proposals, we found that winning proposals have 7 sections and 11 pages on average .

The most common proposal structure is:

Executive summary

Approach or solution

Deliverables

Keep in mind that you can alter and rename these sections to match your services and unique brand voice. Leverage an AI writing generator to help brainstorm content while you work on the sections of your proposal.

6. Send the proposal to the client (with e-signatures)

Now it’s time to send the proposal. You can save time and reduce your software needs by using one software for both proposals and contracts. Just make sure that you’ve included your terms and conditions.

Proposals with e-signatures assigned to both the sender and recipient have a 426% higher closing rate. And if you sign the proposal first (before the client opens it), you’ll increase your chances of closing by a further 36.8%.

7. Handle change requests promptly

Be on hand to make changes per client requests, whether they want to change the project scope or adjust contractual language because of their picky legal team.

Being asked to revise a proposal isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, proposals that are revised a couple of times are more likely to close.

5 examples of proposals for a project

Need some inspiration? These project proposals offer examples of exactly what to include in your next pitch.

1. Printing project with optional items

This printing proposal offers an excellent example of how to clearly communicate your pricing and offer interactive options. When we analyzed 1 million proposals sent with our platform, we found that proposals with fee tables have a 35.8% higher closing rate than those without and that proposals with editable quantities have an 18.5% higher closing rate.

You can use this proposal template with your free trial of Proposify and easily customize it for your unique business offerings.

This example project proposal template includes these sections:

Our Services

Sample Work

Your Investment

2. Marketing proposal with project timeline

A project timeline is an important part of any project proposal. This marketing proposal template offers a great example of how to share this timeline in a simple format.

Break your project down into distinct steps so the client knows exactly what to expect.

This example proposal template includes the following sections:

Overview & Goals

Scope of Services

3. Accounting project with goals and batches of work

Our next example is an accounting proposal .

This proposal stands out because it includes the client’s goals in the Project Summary section. See those short and sweet bullet points? They serve as a smart way to let the client know that you understand their goals and will be able to satisfy them.

This proposal also includes a breakdown of work that is categorized into four different batches, or chunks: QuickBooks Startup, Data Migration, QuickBooks Data Build, Overall (throughout the project). You can use this example when breaking down a project into different stages or services.

Access this accounting proposal template with a paid subscription or a free trial of Proposify.

The template includes the following sections:

Project Summary

Work Proposal

4. Construction project with project summary and exclusions

Do you need to include exclusions in your proposals? If the type of work you offer is contingent on other service providers or lends itself to complications, then you might want to start adding exclusions. This can help protect your business from the many risks associated with project scope confusion or misaligned expectations.

This construction proposal template , available inside of Proposify, offers a perfect example of an exclusion section, which follows what is included in the project.

The project proposal template includes the following sections:

Cover Letter

Meet Our Team

Previous Projects

Project Schedule

5. Event management project with hourly work estimates

Event planning is complicated—that’s exactly why the event industry serves as a great example of how to charge for both hourly work and fixed costs at the same time.

You can access this event planning proposal template with your Proposify account (check it out with a free trial ).

In the Budget section, the proposal kicks things off with a fee table including all of the hourly costs .

This project proposal also has a second fee table to estimate the hard costs , such as catering and photography, and the hourly costs and hard costs are then added up for the full project total.

This template includes the following sections:

Introduction

Our Understanding of Your Needs

Writing a great proposal is a lot of work.

Here are some project proposal best practices that will help you save time and get better results:

Create templates for different services, projects, or clients. The faster you send a proposal, the more likely it is to close. Try creating a few different templates to make it easy to generate a new proposal based on the clients’ unique needs. And of course, you can always speed up the process by beginning with one of our templates .

Get the client’s opinion on your plan before you turn it into a proposal. Try pitching your project idea to the client at the end of the sales call. Check to see their reaction. If they love what you’ve suggested, turn that into your proposal. If not, ask what they have in mind. This way, you’ll create a proposal that is more likely to close.

Ask the client what they want the proposal to include. If your client has given you a detailed RFP , you’ll know exactly what to include in your proposal. If not, don’t be afraid to ask. Especially when working with large corporations and government agencies, your main point of contact should be able to share what all stakeholders will expect to see in the project plan.

Offer dynamic pricing options. Proposals with both optional rows and editable quantities have a 20.2% higher close rate. Consider add-ons and options that will cater to decision-makers while customizing and perfecting the project scope. Clients should be able to select the options directly in the business proposal to create an accurate project total in real-time and then sign off on it.

Include multimedia content in your proposal. Proposal content shouldn’t just be in a written format. Accompany your writing with mages and videos to help them visualize the project. Proposals with images are 72% more likely to close and proposals with videos are 41% more likely to close. Try including pictures of your team and your previous work and illustrations of your process or typical ROI.

Write and automate follow-up emails. Proposals with just one automated follow-up email are 35% more likely to close. If you use Proposify, you can easily turn on automated follow-ups for every proposal. You can use our follow-up email templates, or create your own templates for different types of clients or projects.

Next steps: write your own project proposal

An excellent project proposal should include the project roadmap, milestones, budget, and any supplemental information that will help the client really understand the value of the project and secure buy-in.

To make any proposal more likely to close, make sure you include multimedia content, pricing options, and e-signatures.

Proposify’s proposal templates , automated follow-ups, and viewing analytics can take your proposal closing game to a whole new level. Book a demo today.

Dayana Mayfield is a B2B SaaS copywriter who believes in the power of content marketing and a good smoothie. She lives in Northern California. Connect with her on LinkedIn here: linkedin.com/in/dayanamayfield/

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A step-by-step guide on how to write a winning project proposal

Hanna Stechenko Manager, SEO Management

Reviewed by:

Ashley Kemper VP of Revenue Marketing

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So, you want to discover how to write a proposal for a project.

Well, “Let there be light!” This article is here to show you the way.

Let’s start by diving into what a project proposal is.

What is a project proposal?

A project proposal is a detailed document that presents the plan for a specific project to get approval or funding from stakeholders, such as clients, investors or management.

Usually, it specifies the project’s objectives, scope, methodology, resources, timeline and projected outcomes.

What is the purpose of a project proposal, and why do you need one?

The purpose of a project proposal is to present a clear roadmap for the future project and get necessary buy-ins.

We’ve surveyed 720 users of our project proposal templates , and they highlighted the following three goals of writing a project proposal, among others:

• Define clear objectives: specify goals and deliverables for the project, mitigating risks and scope creep.
• Align stakeholder expectations: make sure everyone is on the same page about the project’s scope and purpose.
• Demonstrate feasibility: build a strong case for the project’s success by outlining a detailed execution plan.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

What are the benefits of a well-written project proposal?

There are many benefits to writing a clear and comprehensive project proposal compared to a poorly written one:

Let’s now look at a detailed proposal structure.

What to include in your project proposal structure

Here is a general project proposal structure that you can adjust to your specific needs:

1. Cover page

Add the title of your project, names and roles of people involved, and other data like the project number and initiation date.

2. Project description

Define the problem, solution, and expected outcomes.

Project overview: This initiative aims to develop an AI writing tool that produces more natural, human-like text. By analyzing patterns in human writing samples, the tool varies sentence structures and lengths and occasionally inserts minor imperfections like spelling errors or grammar mistakes. This nuanced approach seeks to create AI-generated content that feels authentic while remaining clear and understandable.

3. Background information

Provide information that is important for understanding the purpose and urgency of the project, such as your previous work, relevant literature, or historical data.

Background: Previous AI language models tended to generate text with rigid adherence to rules, lacking the natural variation of human writing. Our past research examining blogs, novels, and workplace writing revealed a need for more authentic-feeling AI-generated prose. This project builds on those findings.

4. Objectives

Define the project’s goals and success metrics.

Objectives: — Create an AI writing model that outputs prose with human-like variations in style, tone, and structure — Develop algorithms to analyze and replicate common quirks in human writing samples — Implement user controls to adjust output formality and complexity as needed — Achieve high ratings (>4 on a 5-point scale) in user testing for online authenticity and readability

Briefly yet clearly outline the project’s scope.

Scope: The initial scope covers an AI model and tools to generate long-form writing (emails, reports, articles) with customizable levels of human realism. Potential future phases could extend to other domains like storytelling or dialogue.

6. Deliverables

Describe project outcomes, including the product to be delivered, reports, etc.

Deliverables: — AI writing model and integrated user interface — Model training data and linguistic rulesets — Technical documentation and code repositories — Research paper detailing approach and findings

7. Project timeline

Include a schedule with stages and defined timeframes. Example:

Timeline: — Implementation planning (6 weeks) — Data collection and annotation (12 weeks) — Model training and refinement (16 weeks) — User testing and evaluation (8 weeks) — Documentation and delivery (4 weeks)

8. Resource requirements

List what is needed to complete the project: personnel, equipment, technology, financial resources, and other materials.

Resource requirements: — 3 AI researchers/engineers — Cloud computing resources for model training — Access to a corpus of human-written texts — Usability research staff for prototype testing

Break down all project costs , including labor, materials, overhead, and any additional expenses to illustrate the project’s financial feasibility. Example:

Budget: — Personnel: $480,000 — Computing and storage: $75,000 — Research materials: $20,000 — Total: $575,000

10. Risk analysis

Identify foreseeable challenges, evaluate their implications, and propose strategic countermeasures to prevent or mitigate risks while supporting the project’s objectives.

Potential risks: These include human rater biases during data labeling, overfitting models to limited writing styles, and user rejection of artificial text imperfections. We will employ techniques like randomized rater assignment, model cross-validation, and extensive user testing to mitigate these factors.

11. Alternatives considered

Offer your “plan B” for chosen approaches, technologies, workflows , etc.

AI model architecture: — Option 1 (chosen): Transformer-based language model with multi-task learning for style transfer and grammatical error generation — Alternative: Sequence-to-sequence model with separate components for variation and naturalization Human writing data: — Option 1 (chosen): Curated corpus spanning diverse genres (novels, blogs, workplace writing) — Alternative: Automated web crawling of public online text

User interface: — Option 1 (chosen): Interactive sliders to adjust realism/complexity level — Alternative: Predefined style presets (e.g. casual, professional, creative)

12. Terms and conditions

Summarize overall project requirements with concise definitions of what happens if the proposal is approved, including terms of its start, completion deadlines, and penalties for any delays or breaches of the agreement.

Project initiation: Work shall commence within 14 days of receiving documented approval. Project duration: All deliverables must be completed within 46 weeks from initiation. Resources: The approved budget and resource allocations are binding commitments. Delays: Penalties of 2.5% of the total budget per week of delay beyond the contracted schedule, up to 20% maximum. Cancellation: The project can be canceled with 30 days’ notice and payment of all completed work. Acceptance: The final system must meet all acceptance criteria defined during implementation planning. Confidentiality: All project data, models, and code shall remain strictly confidential property.

13. Acceptance

Formalize approval from stakeholders by collecting their signatures , which will mean that everyone has reviewed and accepted the roadmap outlined in the proposal and is ready to move forward with the project.

To speed up the process, you can use proposal management software that allows signing docs electronically.

We’ve analyzed the performance of project proposals with PandaDoc users and found that e-signature on average helped them save from 6 to 24 hours while completing a document.

14. Appendix

Include any extra datasets, visual aids, documents, or references that enrich the proposal , offering additional clarity and depth.

A. Human writing samples: — Creative fiction excerpt (novel) — Technical report sample (annual cybersecurity review) — Email thread (informal workplace communication)

B. Preliminary results: — Sample model outputs at different realism levels — Human evaluation study summary (N=35 participants)

C. Linguistic studies on human writing variation: — “Modeling Grammatical Errors in Informal Text” (Conf. Proc., 2021) — “Style and Authenticity in Long-Form Writing” (Journal Paper, 2019)

D. Resumes — key personnel

How to write a project proposal

If this is the first time you’re writing a project proposal, check out these project proposal templates to avoid potential mistakes and deliver a professional document that will impress the recipient.

1. Define the problem

Start by considering the problem that you will be addressing.

Describe the pain points succinctly and in a way that resonates with your target audience.

Use facts instead of opinions and rely on data you’ve gathered through research.

Here is an example of a problem definition within a project proposal:

The e-commerce platform has faced an increasing customer churn rate over the past six months. This has risen to 15%, compared to the industry average of 10%, negatively impacting revenue and long-term growth potential.

The primary factors contributing to this problem include a lack of personalized product recommendations, slow website performance, and inadequate customer support.

This issue is worth solving because reducing customer churn will result in higher customer retention, increased customer lifetime value, and greater business profitability.

Before embarking on this journey, make sure to understand something referred to as the “triple constraint” — time, scope, and cost — also known as the project management triangle .

Keep in mind your particular triple constraint during every step of the project and remember that a change in one element inevitably affects the others.

For example, extending the functionality of your product will require postponing the deadline, and, most likely, increase the overall costs.

2. Present your solution

Help your audience see that your way of solving the problem is in line with their expectations.

Show/explain why other solutions won’t work (or won’t work as well), and guide the reader through your problem-solving process.

When talking about solutions, anticipate questions and objections and be ready to defend your suggestions.

Do your best to paint a picture that helps the audience understand the solution’s larger impact.

Once again, facts and research-backed examples are your best friends.

3. Define your deliverables

Identify project objectives and break them down into sub-objectives and deliverables.

Deliverables are measurable items that fulfill the objectives of the entire project or separate tasks or processes, and satisfy stakeholders’ requirements.

For example. for the objective ‘Improve the user experience on the e-commerce platform to increase customer satisfaction and reduce churn rate’, sub-objectives and associated deliverables might include:

• Website performance audit report identifying areas for improvement
• Optimized website with faster page load times
• Website performance monitoring dashboard
• Recommendation engine design outlining the algorithm and implementation details
• Fully integrated recommendation engine within the e-commerce platform
• User guide and training materials for the recommendation engine
• Customer support analysis report highlighting areas for improvement
• Revised customer support process flowchart
• Customer support training program for staff
• Updated knowledge base for customer self-service

4. State your strategy

Show the strategic approach you’ll take to achieve the project’s objectives.

To do so, follow these steps:

• Introduce your strategy by providing a brief overview of the approach you’ll take to accomplish the project’s goals.
• Describe the project management methodology you’ll use (e.g., agile, waterfall, or hybrid) and justify your choice based on the project’s nature, complexity, and constraints.
• Detail the specific components and techniques that make up your strategy, like resource allocation, risk management, quality assurance, communication, and change management. Explain how these components will work together to support the project’s objectives.
• Assign roles and responsibilities to each team member and stakeholder, ensuring they can collaborate and communicate efficiently.
• Align key milestones and deadlines with your strategy and include them in the project timeline. Explain how these will help monitor progress, manage risks, and ensure the project stays on track.
• Identify potential challenges and risks that may arise during the project and explain how your strategy addresses them. Discuss your approach to risk management, mitigation, and contingency planning.
• Conclude the strategy section by emphasizing the benefits and advantages of your chosen approach. Explain how your strategy is designed to deliver the desired outcomes and meet stakeholder expectations.

5. Outline your schedule and budget

Break your budget down into categories (tools, supplies, etc.) and include both direct and indirect costs.

Provide as much detail as possible so stakeholders can see you’ve done your research to help them make an informed decision.

Outline your project schedule as precisely as possible.

You can add each separate expenditure item to make your budget fully transparent and aligned with stakeholders’ expectations .

Convey the project lifecycle by communicating concrete start and end times, and do not rely on assumptions within this step!

Budget Proposal Template

Used 7315 times

3.7 rating (11 reviews)

Reviewed by Denis Malkov

6. Tie it all together

The conclusion of your project proposal should be a brief recap of what you’ve covered in the body of the document.

Restate the parts you want your recipient to take away: crucial ideas, facts, and (of course) the solutions you’re prepared to deliver.

Your project proposal should tell a story and form a cohesive whole.

Try not to include information that doesn’t contribute to the overall project objectives and ensure all necessary elements of a good proposal — as seen in this article — have been addressed.

7. Edit/proofread your proposal

Before submitting or presenting the proposal, double-check that it’s consistent and easy to follow. Edit it for clarity and added value.

Make sure that your proposal is also well-organized and visually appealing .

Check the tone and language, and don’t forget to proofread for grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes.

Asking for feedback is vital, too.

What are the most common types of project proposals?

These are five of the most common types of project proposals, each with different goals to meet different requirements.

1. Formally/informally solicited project proposals

A formally solicited proposal is initiated in response to an RFP (request for proposal), RFQ (request for quote) or IFB (invitation for bid).

These are formal requests used by buyers to gather more information about prospective vendors and their solutions.

An informally solicited project proposal is usually requested in a more casual form, which makes writing it trickier.

It’s because this type of project proposal doesn’t come with the same level of context as the formal proposal, and the project team has to do a lot of research to gather more information about the buyer.

2. Unsolicited project proposals

An unsolicited project proposal is one that no one asked for — but someone may want to see it. Unlike the solicited proposal, it’s initiated by the vendor, not the buyer.

These proposals often stem from your innovative ideas or insights, not from the other party’s requirements.

Essentially, unsolicited project proposals are more complex than an elevator pitch but perhaps less structured than solicited proposals.

With this type of proposals, you have way more freedom in presenting your ideas and highlighting what you think is really important.

3. Continuation project proposals

These are usually done on a calendar basis and are a considerably lower lift in the proposal department, as the project itself has already been approved.

This type of project proposal is created when a project enters a new phase or when new resources are needed to guarantee its continuance.

4. Renewal project proposals

Marginally different from a continuation project proposal, these are written when a project has ended and needs to start up again.

You’ll typically use data from the previous project in your renewal proposal.

5. Supplemental project proposals

These proposals are written when you need more resources than you initially requested or when you’ve gone over budget on the project.

What’s the difference between proposals and other project-related docs?

It’s important not to confuse proposals with other documentation typically associated with delivering a project, such as business proposals, contracts, project charters, and project plans.

Project proposal vs business proposal

A business proposal is like a sales pitch — it aims to sell a product or service to potential clients or investors.

On the other hand, a project proposal outlines objectives for completing a project that doesn’t necessarily have a commercial purpose.

It’s more about presenting a detailed plan rather than delivering a sales pitch.

Project proposal vs contract

A project proposal is not a contract — they serve different purposes in the project’s lifecycle.

Imagine building a house.

Before any work begins, the contractor provides you with a document outlining the design, materials, costs, and timeline so you can decide if they are a good fit.

That’s a project proposal.

In most cases, it doesn’t create legal obligations between the parties.

Now, a contract is when the contractor and you sign a legal agreement specifying the terms and conditions, including the final scope of work, project duration and liabilities.

Unlike the project proposal, it’s legally binding.

Project proposal vs project charter

A project proposal convinces the recipient to accept your offer.

Once your proposal has been green-lighted, you can try to speed up the project development by creating a project charter before really getting things off the ground.

A project charter is an internal document that officially authorizes the start of the project.

It’s intended for your internal team and provides a clear framework for project execution.

A good project charter is brief and formal.

It should talk about the project’s expected timeline, scope, and key planning aspects.

In doing so, it creates a clear mandate for your project manager to hold their staff accountable and work to set deadlines.

Ideally, your project charter should be accepted by the client or project sponsor to ensure clarity and alignment, and mitigate risks.

Project proposal vs project plan

Your project plan is a comprehensive roadmap for success, containing the project’s operational and tactical details.

It goes into much more detail than the project proposal or charter.

The project plan elaborates on how you will achieve your goals with a breakdown of tasks, resource allocation, risk management, quality control measures, and anything else to lay the foundations for the project.

This is because team members must know exactly what they should be doing on a day-to-day basis.

And, if things go wrong, a solid plan can help managers pinpoint where the problem lies.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE PROJECT PLAN TEMPLATE

What’s the difference between a project proposal and a project?

A project proposal is a document that proposes the initiation of a new project, serving as a roadmap outlining its key objectives and deliverables, and seeking the recipient’s approval.

A project is the actual implementation of the plan outlined in the project proposal once it’s been accepted by the recipient.

10 project proposal templates (free downloads)

Even if you’re well-versed in proposal writing, a template can still save you a lot of time and become a good source of inspiration.

Plus, it can help you boost conversion rates.

In this section, we explore ten of our most versatile ready-to-go templates and suggest how to write a proposal for a project example.

You can use all of these templates for free just by creating a PandaDoc account.

1. Standard sales proposal template

This sales proposal template is adaptable and can be used for a variety of purposes: bidding for contracts, acquiring clients, launching new products, making investor presentations, and forming strategic partnerships.

It has all the elements for sales reps to present their offerings in an organized and visually appealing way.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE SALES PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

2. Digital marketing project proposal template

A digital marketing proposal template that allows you to quickly craft a proposal highlighting your digital marketing services.

It explains the importance of digital marketing, outlines your strategies, and details your pricing , helping to convert prospects into current clients efficiently.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE DIGITAL MARKETING PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

3. Sponsorship project proposal template

Acquiring a sponsor isn’t an easy ride, and a proposal is a perfect chance to highlight your value proposition.

This sponsorship project proposal template explains the benefits of partnering with your organization, outlines the sponsorship packages, and details the associated costs, helping to attract and secure potential sponsors with confidence.

It’s a good idea to include sections on the “Purpose of the project” and the “Target audience profile” near the top of the document.

Remember: customization and personalization are key, so make sure to align your narrative with the expectations of your target sponsors for that perfect pitch.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE SPONSORSHIP PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

4. Recruitment project proposal template

Workforce trends like hybrid working and the Great Resignation have created a highly competitive environment for recruiters.

A recruitment project proposal is your chance to stand out to companies looking for recruitment services.

Make sure to add your track record in talent acquisition — for instance, by displaying relevant statistics or case studies.

Finally, provide detailed information on the recruitment process, timelines, and expected outcomes.

This helps potential clients understand the value and efficiency of your services.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE RECRUITMENT PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

5. Software development project proposal template

Use this proposal to showcase how reliable your software development services are and how good you are at delivering value to your clients.

Don’t forget to turn your client success stories into a powerful marketing tool — link to any relevant websites and examples of the software you’ve developed.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

6. Accounting project proposal template

A proper accounting project proposal is a great chance for you to secure long-term partnerships that will grow with the accounting needs of your clients.

Create a document that demonstrates your company is competent and has an eye for detail. Emphasize your knowledge of the regulatory frameworks of the recipient’s industry, and provide fully costed breakdowns of your services.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE ACCOUNTING PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

7. Real estate development project proposal template

An outstanding real estate project proposal strikes a balance between comprehensive detail and stunning visual aesthetics.

Inside, your readers should be able to see pictures of your previous projects along with aerial views and technical sketches, which will surely grab their attention.

From here, you can really get stuck into the details of your proposed real estate development.

You should include separate sections for financial, environmental, and location analysis, discussing your methodologies for risk monitoring and resource allocation.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE REAL ESTATE PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

8. Search engine optimization (SEO) project proposal template

SEO is a technical topic that most businesses understand the importance of, though very few have the time to devise an in-depth SEO strategy for themselves.

This is where a clear project proposal comes in, translating your line of work into comprehensible terms for those outside your industry.

You may want to begin by explaining a bit about how SEO works before presenting your services as the answer to your client’s needs.

SEO is all about hitting KPIs. So make sure to present relevant statistics, demonstrating ‘before and after’ comparisons of your previous clients’ performance.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE SEO PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

9. Venture capital project proposal template

We often talk about short attention spans in business settings, but venture capital takes it to the next level.

Since the industry is so fast-moving, venture capital investors are constantly looking for the next cutting-edge company that can provide a proven business case and ROI.

As such, you need to make your proposal urgent and get right to the point. Be sure to highlight your value proposition at the top of your document, alongside a summary of your goals and what any investments will go toward.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE VENTURE CAPITAL PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

10. Artificial intelligence (AI) project proposal template

Artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm, and there are many lucrative contracts to be won by developers.

However, securing an AI project is no easy task.

Use this project proposal template to foster trust in your company’s solutions and deliverables.

Specify what types of AI you specialize in, and explain their applications to the reader in layman’s terms.

As the AI space is rapidly changing, it’s a good idea to highlight your agile methodologies and ability to adapt to market forces.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE AI PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

Top tips on how to approach writing a project proposal

Before writing a project proposal outline.

Make sure you consider the following:

• Identify your target audience (your primary decision-makers).
• Determine the type of relationship you’re looking to cultivate with them.
• Think of ways to create this type of relationship.

More questions to ask yourself

Here are just some of the questions worth asking yourself before you get down to work:

• How familiar is your audience with the proposed project scope? What do they know? (And what don’t they know?)
• What do they want to hear? What would be the best way to communicate your idea so it’s easily understood?
• Does your proposal need to provide background information and supplemental material on a particular topic?

Keep potential drawbacks and pitfalls in mind

Project proposals often get rejected within organizations because they:

• Are poorly defined
• Do not align with the goals of the recipient’s organization
• Do not clearly and credibly define the project’s benefits
• Are not effectively presented and sold

Make sure to keep these in mind when crafting your next proposal for max impact.

Data and research are key

When looking at how to write a project proposal, remember that it should be backed up by facts, graphs, figures, and charts.

Do some research on past projects — both successful and unsuccessful — to gather useful data, evidence, and examples to prove your claims.

Examine previous case studies and weave them naturally into your narrative presenting project objectives and proposed solutions.

This should help you create solid project proposals that lead to successful outcomes.

Discover how to write a winning project proposal using PandaDoc

Creating a compelling project proposal is crucial for securing approval and support.

By using specialized document management software, you can streamline and enhance this process. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create a project proposal with our suite:

• Use one of the free templates (as seen above).
• Alternatively, create your template from scratch to fit the specific needs of your project.
• Fill in the template with relevant customer and project information.
• Add text, images, videos, tables, checkboxes, and other elements to make your proposal look professional and personalized.
• Prepare the signatory fields to collect e-signatures.
• Send your completed proposal to all parties involved.

You can sign up for a free 14-day trial and explore the process in more detail.

PandaDoc is not a law firm, or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. This page is not intended to and does not provide legal advice. Should you have legal questions on the validity of e-signatures or digital signatures and the enforceability thereof, please consult with an attorney or law firm. Use of PandaDocs services are governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Originally published December 16, 2021, updated July 29, 2024

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• 6 steps for writing a persuasive projec ...

6 steps for writing a persuasive project proposal

A project proposal is a written document outlining everything stakeholders should know about a project, including the timeline, budget, objectives, and goals. Your project proposal should summarize your project details and sell your idea so stakeholders buy in to the initiative. In this guide, we’ll teach you how to write a project proposal so you can win approval and succeed at work.

All projects have creation stories, but they don’t start with someone declaring, “Let there be resources!” To move forward with a project, teams must submit a proposal to decision-makers within their organization or to external stakeholders. 

What is a project proposal?

A project proposal is a written document outlining everything stakeholders should know about a project, including the timeline, budget, objectives , and goals. Your project proposal should summarize your project details and sell your idea so stakeholders feel inclined to get involved in the initiative.

The goal of your project proposal is to:

Secure external funding

Allocate company resources to your project

Gain stakeholder buy-in

Build momentum and excitement

Project proposals vs. project charters vs. business cases

Project proposals and project charters serve different purposes in the project creation process, and it’s important to understand the difference between the two. While a project proposal takes place in the initiation phase of the project, the project charter takes place in the planning phase. 

As mentioned above, a project proposal is a persuasive document meant to convince stakeholders why the project should be carried out. A project charter is a reference document that defines project objectives, and it can’t be created until the project proposal is approved.

People also confuse the business case with the project proposal, but the business case also comes after the proposal. Once the project is approved through a proposal, a business case may be used to secure additional funding for the project.

Types of project proposals

There are six types of proposals you may encounter as a project manager, and understanding the different formats can be useful as you write yours. Each type has a different goal.

Solicited: You’ll send solicited proposals in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP). An RFP announces a project in detail and asks for bids from qualified teams. Because you’re competing against other companies for this type of proposal, you must do thorough research and write persuasively.

Unsolicited: You’ll send unsolicited proposals without an RFP, meaning no one asked for your proposal. In this case, you won’t be up against other companies or teams, but you’ll still need to be persuasive because you have no knowledge of whether the stakeholder you’re pitching to needs you.

Informal: You may have a client send you an informal request for a project proposal, in which case you can respond with your project pitch. Because this isn’t an official RFP, the rules are less concrete.

Renewal: You’ll send renewals to existing clients in hopes that they’ll extend their services with your organization. In this type of project proposal, the goal is to emphasize past results your team has produced for the client and persuade them you can produce future results.

Continuation: You’ll send continuations as a reminder to a stakeholder letting them know the project is beginning. In this project proposal, you’ll simply provide information about the project instead of persuading the stakeholder.

Supplemental: Similar to a continuation proposal, you’ll send a supplemental proposal to a stakeholder already involved in your project. In this type of proposal, you’re letting the stakeholder know the project is beginning, while also asking for additional resources. You should persuade the stakeholder to contribute more to the project in this proposal.

The tone of voice and content of your project proposal will differ based on the type of proposal you’re sending. When you know your project goals, you can write your proposal accordingly.

How to write a project proposal

These step-by-step instructions apply to most project proposals, regardless of type. You’ll need to customize your proposal for the intended audience, but this project proposal outline can serve as a reference to ensure you’re including the key components in your document. 

1. Write an executive summary

The executive summary serves as the introduction to your project proposal. Similar to a report abstract or an essay introduction, this section should summarize what’s coming and persuade the stakeholder to continue reading. Depending on the complexity of your project, your executive summary may be one paragraph or a few paragraphs. 

Your executive summary should include:

The problem your project plans to solve

The solution your project provides for that problem

The impact your project will have 

You should only address these items briefly in your executive summary because you’ll discuss these topics in more detail later in your proposal. 

2. Explain the project background

In this section, you’ll go into the background of the project. Use references and statistics to convince your reader that the problem you’re addressing is worthwhile.

Some questions to include are:

What is the problem your project addresses?

What is already known about this problem?

Who has addressed this problem before/what research is there?

Why is past research insufficient at addressing this problem?

You can also use this section to explain how the problem you hope to solve directly relates to your organization. 

3. Present a solution

You just presented a problem in the project background section, so the next logical step in proposal writing is to present a solution. This section is your opportunity to outline your project approach in greater detail. 

Some items to include are:

Your vision statement for the project

Your project schedule , including important milestones

Project team roles and responsibilities  

A risk register showing how you’ll mitigate risk

The project deliverables

Reporting tools you’ll use throughout the project

You may not have all these items in your proposal format, but you can decide what to include based on the project scope . This section will likely be the longest and most detailed section of your proposal, as you’ll discuss everything involved in achieving your proposed solution. 

4. Define project deliverables and goals

Defining your project deliverables is a crucial step in writing your project proposal. Stakeholders want to know what you’re going to produce at the end of your project, whether that’s a product, a program, an upgrade in technology, or something else. As the stakeholder reads through your vision, this will be the section where they say, “Aha, this is what they’ll use my resources for.”

When defining your deliverables, you should include:

The end product or final objective of your project 

A project timeline for when deliverables will be ready

SMART goals that align with the deliverables you’re producing

While it’s important to show the problem and solution to your project, it’s often easier for stakeholders to visualize the project when you can define the deliverables.

5. List what resources you need

Now that you’ve outlined your problem, approach, solution, and deliverables, you can go into detail about what resources you need to accomplish your initiative.

In this section, you’ll include:

Project budget : The project budget involves everything from the supplies you’ll need to create a product to ad pricing and team salaries. You should include any budget items you need to deliver the project here.

Breakdown of costs: This section should include research on why you need specific resources for your project; that way, stakeholders can understand what their buy-in is being used for. This breakdown can also help you mitigate unexpected costs.

Resource allocation plan : You should include an overview of your resource allocation plan outlining where you plan to use the specific resources you need. For example, if you determine you need $50,000 to complete the project, do you plan to allocate this money to salaries, technology, materials, etc.

Hopefully, by this point in the proposal, you’ve convinced the stakeholders to get on board with your proposed project, which is why saving the required resources for the end of the document is a smart strategic move.

6. State your conclusion

Finally, wrap up your project proposal with a persuasive and confident conclusion. Like the executive summary, the conclusion should briefly summarize the problem your project addresses and your solution for solving that problem. You can emphasize the impact of your project in the conclusion but keep this section relevant, just like you would in a traditional essay. 

Tips for writing an effective project proposal

Following the steps listed above will ensure your project proposal has all the right elements. But if you want to impress your readers and win their approval, your writing must shine. In addition to the above, a project proposal includes:

Know your audience

As you write your proposal, keep your audience (i.e. the stakeholders) in mind at all times. Remember that the goal of the proposal is to win your audience over, not just to present your project details. For example, if you’re creating a new editing tool for a children’s publishing house, can you determine whether your stakeholders are parents and appeal to their emotional side when persuading them to buy in to your product?

Be persuasive

Persuasion is important in a project proposal because you’re hoping your audience will read your proposal and do something for you in return. If your reader isn’t intrigued by your project, they won’t feel inclined to help you. If you describe your editing tool but don’t mention the many features it will offer, how it will benefit clients, and its positive impact in the industry, your audience will wonder, “Why should I care about this project?” 

Keep it simple

While you should go into detail on your problem, approach, and solution, you shouldn’t make your project proposal overly complex. This means you can discuss the project plan for your proposed editing tool without discussing what codes the engineers will use to make each feature work. 

Do your research

A successful project proposal includes thorough research. Be prepared to back up your problem—and solution—with reputable sources, case studies, statistics, or charts so you don’t leave your audience with questions. When writing your proposal, put yourself in the reader’s shoes and ask:

Why is this a problem?

How is this a solution to the problem?

Has anyone addressed this problem before?

What are the project costs?

If you can answer these questions, then you’ve likely done enough research to support your proposed initiative.

Use project management tools to strengthen your project proposal

Good project proposals require team collaboration . With the right management tools, your team can communicate, share information, and work together on one shared document. 

When you store all your project information in one place, it’s easy to access that data when you need it. Project proposals stem from well-organized and properly planned projects, which is why project management software is a key resource to effectively write a project proposal. Ready to get started? Try Asana .

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Top 10 Project Methodology Templates with Samples and Examples

Vaishali Rai

Project management is confusing. Have you ever been in a situation like this, sitting at your project meeting, perhaps feeling out of your depth, and finding it hard to follow the conversation around you? It may be due to unstructured and unorganized execution of the project's principles. You also might need to apply a suitable project management methodology. 

What is project management methodology?

A project management methodology is a set of principles, techniques, and procedures Project Managers use to execute and manage projects. There are several methodologies and all require different workflows, deliverables, and project management software development. The project management methodologies facilitate team collaboration by directing team members to work for a common objective.

Are your projects complex or straightforward? Whatever the case may be, these Top 10 Project Management Cycle Templates will help you organize and track every bit of it!

When a project is carried out systematically, chances of success are better. Project managers are responsible for planning tasks, tracking progress, and delivering results. Here’s when a project methodology comes in. It includes certain procedures that help you structure your team’s workflow.

There are many project methodologies available for the systematic execution of a project. Choosing the best one among a landscape of methodologies can be overwhelming. Some of these work well in specific projects or industries. However, Product managers select the methodology that best suits the way their teams work. 

Here, in this blog, we'll talk about project methodologies and templates you can use in your projects. 

Let’s explore!

Template 1: Project Management Methodologies PowerPoint Presentation Slides

This PPT displays an elaborative project agenda, including the project brief essential to operate efficiently. The layout also consists of details about the company's products. Showcase the progress summary, and the milestones achieved and reflect on the potential goals. Download now!

Download now!

Template 2: Three Principles of Waterfall Project Methodology

This PPT is designed while keeping in mind the linear approach, meaning that the tasks are organized in a sequence. This template allows you to map the tasks from beginning to end and work accordingly. It includes three essential waterfall project methodology principles: low customer involvement, robust project documentation, and sequential stages that smoothen up the project management process. Download now!

Template 3: 5D Consulting Project Methodology with Implementation

This PPT Template portrays a five-dimensional visualization process for consulting projects. It includes major steps like discovering, designing, developing, designing, and determining while considering budgetary and cost requirements. It also comprises activities like process assessment, tools management, collaboration, etc., that aid in accurate project deployment and maintenance. Download now!

Template 4: Enterprise Resource Planning Consulting Project Methodology

This template displays an execution method for designing ERP software for both parties; the consulting firm and the buyer. It includes the implementation team, administrative project management, project management team, etc. Ace your resource planning game by organizing, identifying, and listing the resources required to complete a project. Get it now!

Template 5: Rotation Process Illustrating Agile Project Methodology

Agile is more of an approach than a methodology. It is collaborative, fast and effective, data-backed, and values individuals over processes. This template lets you analyze processes, provide suggestions, plan & design projects, project construction, and evaluate & monitor processes. Download now!

Template 6: Consulting Project Methodology for Supply Chain and Logistics

This template exhibits consulting project methodology for supply chain and logistics. It includes the five-step process of mapping, internal audit, gap assessment, solution design, and implementation. The topics discussed in this slide are gap analysis, solution design, implementation, internal audit, and mapping. Download this versatile template now!

Template 7: Project Management Methodology Including Planning

This methodology is the one most used by project managers. It portrays the tasks in a chronological manner involving designing, developing, testing, and deploying a project. If you're looking for a comprehensive guide to your next project, look no further than this. Download it now!

Template 8: Project Management and Implementation Methodology Overview

Project management and implementation methodology plays a significant role in ensuring successful delivery of projects. This template explains how these methods can be used to ensure the successful delivery of projects, along with some tips for implementing them. They also include a variety of practical examples to help you understand how the methodology can be applied in a real-world scenario. Get it now!

Template 9: Waterfall vs Agile Development Methodology for Project

This two-stage process template for projects is explicit and effective. It combines clarity and concise expression to achieve holistic project development by enabling client/stakeholder collaboration. It encourages frequent interaction of team members, making them resolve any complexities and meet requirements before deadlines. Download this now!

Template 10: Methodology Five Steps Indicating Project Lifecycle

Strategically important complex projects that are long-term, resource-heavy, and extensive, require flexible project management methodology. This template includes five steps of a project lifecycle that helps bring more cohesion to your project. Keep every team member on the same page with this helpful and 100% customizable template. Download now!

Manage Your Projects Well

By choosing the right project management methodology at the right time and the right place, you’ll be able to make your projects more efficient. Finding the perfect project methodology also helps implement processes right for you, your team, and your organization.

We hope that the above set of templates serves as the ultimate tool in your belt!

FAQs on Project Methodology

What is a project methodology.

A project management methodology is a detailed manual to supervise project completion. A project team uses this set of defined processes to initiate, plan, and execute the project. The type of project methodology you choose establishes the way of work organization, prioritization, and completion. 

The project management methodology aims to standardize, structure, and organize work requirements and methods. This helps focus on what works best and enables the repetition of successful aspects and learning from mistakes, resulting in a continuous improvement process.

What are the five project methodologies?

Here are five common project methodologies used by Project Managers to manage workflow:

• Agile : This method is best suited for projects which require extreme flexibility and speed. It focuses less on documentation and more on customer satisfaction. Agile methodology is good for products with a faster release cycle. 
• Scrum : Scrum methodology has an iterative project management style. It follows the principles followed in Agile methodology. In this method, the work is done in sessions known as ‘Sprints’. Here, the Scrum Master facilitates the process instead of a Project Manager. 
• Waterfall : It is based on traditional methods and mainly focuses on following the processes. Here, much emphasis is given to project documentation. 
• Critical Path Method : This methodology is a step-by-step method and works best for projects with independent tasks. Its key role is to measure and prioritize tasks.
• Program Evaluation and Review Technique : This method is commonly used along with CPM (Critical Path Method). It is mostly used by businesses that are looking for expansion. It measures progress to create timelines and budgets.
• Critical Chain Method : A separate classification, this methodology is more advanced than the CPM methodology. Here, goals are created based on constraints while focusing on cost-saving benefits.

What are the three major types of project methodologies?

Here are three major types of methodologies commonly used:

• Scrum method : Scrum is the most widely used agile methodology for project management. It allows you to do more by scheduling tasks in short cycles named sprints. It enables you to work as a dedicated team to analyze processes, meet requirements, and meet deadlines. It also helps you receive continuous feedback rather than using final evaluations. The scrum methodology is mostly used to develop new projects, compile budgets, and organize annual reports. 
• Waterfall method : This method is linear and phase-based. It arranges and organizes tasks chronologically, which helps identify major areas of errors. Documentation is a huge part of waterfall methodology. It entails precise details about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. This methodology doesn’t provide any room for flexibility.
• Lean and Six Sigma method : Lean and Six Sigma method is famous for its ability to manage the resource and time wastage that occurs in other methodologies. It is an approach to continuous improvement that is divided into two types of initiatives- Ongoing improvement initiatives and project-based initiatives. Each of these is associated with a set of methods and tools for you to employ. Ultimately, this methodology is based on the Kaizen principle that aims at making small changes on a daily basis for continuous improvement in small, easy steps.

How do you prepare a project methodology?

A good project method will represent the convergence of many factors, such as your scope, professional experience, and the research done. Here’s how you can prepare a project methodology in five steps:

• Communicate deliverables : A solid plan requires proper research and pre-planning. So, the first step is to set clear objectives, cost & budget, project requirements, and deliverables to work upon. 
• Define the process : Choose the project methodology that best suits your team’s workflow and organizational structure. Sit with your team and draft a process that matches your work style and project requirements. 
• Communicate risks and deadlines : Analyzing the ability to manage risks while meeting project deadlines is the next step in preparing a methodology. You need to observe the level of risk you can handle based on the size of the project.
• Determine task dependencies : Next, it is important to understand if you can perform tasks while keeping room for flexibility to alter the processes.

Define client/ stakeholder collaboration : Finally, you need to oversee the level of involvement you need from your stakeholders and clients in a project. It also defines team roles and assignments to help break down bigger projects into small and easy tasks.

Related posts:

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• [Updated 2023] Top 20 One Page Project Plans, Project Proposals, and Executive Summaries for Project Management
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13 Types of Project Proposals That Get Approved (and How to Write Them)

A project proposal is how you can get management to act on your ideas. They’re the bottom-up version of a project request form .

Writing a project proposal isn’t rocket science, but it is a lot harder if you don’t have something like a template to give you a head start.

Using a template for your proposals gives you a document which you can reference throughout the entire project. It’s a great example of effective business process management – the proposal acts as a banner that your whole team can rally around to ensure you’re all working towards the same goal.

So, in this Process Street post, I’ll go through how to create a project proposal, that gets approved, by going through the following topics:

Free project proposal template

12 more free project proposal templates, what makes a good project proposal.

• Key tips for writing effective project proposals

Writing a lot of project proposals? Check this out!

• More stuff to help you write amazing project proposals

Ready to get started?

If you’re in a hurry and you need a simple, effective project proposal template you can pick up and use immediately, then check out our Project Proposal Template Checklist .

You can also find the same project proposal template embedded just below.

Template: How to write a project proposal

Click here to get this project proposal template!

If you’re in need of a more specific template, we also have a bunch of other project proposal templates below, for pretty much any kind of project proposal use case you could think of. Just click the header to expand it and see the full workflow template.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for a formally solicited project proposal

A formally solicited project proposal is made in response to an official request for a proposal. In a way, this is the easiest way to create a proposal for a new project, since the Request For Proposal (RFP) document will usually tell you exactly what the customer or audience wants and sometimes even directions for preparing the proposal.

RFP forms aren’t to be confused with project request forms though – the former is a way to directly react to specific needs and desires, whereas the latter is a way for higher management to request a project of their teams.

Therefore, for formally solicited proposals you should take a more structured approach. You have to respond directly to the contents of whatever rough details have been relayed to you, essentially turning feedback into a quantifiable project which you can then judge the worth of starting.

Your project proposal checklist doesn’t need to be complicated. The template below is an example of how a simple checklist can help you to write your project proposals.

Remember that this simple template can be used for formally solicited, informally solicited, and unsolicited project proposals alike.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for an informally solicited project proposal

Informally solicited project proposals are the same as formally solicited ones, except the information they are based on isn’t set out in a specific document. This makes them a little harder to deal with (more research is involved in analyzing them), but you at least have a rough starting point.

It’s pretty much just a lack of detail that separates formal from informal – formal proposal requests have set details, goals, deliverables, and potentially even methods, while informal ones could be based on a conversation. If you’ve been asked for a proposal but haven’t been given any specifics, it’s an informally solicited one.

Again, the approach for this isn’t too different from a formally solicited one, but you’ll have to put in some extra legwork in defining details like the objectives and method and in assessing how viable the whole thing is.

To get a template you can use to create an informally solicited project proposal, check the previous section.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for an unsolicited project proposal

Unsolicited project proposals are the project equivalent of cold calls – nobody asked to receive one, but (if you’ve done your homework), it can still provide a ton of value. These are proposals that are thought of by the person submitting them and can be inspired by anything, from a eureka moment in the employee’s daily work to a casual conversation with a customer.

Arguably these are the hardest proposals to write, as you’ll have to be extra persuasive (nobody asked for the proposal, so they’ll need extra nudging). This means gathering more evidence than usual to prove the proposal’s worth and taking extra care when writing to make sure that it’s convincing.

To get a template you can use to create an unsolicited project proposal, check out the previous section on formally solicited proposals.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for proposing to continue a project

Continuation project proposals are by far and away the easiest to write since these are essentially reminders/updates for ongoing (and already approved) projects.

These are almost not even proposals, in the sense that you’re not asking for anything new or pitching your case. Instead, all you have to do is remind the audience of the project they previously approved, report on its progress, account for any changes, and ask for permission to continue.

Usually, continuation proposals are reserved for requesting funds when starting a new phase in a project.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for proposing to renew a project

Once an ongoing project has finished or outlived its usefulness (and support for it is going to be terminated), a renewal project proposal can be written to make the case for its continued support.

Much like continuation proposals, these are less about convincing the audience of the project’s worth by itself and more about showing why it’s valuable to continue doing it. This usually means weighing up the return benefits with the resources it takes to upkeep the practice.

It’s also good to compare the project you’re trying to get renewed support for with other continuing projects – this puts its worth in the context of other ongoing efforts and can indicate areas better suited to being discontinued.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for making a proposal for supplemental project resources

A supplemental project proposal is required when you need to ask for extra resources for a project (beyond those originally proposed). The main aim when writing these proposals is to be able to justify the extra resources and produce updated estimates of what the project will now take to complete.

If the project’s scope is being increased to have a further reach, then this will read as an extension of the original document with a focus on explaining the benefits of expanding the scope.

However, if problems or new information have arisen that means the original goals require extra resources, you should instead focus on reiterating the benefits that the project will bring, explain why such problems and/or information weren’t seen in advance, and reassure the audience that the operation is still worth the investment.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for a business proposal

This business proposal template is basically a sales pitch on paper. Its primary purpose is to persuade a company or organization to do business with you.

It should describe what you can do to solve the problem, how you plan to solve the problem, and the finer details about what, when, why, and how it will solve the problem.

It should also contain a key call to action that will compel the recipient to take the next step.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for a contractor proposal

A contractor proposal is a written outline of the project that’s to be completed by the contractor.

The goal for any contractor proposal is to introduce yourself, highlight your services, describe the costs, and convince the client that you are the right one to trust for the job.

This ‘Contractor Proposal Template’ checklist covers the high-level items that every general contractor proposal should include. Use it alongside the proposal document you plan to submit to make sure you include information such as resources needed, estimated costs, past experience, and payment schedules.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for a consulting proposal

A consulting proposal outlines the working relationship between the consultant and the client so that both parties can stay aligned and understand the other’s expectations.

It’s a document sent from a consultant to a prospective client describing a job they wish to take on and the conditions under which they will do so.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for a grant proposal

The process of how to write a grant is a long one, and it can seem overwhelming at first.

Final decisions about which proposals are funded often come down to whether the proposal convinces the reviewer that the research project is well-planned and feasible and whether the investigators are well-qualified to execute it.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for a sponsorship proposal

A sponsorship proposal needs to convince a potential investor that it’s in their best interest to invest. Use this checklist to make sure your proposal is persuasive, effective, and targeted enough to win the sponsorship money.

⬇️ Click here to see our template for a research proposal

Use this checklist, alongside the proposal document you are planning to submit, to convince others that you have a worthwhile research project and that you have the competence and the work plan to complete it.

If you’re interested in learning how to write the best project proposal possible, read on for some pro tips for writing project proposals that actually get accepted.

What’s the goal of a project proposal?

The goal of a project proposal is to communicate your project’s core value proposition to an interested party. It should establish the scope of the project, including expected outcomes and how you plan to execute it. It also serves as a roadmap that defines each step of the project so that everyone involved is on the same page, working towards the same goals from the start.

One of the most important things about a project proposal, but one that is often forgotten, is that project proposals should serve to convince whoever you’re proposing to that the project is worthwhile. That could be an investor, a C-level executive, or even your teammates (buy-in from your team is always important, after all).

That’s why getting inside the heads of the people you are writing the proposal for is vital; you need to think like the project’s stakeholders to deliver a proposal that meets their needs.

In other words, the goal of a project proposal is to get approved.

The best kind of project proposals, the ones that knock it out of the park and convince everyone on the receiving end of the presentation that this is something worth investing time and money in, are the ones that:

• Understand who they’re speaking to (and leverage that knowledge)
• Understand that people have a very short attention span
• Focus on essential information
• Use simple language, and focus on clearly communicating a message (as opposed to needlessly confusing people with jargon)
• Do adequate preparation & research
• Focus on the outcome with a clear, straightforward plan for execution

So how do you pack all this into your project proposals? Let’s dive into the process of writing an effective project proposal.

️ Key tips for writing effective project proposals

There are two stages to the creation of an effective project proposal:

Let’s start with planning.

Adequate planning: Understanding your audience & core message

Planning a good project proposal looks something like this:

• Define your audience
• Clearly define the scope of the proposal
• Be clear about predicted outcome of the project
• Assess the time and resources the project will need
• Plot a project roadmap

Don’t worry too much about the language you’re using or being terribly well-formatted here. Instead, focus your attention on getting the base facts right and covering yourself for any questions that might counter your proposal.

If you’re aiming to get your proposal approved, you need to convince the person reading it that it’s worth the time and resource investment. To do that, you need to know who your audience is, what they prioritize, and what they’re likely to be resistant to.

So, the first thing you need to do when planning your project proposal is to define your audience.

Lay out exactly who they are, what their position is (manager, CEO, potential customer, etc.), and whatever you know about their background. This will then let you relate every aspect of your proposal back to them to make it as appealing as possible.

You’re also assessing how much detail you need to go into with the various concepts of your proposal. If your audience doesn’t know much about what you’re proposing, you’ll want to take extra care to explain it in a language they can understand and therefore see the value in what you’re saying.

For example, if I was pitching a project to our head of marketing ( Ben Brandall ), I’d take special note of his focus on data (shown by posts like his breakdown of 250 SaaS pricing pages ) and use that knowledge to pitch with more evidence to back up my points, as shown above. Since he’s familiar with most things marketing, I’d also be able to use more specific terms and concepts – he has the background knowledge, so there’s no point in patronizing him with surface details.

Now that you know what your problem is, what’s already been done to solve it, and who you’re writing for, you need to work out and clearly define what your project proposal is. Don’t worry too much about relating it back to your audience just yet – for now, the focus should be on coming up with a solution to the problem.

The key here is to not go overboard with detail. You only need to say what your proposal broadly is and the steps that will be taken to complete it.

Anyone with the power to approve your proposal will likely have one question in their mind after hearing it; “why is this the best solution to the problem?”. If they can’t make the link between your proposal and the problem you’ve highlighted, you’ll never get past the pitch.

So, here in your plan, you need to lay out your predictions for the proposal and how it will benefit your audience. Using what you know of previous experiments, the current state of your main problem, and what your proposal does, lay out the success metrics for your proposal and attempt to predict the results.

Don’t be afraid to highlight the factors which could negatively affect your proposal either. Knowing these and pointing them out will at least let your audience know the risks involved and can allow you to alter your proposal before submission to account for weak points.

Above all else, this is the stage in your proposal where you’ll be justifying your proposal to the audience, so don’t be afraid to be harsh and alter your proposal to account for any weaknesses you find. You can’t hide them (doing so sets you up for failure in your audience’s eyes), so instead, do what you can to minimize the risks and improve the predicted outcomes.

Progress doesn’t come for free, and now it’s time to look into the time and resources your proposal will take to complete. This will let you know whether the proposal is worth the investment before even submitting it – if you can see that the time and resources far outweigh your predicted outcomes, chances are that it’s worth saving your audience’s time and not pitching it at all.

Being conservative when estimating the time and resources your project will take is a surefire way to fail to meet expectations and deadlines, so you also shouldn’t sugarcoat these elements. It’s better to give yourself room for a little error and be underestimated than to keep everything tight and have to submit a supplemental proposal.

Note down what teams will be working on the project, the specific expertise (and, therefore staff members) the various stages will take, how long their tasks should take them, and any resources beyond the base time commitment.

Don’t forget about each staff member’s other commitments too – if possible, you should aim to fit the proposal in with their current schedule rather than take attention away from other tasks. This won’t always be possible, but at least make sure you know what you’re asking for.

Finally, once you have all the information you need, it’s time to plan the outline for your project proposal. Don’t worry about making everything look nice or read perfectly for now – focus on getting the core elements of your proposal on one page. Then, you can worry about the specific language when you’re actually writing your proposal.

Although the exact layout of your proposal will change based on the format you use and how your team usually submits them, in general, make sure you cover:

• An introduction that summarizes the proposal and hooks the audience
• The problem you’re tackling
• The solution you’re proposing
• The method for your solution (step-by-step)
• Why this is the best course of action
• The time and resource commitment (potentially including budget)
• A conclusion that reinforces your proposal

Remember to pose all of the evidence and points you’ve gathered from the perspective of what your audience cares about and in a language they understand. When you’re pitching to a team manager, colleague, or the CEO, they need to be able to see why they should care about the proposal and why it’s the best thing they can do to solve the problem.

Once you’ve got this outline done, it’s time to move on and learn how to write a proposal.

✍️ Clear, concise writing: Keep it simple, stupid!

When it comes to writing a proposal , your structure should look something like this:

• The introduction
• The problem
• The solution
• The justification
• The schedule and/or budget
• How the whole thing will be measured/tracked
• The conclusion

I’ll cover each section & give advice while showing & referring to an example project proposal.

Specifically, I’ll be looking at this proposal for an assessment of a nuclear waste storage site.

Having a hook in your introduction is vital for catching the interest of your audience. If they’re not interested in the proposal from the get-go, then it’ll be much harder to convince them of the benefits and therefore get their approval, and that’s if they don’t dismiss the whole document after a cursory glance.

If you come across any striking statistics when looking into the problem you’re tackling, use them in your first line. This will help to catch their interest and lead them into the rest of the proposal, especially if you can relate the figures back to something they know and care about.

Above all else, don’t make your introduction more than a couple of sentences (three or four at best). Shorter introductions are not only easier to read, but by limiting the space you have to work with, you force yourself to focus on only the most important details.

Hit the audience with a reason to care about the problem, give a little context on what’s currently being done about it, then quickly describe what your proposal will do to tackle it.

Follow up your introduction with a summary of the problem that your proposal tackles and what the current state of it is. Use the research from your plan to spend a couple of sentences explaining what it is, what’s being done about it both internally and externally, and why your audience should care about it in the first place.

There’s not much else to say here – you need to clearly define the problem you’re tackling using the research you conducted when planning the proposal. The only thing you need to remember here is to relate it back to your audience using language and concepts they understand and value.

Once they understand the problem they’re facing, it’s time to present your proposed solution. You need to give both a rough summary of the purpose of your solution and the steps it takes to achieve that goal.

Again, don’t get lost in detail here, as that’s a surefire way to make your audience lose interest. Instead, give them the proposed method in a way they will understand and clearly highlight how this will tackle the main problem.

Here you not only need to relate the solution back to your audience, but it’s vital that the method is as specific as possible to show them exactly what steps will be taken and reassure them that you’ve done the appropriate research into what this entails.

Although the value of your solution should be clear from how you’ve presented both it and the problem it tackles, it’s worth re-iterating why your method is the best course of action. While this can be done in the previous section of the proposal, dedicating a short segment will let your audience easily scan the document to see the value immediately.

In a couple of sentences (ideally a single paragraph) go over how you predict the proposal will affect the problem it’s tackling, and ideally back up these assertions with evidence from previous and/or similar attempts in the past.

If all’s gone to plan, then your audience should be on board – now it’s time to give them all of the information they need to know what the project will cost and how long it will take to complete. Break down the proposed solution into specific steps with a rough time estimate for each, and give a budget that accounts for any extra items, staff, technology, and so on.

This will let your audience visualize the timeline and cost of your project as opposed to the benefits that it brings. As such, they need to have enough detail to be able to judge the worth of the proposal, such as the time investment of various team members and departments alongside any funds for items beyond your current inventory.

It might seem like overkill to lay out the teams involved and how much time they will be spending on the various stages, but remember that your proposal probably isn’t the only thing that they could be doing. You’re not only asking for those teams to spend time completing your tasks, but you’re also justifying why they should not be spending that time on another project.

Without a structured way to monitor your proposal in action and to track its progress, neither you nor your audience will know whether it’s working or not, and nobody will be able to address any problems as they surface. This is a massive red flag to anyone with the power to approve your proposal because it leaves everyone in the dark until the very end of the project.

You need to show (again, using language and concepts that your audience understands) how the project will be monitored as it progresses and, therefore, how you will be able to detect problems at the earliest possible opportunity. This will also reassure your audience that they will be receiving regular updates on the project and that the tasks you’ve laid out will be carried out correctly (since they are being monitored).

In other words, this is your opportunity to limit human error in your proposal’s success by closely tracking its progress. All you have to do is show the chain of command and how everything will be tracked.

Finally, you need to write a brief conclusion to wrap up your points, remind the audience why they should approve the proposal, and reassure them that you have thoroughly researched the topic to give them the greatest chance of success.

You shouldn’t be introducing any new information here – all you have to do is write a few sentences reminding them why the problem is important and why your proposal is the best solution for the resources it requires.

If you’re finding yourself writing a lot of project proposals, it might be time to consider building a process for writing them to make your life easier.

In fact, if you’re writing a lot of project proposals, you already have a process (even if you don’t know it yet). And you can always improve your processes & workflows to do smarter & better work.

That’s what we’re all about at Process Street: Helping you build powerful workflows that automate repetitive tasks and manage team knowledge so that you can focus on the work that matters (and empower your whole team to do the same).

Check out this video to find out more about who we are and what we do:

With our advanced features, you can customize your project proposal templates so it fits your organization, the type of proposal you’re writing, and your way of working like a glove:

• Stop tasks (to make sure the process is followed in the correct order & crucial project information isn’t missed)
• Dynamic due dates (to ensure proposals are finished on time)
• Task permissions (to make sure only you and whoever you grant access to can work on the proposal)
• Conditional logic (for guiding you through writing different kinds of proposals from the same template based on what you need)
• Approval tasks (so you can get the project proposal approved by management, or approve a proposal that has been drafted by someone on your team)

Not only that, but you can connect to thousands of apps through Zapier , webhooks, or API integration to automate your workflows and save time, effort, and money.

You can use Process Street to create a process for all sorts of things, not just writing project proposals . From creating client onboarding processes and to-do list templates to managing your quality management software or standard operating procedure templates .

The list is endless.

✨ More stuff to help you write amazing project proposals

To give you even more help and guidance, check out these alternative proposal templates that you can use when writing your project proposal:

• Bid Proposal Template Checklist
• Budget Proposal Template
• Construction Proposal Template Checklist
• Consulting Proposal Template Checklist
• Contractor Proposal Template Checklist
• Event Proposal Template Checklist
• Marketing Proposal Template Checklist
• Simple Proposal Format Checklist
• Sponsorship Proposal Template Checklist
• Website Proposal Template Checklist

Let us know how you organize your project proposals in the comments below!

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Ben Mulholland

Ben Mulholland is an Editor at Process Street , and winds down with a casual article or two on Mulholland Writing . Find him on Twitter here .

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Blog Business How to Write a Project Proposal (with Examples & Templates)

How to Write a Project Proposal (with Examples & Templates)

Written by: Jennifer Gaskin Dec 11, 2023

For businesses that rely on clients and partnerships to generate sales and revenue, project proposals are must-haves. A polished, professional project proposal is one of the best ways to present the capabilities your team has and put your goods and services in the best possible light. And to speed up the process of creation project proposal you can use an AI proposal generator .

But creating a good project proposal is more than just a timeline and a budget. Adding visual flourishes like charts, graphs and other imagery can help elevate a boring proposal to the top of the pile. Learn how you can create a successful project proposal and take a look at several project proposal templates you can fully customize using Venngage.

Click to jump ahead:

• What is a project proposal and how to use it ?
• What is a project proposal template ?

5 project proposal examples with templates

• How to write a project proposal in 9 steps?
• What are the 6 types of project proposals?

Benefits of using a project proposal template

What are the contents of a project proposal, what is a project proposal & how to use it.

A project proposal is a formal document that outlines the details, objectives and scope of a proposed project. The purpose of a project proposal is to describe the parameters of a potential project or initiative.

Depending on the industry and type of project proposal (more on that in a moment), these documents can include things like scope of work, timelines, staffing, budget, capability statement and more.

Companies that receive project proposals from other firms or individuals use these documents to narrow down their options and make an informed decision about the best partner for them. And companies that create project proposals use them to make their pitch for the project.

Here’s an example of a project proposal to propose a new partnership:

It’s important to note that project proposals are not the same as business proposals , though there are some similarities. One of the biggest differences is that business proposals tend to be more general and expansive. Learn more about writing a great business proposal.

What is a project proposal template?

A project proposal template is a sample proposal that outlines all the essential elements of an actual project proposal, including title, executive summary, introduction, problem statement, scope and budget. You can use a project proposal template as a guide or reference to create an actual project proposal.

Now that we’ve explored some of the background and purpose of project proposals, let’s take a look at some templates you can customize using Venngage for your own project.

Real-world project proposal example

Here is a real-world project proposal example for developing a mobile gaming application.

Title: Development of Mobile App for XYZ Gaming Company Ltd.

Executive Summary

This project proposes the development of a mobile gaming application for XYZ Gaming Company Ltd. to provide a convenient platform for customers to browse, purchase, and download digital games directly from their mobile devices. The app will help the company enhance customer experience and streamline gaming-related purchases.

By launching this app, XYZ Gaming expects to boost mobile-based transactions by 40% in the first year, while also improving customer retention through personalized marketing and in-app promotions.

Introduction

XYZ Gaming Company Ltd. is a new brand in the gaming industry who wants to offer mind games for kids and young adults. As mobile usage continues to dominate, especially among the gaming demographic, there is a need for a dedicated mobile app to provide an enhanced gaming experience. This app will serve as a one-stop solution for game purchases and updates.

Objectives and scope

• Develop a user-friendly mobile app for Android and iOS to offer seamless browsing, purchasing, and downloading of digital mind games.
• Integrate a loyalty program and personalized game recommendations to increase customer engagement.
• Implement multiple secure payment gateways, including options for in-app purchases and digital wallets.
• Enable the app to provide real-time updates on game releases, promotions, and gaming events.
• Ensure user retention and engagement through push notifications, in-app promotions, and personalized content.

Methodology

• App design and development: Design a visually appealing, fast, and easy-to-navigate app.
• Core features : Include features such as, puzzle challenges and brain teasers with varying difficulty levels, daily mind training exercises and progress tracking and in-app hints and rewards system for completing tasks.
• Testing and security : Extensive app testing will ensure the app runs smoothly across all devices.
• Launch : The software development team will conduct final testing, address any last-minute bugs, and deploy the mobile app to app stores.

Here is the estimated cost for this project:

• App Development (iOS & Android) – $35,000
• UI/UX Design – $10,000
• Backend API Integration – $15,000
• Security & Testing – $5,000

Total cost – $65,000

The development of a mobile e-commerce app for XYZ Gaming Company Ltd. is a strategic move that will allow the company to capture a larger portion of the gaming market and increase mobile-driven sales. It will enable XYZ Gaming to remain competitive and grow its presence in the mobile gaming market.

Construction project proposal examples

The construction industry is a complex one, and project proposals are critical for landing business and keeping projects on track. But there are many approaches a construction project proposal can take.

Taking the complicated and making it simple is a challenge, particularly in this field, but as this project proposal example shows, it can be done. By using simple, clear language and well-placed visual emphasis, this free project proposal template stands out for its simplicity.

Many hiring companies simply skim project proposals for things like budget and timeframe, and while you still need to craft an engaging proposal, it’s a good idea to put those types of elements front and center, as this construction project proposal does.

Remember that regardless of whether your firm is hired for the job at hand, every document you send to another business is a chance to establish your company’s brand identity. Use a template like the one below, update it with your logo and brand colors and fonts to keep it aligned with your messaging.

As you can see from the example below, a few color changes can make a huge difference:

To easily apply your brand colors and logos, simply have them automatically extracted from your website using Autobrand:

And apply them to your design in one click with My Brand Kit :

Design project proposal examples

You might think it would be a no-brainer for a designer to create a well-designed project proposal, but it’s common for creative people to have difficulty when it comes to analytical thinking. That’s why having a couple of great project proposals in your back pocket is perfect for a designer.

Project proposals in creative fields tend to be a bit less buttoned-up than those in other industries, so use your proposal as an opportunity to make a bold design statement. The template below, for example, uses a striking color palette and minimalist imagery on the cover to make the proposal stand out, and those touches are reinforced throughout the document.

This example, similarly, uses creative color combinations to strike a design-forward tone. But as both of these templates illustrate, the bones of the project proposal must be sound, and all the information required should still be covered.

Work project proposal examples

Not every industry requires a unique approach to project proposals, and, in fact, for most applications, a general work proposal template will suffice, provided that you do your due diligence in following any requirements set forward by the hiring party.

This template created for a consulting firm illustrates a straightforward approach to project proposals that you can easily adapt for your needs. Add or remove pages, insert charts and graphs or new icons and craft a compelling narrative.

This project proposal template is an excellent example of how companies can use established templates to create a unique proposal. Note how they’ve used the sections that apply to them and put them together in a way to appeal to their potential client.

Marketing project proposal examples

Marketers and marketing agencies are regularly asked to submit RFPs, whether for individual projects or long-term engagements, so the average marketing agency will need to have several project proposals on hand that they can modify when new requests come in.

This social media marketing project proposal template is ideal for a single campaign rather than a multi-year engagement. In that situation, it’s crucial to make sure all dates and milestones in the campaign are clearly stated.

Ideally, a marketing agency or marketer will get a chance to pitch for long-term work. In that case, this project proposal template is ideal for outlining all aspects of the project proposal, including a timeline that extends to a full year.

A critical aspect of modern marketing success is doing a great deal of research on keywords, competitors and traffic, and many marketers include such metrics in their project proposals, along the lines of this example. Note how high-impact charts and graphs are used to help the audience absorb the data and make an informed decision. There are various marketing proposal examples that you can look at to inspire your next proposal design and help catch the attention of your clients.

How to write a project proposal in 9 steps ?

Writing a great project proposal can be a challenge. That’s because you need to craft the message specifically for the company or individual you’re sending the proposal to.

But don’t worry if you don’t know where to start, here’s how you write an effective project proposal:

Step 1: Review the RFP (if you have one)

If there is no formal RFP, you’ll still need to start out researching as much as you can about your potential client. That means finding out not only about the problem you’re hoping to solve but the history of the client, their industry, their competitors and more. Getting to know them better will help you understand how to portray yourself or your company in the best light.

Step 2: Create a project proposal outline

Whether you use the sections we listed above in that order, add or remove ones or shift things around, jot down a quick outline of sections to keep in mind as you work.

Step 3: Define the problem and present your solution

Kick things off by clearly nailing down the problem or need your project is tackling. Back it up with some hard evidence and data to show why this issue is a big deal. Break it down for your audience, explaining how your project is going to make their lives better.

Step 4: Highlight elements that may set your proposal apart

For example, if you know that your company will be able to complete the task more quickly than any competitors, make that the focus of your solution or scope of work section. Compare your proposed timeline with what your competitors are likely to propose to the client.

You should also make notes of any elements that you might be able to visualize through a graph, chart or other design element — visuals can help not only make your project proposal easier on the eyes, but they can make it more memorable and illustrate to the client that you are able to think creatively.

Here’s an example of how it can look in your project proposal:

Step 5: Define project deliverables and goals

A rock-solid project hinges on clarity, and that starts with laying out precisely what your project will deliver. Whether it’s reports, shiny new products, or top-notch services, make it crystal clear from the get-go.

Next, set the bar with measurable goals and objectives that scream success. Break them down so everyone’s on the same page. And because time is money, map out a timeline that’s not just a bunch of dates but a roadmap with key pit stops.

These milestones and deadlines are the heartbeat of your project, guiding you through each phase and making sure you hit the finish line with style. It’s all about setting the stage for success and making sure everyone’s got their eyes on the prize.

Step 6: State your plan or approach

Now, we’ve made it to the meat of your project proposal. In this section, walk your readers through the nitty-gritty of your project management approach.

Break down the essentials when it comes to resources—think people, equipment, and budget. And, while you’re at it, clue them in on your game plan for handling potential challenges through your risk management strategy. Additionally, consider your approach to project management, for example  agile project management  prioritizes flexibility and adaptability in order to effectively respond to changes and deliver successful outcomes.

Step 7: Outline your project schedule and budget

Crafting a successful project hinges on meticulous planning, starting with the creation of a detailed project schedule.

Break down the project into specific tasks and assign realistic timelines to each one. This step-by-step schedule, like a roadmap, not only helps in visualizing the project’s progression but also aids in resource allocation and risk management.

Simultaneously, developing a comprehensive budget is paramount. Dive deep into identifying and estimating all project costs, including personnel, materials equipment, and any potential contingencies. The budget acts as the financial backbone, ensuring that resources are allocated judiciously.

But here’s the deal – keep it real. Your schedule and budget need to be doable, considering the real-world factors at play. It’s all about laying the groundwork for success and keeping everyone in the loop from start to finish.

Step 8: Write the executive summary

The executive summary serves as the project’s sneak peek, condensing the entire proposal into a punchy snapshot. This opening act isn’t just a formality; it’s your chance to grab the reader’s attention from the get-go.

Picture it like the movie trailer – it needs to be compelling, leaving the audience eager for the full feature. In this compact summary, shine a spotlight on the critical elements of your proposal.

Outline the problem you’re tackling, showcase your ingenious solution, spell out the perks and benefits and throw in a quick glance at the budget for good measure. It’s your project’s elevator pitch, setting the stage for what’s to come and making sure your audience is hooked right from the first line.

Step 9: Proofread and edit

Before sending your proposal out into the world, give it a thorough once-over. Take the time to meticulously proofread every nook and cranny, hunting down grammar slip-ups, punctuation quirks and sneaky spelling errors.

A second perspective can catch things you might have overlooked. And let’s talk presentation – ensure your proposal isn’t just a content champ but looks the part too. Format it like a pro, making sure it’s visually appealing and easy on the eyes.

After all, a polished proposal not only communicates your ideas effectively but also leaves a lasting impression. Browse Venngage’s selection of project proposal templates to get a head start today!

Additional tips:

Avoid overly salesy language.

It can be tempting, particularly if you’re sending unsolicited project proposals, to use some of the same language in your proposal as you might in an ad, but you should keep such wording to a minimum.

Let the proposal speak for itself; if you or your firm truly are the best one for the job, it should be evident in your proposal. Being straightforward can also signal to the hiring party that you don’t want to waste their time with flowery language. It’s better to deal in facts rather than opinions for project proposals.

Establish a single point of contact

Some project proposals will include lists or even short bios of your staff members who will be involved in the project. But it’s a good idea to ensure that your project proposal makes it clear whom the client should contact to move the project forward or submit any questions. Include this person’s information at the beginning and the end of your document.

Write with one voice

While it’s common for large RFPs to be completed by many people on the team, ensure that whoever is responsible for bringing it all together has a chance to make the document feel cohesive. It should read as if one person put the entire thing together.

Visit Proposally.ai for more project proposal examples .

What are the 6 types of project proposal s?

Because every project is unique, there are many types of project proposals, but these are the most common ones:

Solicited through RFP

RFP stands for Request for Proposal (they may also be called Request for Quotation, or RFQ).

These types of project proposals typically come with the most stringent requirements and obligations. The hiring company will usually list out the elements that must be included in the RFP as well as any limitations or conditions that apply.

From the vendor’s standpoint, being asked to submit an RFP is generally a good sign because it means that your firm (or yourself, if you’re an individual) has made it through the initial round of research by the hiring party.

I nformally solicited

Informally solicited project proposals are similar to RFPs or formally solicited proposals in that they may have just as many requirements, but because they’re outside of the formal RFP process, the requirements often aren’t stated up front. That could mean the vendor needs to do more research and ask more questions of the hiring party, or it could mean there actually aren’t as many requirements.

Another benefit of submitting an informally solicited project proposal is that the absence of a formal process likely means the vendor will be up against less competition.

Unsolicited

Also called spec (speculative) proposals, unsolicited project proposals come from the vendor’s side rather than the hiring party.

These proposals are particularly difficult because the hiring party, well, may not be hiring at all. With a spec or unsolicited project proposal, the vendor believes there’s a need for their services and must not only convince the hiring party that the need exists, but that the vendor is the best one to fill that need.

Pre-proposals

Pre-proposals can be considered mini versions of RFPs. They are often sought by a hiring party that wants to avoid a lengthy proposal process — or simply doesn’t want to read a long pitch. These types of proposals are brief, usually a few pages at most, and depending on the results, the hiring party may make an offer or make a full RFP request.

Non-competing/continuation proposals

Continuation proposals are common in multi-year projects or ones in which both parties may have agreed to certain conditions governing how the project proceeds.

With a continuation proposal, the goal isn’t to pitch your services but rather to keep the client up to date on the project, inform them of any metrics they need to know or that may be part of the scope of work and get their formal approval to continue with the project.

Competing/renewal proposals

Renewal proposals are similar to continuation proposals, but instead of being created in the middle of a project, a renewal project proposal is generated once a project or contract has ended. They’re also called competing proposals because the vendor will need to make their case as to why the project or contract should be renewed .

It may be wise to approach these types of proposals as you might an unsolicited one, but the benefit to the vendor is that (if the project has been a success), they will have past results with that specific client to showcase in their new proposal.

Now let’s see how you can use project proposal templates to your advantage:

• Ensures consistency and standardization: Project proposal templates provide a uniform structure that help you arrange all proposal sections easily.
• Shows professionalism: Using a well-designed project proposal template gives your proposal a polished and sophisticated look and enhances credibility.
• Saves time: With project proposal templates, you don’t have to spend time formatting the project or adding visuals.
• Minimize errors: A project proposal template provides a standardized structure and reduces the errors involved in manual formatting or designing.

The content of project proposals will vary depending on the industry and the type of proposal. For example, while solicited, unsolicited and pre-proposals will typically include a budget that is negotiable, a continuation proposal’s budget has likely already been set. That said, here are the typical contents of a project proposal:

• Summary : An executive summary or project background is typically the first section of a project proposal. Most vendors use this as an opportunity to thank the hiring company for the opportunity, as well as summarizing what the client is about to see through the remainder of the proposal.

This template shows a complete executive summary for a product launch, which can be longer than a typical executive brief or project background in your proposal — something to keep in mind:

• Objective : An explanation of what needs to be done or what problem can be solved if the hiring party accepts the proposal.

• Solution : An explanation of what the vendor would do to solve the problem or how they would approach completing the needed task.

• Scope of work : A detailed description of what exactly would be done, when and how much it would cost. This section may also need to include legal information, though in most cases, contracts are separate from project proposals.

Here’s an example of how you can write down the scope of work for your proposed project:

Call to action : The final section of your project proposal (assuming there are no appendices) should let the hiring party know what to do next. Include a place for them to sign the document to show their acceptance, as well as contact information in case they have further questions. To make the proposal legally binding, you can send it to your client via a free eSignature software such as Papersign  and collect their signature in a compliant manner.

• Appendix : Appendices in project proposals could include information that didn’t fit within the client’s requirements or that helps to further explain information in the main part of the document. This section is optional.

Project proposal FAQs

What is the difference between project proposals and project charters.

The difference between both is that project proposals serve to present a project’s goals and approach for approval. On the contrary, project charters officially authorize the project, defining roles, responsibilities and initial objectives.

What is the difference between project proposals and business cases?

Project proposals focus on securing approval by presenting a project idea and its feasibility. On the other hand, a business case provides a more comprehensive analysis, including financial aspects and long-term strategic impact, aiding stakeholders in making informed decisions.

What is the difference between project proposals and project plans?

Project proposals aim to gain approval by detailing the project’s purpose and scope, whereas project plans are comprehensive documents specifying tasks, timelines and resources necessary for successful project execution.

Highlight your products effectively with Venngage’s professional project proposal templates

Letting a potential customer know what you’re capable of is a critical tool in many fields, and project proposals can highlight your company in a way few other documents can.

Start with one of these templates or create your project proposal from scratch. Whether your company has just gotten an RFP or you want to land that big fish in your industry, Venngage makes it simple to create an effective project proposal without becoming overwhelmed. It’s free to get started.

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How to Write a Business Project Proposal that Gets Approved

Updated on: 5 January 2023

Writing a business project proposal definitely takes time and careful consideration, but it will pay off when you have managed to impress your investors. 

Your project getting approved or funded may depend on how effective your project proposal is, so investing that extra effort into perfecting it is essential. 

There are steps that you can follow to make sure that your business proposal makes a great impact on your company’s decision-makers , and in this post, we will walk you through them, explaining how to write a project proposal step-by-step. Also provided are templates that you can use to write a winning project proposal.   

What is a Project Proposal 

Let’s start with the basics. 

What is a project proposal? It’s a document that lists down all aspects of a project ; its background, vision, goals, tasks, requirements, owners, associated risks, etc. So it basically explains what your project is, what you want to achieve with it, and how you plan to execute it. 

It’s one of the many crucial parts of the planning phase of the project. It lays out each and every step of the project, allowing everyone to understand what is required of them, their priorities, and the common goal they are supposed to work towards. 

The purpose of the project proposal is to communicate the value of your project to all stakeholders; clients, employers, investors, and convince them of the value of the project.

Benefits of a well-structured project proposal 

• Clarifies the expectations of the project – project requirements and the action plan
• Helps increase the viability of the project 
• Offers a large overview of the project allowing you to identify issues easily 
• Simplifies project implementation  

Different types of project proposals include

• Formally solicited – a proposal that is made in response to an official Request for Proposal (RFP). The RFP document usually outlines the stakeholder requirements and even sometimes spells out the instructions to prepare the proposal. 
• Informally solicited – this type of proposal does not require an RFP, which means there is no official document outlining the demands of the customer or the stakeholder, therefore doesn’t consist of the specific details a formal one usually has.  
• Unsolicited – this type of proposal is thought of by the person creating them and not expected or requested by anyone, yet they can be of a lot of value to the stakeholder .  
• Continuation – this basically requires you to update an ongoing or already approved proposal or remind the stakeholders of it. You are required to check-in with the stakeholders and discuss progress. 
• Renewal – this is written in support of renewing a project that has been terminated or outlived its usefulness. 
• Supplemental – when you need more resources than what was originally allocated to a project, you can write a supplemental project proposal . Its purpose is to justify the need for extra resources and re-estimate the project scope and timeline.  

How to Write a Project Proposal

Once you have identified the type of project proposal that suits your requirement, you can start writing your business project proposal. 

Before you actually begin to write down the project proposal, there are a few preliminary steps that you need to take. These are: 

• Identify who your stakeholders are. While you should aim to win the attention and interest of your stakeholders with your proposal, the best way to do that is to think like them. Understand who they are, what they already know of, and what they prefer in terms of your idea. Based on who they are, you can alter the information you include, and the language you use. 
• Gather information about the problem the project is aiming to solve, especially in terms of how it’s affecting your stakeholders and their interests.
• Conduct research into the current state of the issue and the potential solutions that have already been discovered by those who are outside of your company or by your own team. This will help you adjust your own solution to generate a more solid argument or determine whether it’s worth pursuing (especially if the solutions found by others have already been tested and failed). 
• Determine the impact of the project on your company’s success or how it will benefit your stakeholders. Layout the success metrics for the proposal and showcase the results, and if you find any risks involved, don’t be afraid to bring them to light as well; in any case, knowing them will allow you to alter your action plan to withstand them. 
• Specify a timeline and the resources needed to complete the project. Check if the teams, equipment, and material needed to carry out the project tasks are available and the objectives can be achieved in a timely manner. Take into account the other projects your team will be working on, the equipment or material that’s currently unavailable, and any extra costs on resources you will have to bear in order to carry out the proposed project. 
• Create an outline of your project proposal based on the information you have gathered. Write down the core elements; more or less the basic elements should include an introduction, problem, solution, the action plan, timeline and resources, and a conclusion.

Completing the initial steps above provides you a good head start to writing your business project proposal. Your next step is to organize your research into a coherent document – an actual proposal. Here’s how to write a proposal for a project from scratch; 

1. Write the executive summary

The executive summary offers a quick overview of the proposal that is to follow. It’s not only the first thing the reader will see, but sometimes it’s the only thing a stakeholder will read before making a decision about the proposed idea. Therefore, the executive summary should make sense to someone who hasn’t read it; for this purpose, it should consist of a synopsis of all the sections in the document. 

• An analysis of the problem 
• The conclusions you have arrived at 
• The recommended action plan   

Aim to keep the summary intriguing and convincing; make use of notable statistics in the first two sentences to pique the interest of the reader. 

2. Define the problem 

Give a brief description of the problem your project aims to solve. 

Referring to the research you have done earlier, you can explain the current situation of the problem in terms of what’s being done about it both within and outside of your organization, and why your stakeholders should be concerned about it.

While you need to be straightforward with your explanation, remember to use the language and concepts your stakeholders resonate with the most. 

03. Introduce your solution 

Now that the stakeholders know what the problem is, it’s time to explain how your project or your solution comes into play. This section is usually the most detailed out part of the project proposal, and to retain the attention of your reader, you can play around with the use of visuals.  

This section should explain your solution along with how you plan to execute it. It should reinforce the fact that your decision is backed by proper and thorough research. Clarify,

• The project approach ; how the team will be put together, the tools and equipment that will be used, and how you will be handling the changes during execution. 

• Project schedule ; list the project tasks along with time estimations for each of them. The task breakdown will enable you to allocate your team properly, and you can use a Gantt chart in this section to clearly outline the resources, tasks, and timeline. 

• Project deliverables ; deliverables are the outcomes of a completed project (i.e. product, service or a detailed report). Mention your project deliverables along with delivery dates. Use a work breakdown structure here to help the stakeholders get a clearer picture.    

As required you can also include additional information such as the anticipated risks and steps you would take to overcome them, a communications plan , and milestones to help track progress.  

In order to make this section more reader-friendly, you can present all this information using an action plan . 

04. Outline the project costs

This section focuses on the estimated cost of the proposed project. It should include an itemized budget for the project. 

The purpose of this section is to help the investors get an idea as to whether the project costs can fit into their own budgets, therefore make sure that the calculations are as accurate as possible.

05. Conclude your proposal 

Provide a brief review of all the key points discussed throughout the proposal. As this is the last section, it’s also the last chance you have to convince your stakeholders; therefore reinforce your solution and why your stakeholders should care about it while ensuring that your proposed method is in the best interest of the organization.

06. Add an appendix 

This section is reserved for the reference documents, charts , graphs, etc. that were referred to when writing the project proposal.  

07. Revise and refine 

In order to substantiate your professionalism and win over your stakeholders, you must present an error-free project proposal. 

Proofread your proposal to check for any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Often a fresh pair of eyes helps detect mistakes easily; either get a colleague to review the document or wait 1-2 days and review it anew yourself. 

Project Proposal Templates 

A detailed, well-structured project proposal will help you stay focused and stay on track by offering you the necessary instructions throughout the project, which is certainly better than picking things out from your memory or conversations you had with your team during that meeting a few weeks back. 

To make it easy for everyone, you can have a standard project proposal template that they can refer to when documenting their project idea. 

Following are a few project proposal templates that you can share with the team.

One Page Business Project Proposal

You can edit this template online and share the link with your team or the stakeholders online so they can collaborate on it too. Connect with them via Creately in-app video conferencing and walk them through each section of the proposal. Alternatively, using in-line commenting, they can also leave their feedback on the proposal.

Project Proposal Template

What’s Your Process for Writing a Business Project Proposal? 

Creating a project proposal can sometimes be a mini project in itself.  Using a proper process checklist or a standard template can help you accelerate things. Before writing your project proposal, follow the preliminary steps mentioned above first. Keep your target stakeholders in mind and make a compelling case for your proposal. 

Want to share your thoughts on how to write a proposal for a project ? Let us know in the comments section below. 

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What Is a Research Proposal?

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• Writing the Research Paper
• Presenting the Research Paper

When applying for a research grant or scholarship, or, just before you start a major research project, you may be asked to write a preliminary document that includes basic information about your future research. This is the information that is usually needed in your proposal:

• The topic and goal of the research project.
• The kind of result expected from the research.
• The theory or framework in which the research will be done and presented.
• What kind of methods will be used (statistical, empirical, etc.).
• Short reference on the preliminary scholarship and why your research project is needed; how will it continue/justify/disprove the previous scholarship.
• How much will the research project cost; how will it be budgeted (what for the money will be spent).
• Why is it you who can do this research and not somebody else.

Most agencies that offer scholarships or grants provide information about the required format of the proposal. It may include filling out templates, types of information they need, suggested/maximum length of the proposal, etc.

Research proposal formats vary depending on the size of the planned research, the number of participants, the discipline, the characteristics of the research, etc. The following outline assumes an individual researcher. This is just a SAMPLE; several other ways are equally good and can be successful. If possible, discuss your research proposal with an expert in writing, a professor, your colleague, another student who already wrote successful proposals, etc.

• Author, author's affiliation
• Explain the topic and why you chose it. If possible explain your goal/outcome of the research . How much time you need to complete the research?
• Give a brief summary of previous scholarship and explain why your topic and goals are important.
• Relate your planned research to previous scholarship. What will your research add to our knowledge of the topic.
• Break down the main topic into smaller research questions. List them one by one and explain why these questions need to be investigated. Relate them to previous scholarship.
• Include your hypothesis into the descriptions of the detailed research issues if you have one. Explain why it is important to justify your hypothesis.
• This part depends of the methods conducted in the research process. List the methods; explain how the results will be presented; how they will be assessed.
• Explain what kind of results will justify or  disprove your hypothesis. 
• Explain how much money you need.
• Explain the details of the budget (how much you want to spend for what).
• Describe why your research is important.
• List the sources you have used for writing the research proposal, including a few main citations of the preliminary scholarship.

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How To Write a Project Proposal

Have you ever felt the overwhelming pressure of compiling a project proposal for a potential client, investor, or grant application?

As an entrepreneur, crafting a compelling and persuasive project proposal is often the key to securing new opportunities and growing your business . But fear not because this blog post will break down the essential elements of a successful project proposal and provide expert tips and strategies to help you write one that stands out from the rest.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newcomer to project proposals, this guide will give you the tools to showcase your ideas, confidently secure clients, and secure the funding you need to take your business to the next level.

So, let’s master the art of writing a project proposal like a boss.

What is a Project Proposal?

A project proposal is a detailed plan that outlines the project’s intended path. It serves as a roadmap, detailing what needs to be accomplished, how it will be done, who will be involved, and why the project is valuable. 

This document is crucial for gaining approval from stakeholders or securing funding, as it demonstrates the feasibility and importance of your project. Understanding this foundational tool ensures we’re aligned on the basics before diving deeper into crafting an effective project proposal.

Why You Need to Write Solid Project Proposals

Ever had a fantastic idea but struggled to get the support you needed to make it happen?  A well-crafted project proposal is the key to making your vision a reality.  This short list of the three most important things to write a solid project proposal can help you:

• Secure funding: Convince investors or grant-giving organizations to back your idea.
• Gain internal support: Get buy-in from your company’s leadership.
• Set clear expectations : Ensure everyone involved understands goals, timelines, and responsibilities.

Imagine having the resources and support to transform your ideas into successful projects. A powerful project proposal can help you make that happen. Let’s explore the steps to create one!

How to Write Project Proposal

Creating a project proposal allows you to outline your vision and communicate the necessary steps to bring your idea to life. It’s essential to capture the essence of your project while also persuading stakeholders of its value and feasibility.

As you transition into the full tutorial, remember that each part of your project proposal is crucial in guiding and convincing your audience. By following these steps, you’ll be well-prepared to create a comprehensive, persuasive document that stands out.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write a solid project proposal:

#1) Identify What to Propose

Before you start writing, you need crystal-clear clarity on the “why” behind your project proposal.  What problem are you solving?  What improvement or change do you want to see? Here are key questions to guide you:

• What’s the issue you want to address? Be specific!
• Why does this matter? Explain the impact of the problem if it remains unsolved.
• What positive change will your project bring about? Describe the ideal outcome.

Having a sharply defined purpose will give your entire project proposal focus and direction.

#2) Define the Project Proposal Scope

Think of your project scope as the boundaries of your project. It’s where you get super clear about what you will and won’t be doing. This helps prevent misunderstandings and keeps your project on track. To define your scope, consider:

• Specific Goals: What do you want to achieve with this project proposal?
• Deliverables: What will you produce (reports, products, events, etc.)?
• Boundaries : What tasks or activities are outside the scope of this project?

A well-defined scope sets realistic expectations for everyone involved, making for a smoother project proposal journey.

#3) Conduct Through Research

A strong supplemental project proposal isn’t based on guesswork –  it’s backed by solid research. Here’s what you need to dig into:

#4) Develop a Project Timeline

A clear timeline shows you’re organized and capable of managing your project effectively. 

Here’s how to create one:

• Break it Down: Divide your project into smaller, manageable tasks.
• Estimate Time:  Determine how long you realistically think each task will take.
• Set Milestones : Mark key progress points along the way (e.g., research completed, draft submitted).
• Choose a Visual Tool: Visualize your timeline using a Gantt chart or a simple calendar. Project management tools like ClickUp , Trello , or Notion will help you and your team identify urgent tasks and prioritize them accordingly. Once you submit your project proposal, they will also help you present your timeline most efficiently. 

Sample Timeline:

• Conduct audience research
• Draft project scope
• Finalize budget requirements
• Identify potential team members
• Write a project proposal draft
• Schedule review with stakeholders (milestone)
• Revise draft based on feedback
• Submit final proposal

With all these, it is always important to remain flexible. Projects and your team’s schedule can change depending on their situations, so be prepared to adjust your timeline as needed. 

#5) Write an Executive Summary

Think of your executive summary as the elevator pitch for your project. It’s a short, punchy summary to grab attention and excite decision-makers. Here’s a sample:

Sample Executive Summary

• Problem: [Briefly outline the core issue your project addresses]
• Solution: [Describe your proposed solution in 1-2 sentences]
• Objectives: [List your top 2-3 project goals]
• Impact: [Explain how this project will make a positive difference]
• Request: [Clearly state what you’re asking for – funding, approval, etc.]

Important note: Write your executive summary after you’ve completed the rest of your proposal. This way, you can easily pull the most important points.

#6) Summarize the Client’s Problem or Need

A key component of your project proposal is summarizing the client’s problem or need. This section is critical because it justifies the necessity of your project and sets the stage for proposing your solution.

It’s your opportunity to connect with the decision-making body by demonstrating your understanding of their situation and how your project can help.

Here’s a free project proposal template that you can consider as a model for your proposal:

Client Problem Summary:

Efficiency in Project Management Tools

Project Background:

XYZ Corporation has been experiencing significant challenges in project team and management collaboration. Currently, the company uses SaaS Platform A for project management. However, as the company has grown, this platform has been unable to scale effectively, leading to issues with user interface complexity, limited integration capabilities, and inadequate support for remote team collaboration.

To enhance productivity and streamline project management processes, there is a clear need to evaluate SaaS Platform A against SaaS Platform B, which offers advanced features such as:

• Enhanced User Interface: Platform B provides a more intuitive user interface, potentially reducing training time and increasing team members’ adoption rates.
• Better Integration Options: Unlike Platform A, Platform B integrates seamlessly with a broader range of tools that XYZ Corporation already uses, potentially enhancing workflow efficiencies.
• Robust Remote Collaboration Features : As remote work becomes more prevalent, Platform B’s superior collaboration features could better support XYZ Corporation’s distributed teams.

Objective of the Proposal:

This proposal seeks to conduct a detailed comparison of SaaS Platforms A and B, focusing on user experience, integration capabilities, and support for remote collaboration. The goal is to determine which platform better meets XYZ Corporation’s evolving needs, improving overall project management effectiveness and team productivity.

#7) Present your Proposed Solution

After summarizing the client’s problem, it is crucial to present your proposed solution. This section should detail how your proposal directly addresses the needs identified earlier. 

Connect each feature of your solution to the problems or gaps you’ve outlined, ensuring the reader understands how your proposal will effectively solve their issues.

Here’s a project proposal example of how you might present a proposed solution within your project proposal:

Proposed Solution:

Advanced SaaS Platform Implementation for XYZ Corporation

Solution Overview:

To address the challenges faced by XYZ Corporation with its current SaaS platform, we propose the adoption of SaaS Platform B. This platform has been specifically chosen for its superior capabilities in handling large-scale project management and remote team collaboration demands. Below, we detail how Platform B will meet XYZ Corporation’s needs:

• Streamlined User Interface: Platform B features a simplified, user-friendly interface that reduces complexity and learning curves. This change is expected to enhance team productivity by 30% as it allows for quicker project setups and updates.
• Comprehensive Integration Capabilities: Unlike the current platform, Platform B offers extensive integration with over 50 other business tools, including CRM systems, financial software, and communication tools. This integration capability ensures a seamless workflow, allowing real-time updates and enhanced data accuracy.
• Enhanced Collaboration Tools: Platform B supports advanced collaboration features such as real-time editing, video conferencing, and project tracking. These tools are designed to support remote teams, making it easier to manage projects across different locations and time zones.

Implementation Plan:

• Phase 1: Setup and Customization – Customize Platform B to fit the specific workflows and processes of XYZ Corporation.
• Phase 2: Integration and Testing – Integrate Platform B with existing tools and conduct comprehensive testing with key teams.
• Phase 3: Training and Deployment – Conduct training sessions for all team members and fully deploy Platform B across the organization.
• Phase 4: Evaluation and Adjustment – Monitor the platform’s performance and make necessary adjustments to optimize its use within the company.

Expected Outcomes:

By implementing Platform B, XYZ Corporation can expect significant improvements in project management software efficiency, team collaboration, and overall workflow integration. These enhancements will reduce project completion times and increase satisfaction among team members.

#8) Outline Your Project Deliverables

This is where you get specific about what your project will produce. Think of deliverables as tangible results that will demonstrate the success of your project.

Here’s a sample of how to effectively outline project deliverables:

Project Deliverables:

Enhanced SaaS Platform Implementation for XYZ Corporation

Deliverable Overview:

This proposal outlines specific, measurable outcomes demonstrating the successful implementation and impact of SaaS Platform B at XYZ Corporation. Each deliverable is designed to address the core challenges identified in the need analysis and contributes directly to achieving the overall project goals.

#1) Customized Platform Configuration:

• Description: Tailor Platform B to align with XYZ Corporation’s specific operational needs and workflows.
• Completion Metric: Customization verified through user feedback and performance metrics indicating a minimum 25% increase in operational efficiency.

#2) Integration with Existing Systems:

• Description: Seamlessly integrate Platform B with existing CRM , financial software, and communication tools.
• Completion Metric: Successful integration demonstrated by error-free data exchange in real-time testing scenarios.

#3) Comprehensive Training Programs:

• Description: Develop and deliver targeted training sessions for all departments to effectively use Platform B.
• Completion Metric: At least 90% of staff achieving proficiency, as measured by post-training assessments.

#4) Ongoing Support and Maintenance:

• Description: Provide a continuation project proposal and regular updates to ensure Platform B operates optimally within XYZ Corporation. It’s like having a renewal project proposal every now and then to make sure everything’s up-to-date.
• Completion Metric: Support response times under 4 hours, with a 95% issue resolution rate on the first contact.

#5) Performance Evaluation Report:

• Description: Conduct a detailed performance evaluation of Platform B after six months of operation to assess impacts on project management and team collaboration.
• Completion Metric: Detailed report showing key performance indicators, including project completion rates, team productivity metrics, and user satisfaction ratings.

By delivering these specific outcomes, XYZ Corporation will experience a substantial enhancement in project management capabilities, streamlined operations, and improved team collaboration. These improvements will address the current challenges and support the company’s growth and efficiency objectives.

#9) Estimate Your Project Budget

A well-crafted budget shows that you’ve carefully considered the financial aspect of your project. Here’s how to break it down:

• Personnel (salaries, wages, contractors)
• Materials and Supplies
• Overhead (rent, utilities, etc.)
• Research Project Costs: Get realistic quotes or estimates for each item. Don’t underestimate costs!
• Justify Your Expenses:  Explain why each expense is necessary for completing your project.
• Contingency Budget: Include a small buffer (around 10%) for unexpected costs.

Tip: Use a spreadsheet or budgeting software to organize your project budget. This makes it easier to adjust and share with stakeholders.

#10) Describe your Project Background and Qualifications

This is your chance to show why you’re the right person or team to tackle this project. This is the best time to highlight your:

• Relevant Experience: Describe past projects that demonstrate skills similar to those needed for this proposal.
• Education & Training : Mention relevant degrees, certifications, or specialized training you possess.
• Success Stories: Share examples of times you’ve achieved outstanding results on similar projects.
• Team Expertise: If you have a team, emphasize your team member’s unique skills and strengths.

Make sure your qualifications directly relate to the specific needs of your project. This will show that you understand what’s needed for success.

#11) Identify Project Risks

No project is without its potential stumbling blocks. By anticipating risks upfront, you demonstrate to decision-makers that you’re a realistic and prepared project leader. Here’s how to approach this:

• Brainstorm: Think about anything that could delay, derail, or increase the cost of your project. Consider internal factors (team changes, resource shortages) and external factors (weather, market fluctuations).
• Assess: For each risk, consider its likelihood of occurring and its potential impact on your project.
• Plan Your Response: How will you minimize the risk? How will you handle it to keep your project on track if it does occur?

#12) End with Conclusion with Call to Action

Wrapping up your project proposal with a compelling conclusion and a strong call to action is the final, critical step to ensure your proposal doesn’t just end with a whisper but with a decisive path forward. This part of your proposal is where you tie all your points together, reinforcing the importance and urgency of your project.

In your conclusion, briefly summarize the key elements of your proposal. Highlight the issue or opportunity at hand, reiterate your project’s unique solution, and recall the main benefits and deliverables resulting from the project’s successful execution. It’s your last chance to remind everyone why this project matters and what is at stake if action is not taken.

Key Considerations For A Successful Proposed Project Writeup

There are a few key considerations to keep in mind while writing your proposal. These tips will help ensure that your proposal is not only persuasive but also professional and well-structured.

Use a Project Proposal Template

Utilizing a template can streamline the process of drafting your project proposal. It ensures all critical elements are included and presents your ideas in a structured project proposal format.

Start With A Project Proposal Outline

Creating an outline is a vital first step. It helps you organize your thoughts and key points, ensuring nothing important is overlooked.

Proofread and Edit

Ensure that you thoroughly proofread and edit your proposal before submitting it to ensure clarity and professionalism.

Seek Feedback and Input

It’s essential to carefully proofread and edit your solicited project proposal before submitting it. This step ensures that your document is clear, well-organized, and free of errors, reflecting your attention to detail and professionalism.

Take it to the Next Level: Use ChatGPT to Write a Proposal

You can take your proposal writing to the next level by using ChatGPT , a powerful AI tool that can assist you in creating compelling and persuasive content .

#1) Have the Prospect Fill Out A Detailed Survey

Encourage your prospect to complete a comprehensive survey. This gathers all the necessary information about their needs and expectations, setting a solid foundation for your proposal.

#2) Feed the Survey Data Into ChatGPT

After your prospect has filled out the survey, feed their responses into ChatGPT. This will provide a base for generating a cohesive first draft, leveraging the power of AI to kickstart the writing process.

#3) Ask ChatGPT for A Proposal Template

Request a proposal template from ChatGPT based on the survey data. This will help you draft a proposal quickly and ensure all critical elements are covered right from the start.

#3) Customize and Add Details

Use the generated content from ChatGPT as a starting point, but customize and add specific details relevant to your project proposal. This will ensure that your proposal is tailored specifically for your audience.

Alternatives to a Proposal: Keep It Simple Without A Proposal

Sometimes, a traditional project proposal is overkill. If your project is small-scale, internal, or has a low budget, consider these simpler alternatives:

• One-Page Summary: Outline the project’s purpose, goals, timeline, budget, and team on a single page. This is great for quick approvals or when decision-makers are already familiar with your work.
• Presentation or Pitch Deck : Create a slide deck highlighting the key points of your project. This works well if you need to present your idea verbally as well.
• Informal Project Proposal: You can just send an email with this alternative. A well-structured email outlining the essentials might be enough for very small projects, especially if you have a strong relationship with the decision-maker.
• Unsolicited Project Proposal: If you’re approaching a potential funder or partner without a prior request, concise, well-written, unsolicited project proposals can introduce your idea and its potential benefits. This requires extra attention to grabbing attention and demonstrating value quickly.

Remember: Even with simpler formats, the core principles of strong solicited project proposals still apply – clarity, organization, and a focus on the benefits your project will bring.

Final Thoughts on Writing Project Proposals

Writing a solid project proposal may seem daunting at first, but remember – it’s simply a way to showcase the value of your idea and get the support you need to make it a reality.  Following our outlined steps, you can craft a proposal that persuades decision-makers and sets your project on the path to success.

Think of your project proposal as your champion. Just as I’ve guided you through this process, let your proposal guide others to understand the potential of your vision.

Now, go forth and write a proposal you can be proud of!

Dev is a fractional COO, operations consultant, and productivity junkie at the Process Hacker !

I help you scale by optimizing and automating your operations and systems through simple, proven, and practical tools.

To get help, Book a Call or take my Free Business Assessment !

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How To Write A Project Proposal (With A Concrete Example)

Galen is a digital project manager with over 10 years of experience shaping and delivering human-centered digital transformation initiatives in government, healthcare, transit, and retail. He is a digital project management nerd, a cultivator of highly collaborative teams, and an impulsive sharer of knowledge. He's also the co-founder of The Digital Project Manager and host of The DPM Podcast.

Writing project proposals is a time-consuming and difficult process. Here's how to get it right and inspire confidence in potential clients, win more work for your agency or team, and bring in the accompanying revenue.

It’s a familiar vignette as old as projects and project proposals themselves: project managers tearing their hair out because the sales team sold something that was impossible to pull off, while the sales folks are tearing their hair out because the plan that the team produced is too expensive to win the work .

For ages, many of us have accepted this as the natural order of things. But I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way.

In this article, we’re going to cross the streams and unite competing forces by equipping the project manager in you with the capabilities to sculpt a project or business proposal that is as compelling as it is feasible to deliver.

After reading this article, you’ll be able to:

• Roll up your sleeves and jump into any phase of the project proposal lifecycle with confidence
• Act as the bridge between your sales team and your delivery teams
• Earn the respect and trust of your business development colleagues while retaining the respect and trust of your peers in project management ?

Project Proposal Tools

Here’s a list of some useful project proposal software —these are some of the best tools for writing proposals quickly and managing the approval process.

These offer much more functionality than a simple proposal template, and are designed to help sales and account management teams respond to RFPs, create quotes, sign documents online, and manage approvals and contracts.

• 1. iQuoteXpress — Best for complex pricing structures and discounting rules
• 2. Dock — Best for turning proposals into signable order forms
• 3. SignNow — Best for efficient eSigning
• 4. Jotform — Best for managing the collection stage of the RFP process
• 5. Proposify — Document automation software to help you create and track proposals, quotes, and contracts as well as sign documents online
• 6. Responsive — RFP automation software with plenty of business tool integrations, auto-responses, and reports, tied together with a clean, user-friendly design
• 7. Google Slides — Free to use, Google Slides offers a variety of presentation themes, hundreds of fonts, embedded video, animations, and more
• 8. InDesign CC — Create proposal documents from a template or from scratch
• 9. HoneyBook — An easy-to-use software platform designed to help small business owners streamline their processes and manage clients from inquiry to payment
• 10. Better Proposals — Create high-impact proposals with a selection of visual assets, written templates, and integrated signature and payment features

Regardless of whether you use business proposal software, you still need to know how to write a proposal. Keep reading to learn what to include in a proposal and how to write one.

What Is A Project Proposal?

For our purposes, let’s define a project proposal as a document that will be submitted to an internal sponsor, a client, or potential client that builds a case to have your team deliver a program of services or a scope of work .

The proposal is important because it demonstrates why your project is the right one for the client. The proposal happens before the project begins, usually after a series of conversations between you and the client.

Sometimes you’ll be responding to a request for proposal (RFP) in which you’ll be competing with other organizations for your prospective client’s attention.

How Do I Pick The Right Proposal Format?

The format of a proposal can vary wildly depending on the nature of the new project and the formality of the proposal process. Some proposals are simply well-crafted emails, whereas others are just a big fill-in-the-blank spreadsheet.

The best advice I can give is this: if a proposal format has been specified (e.g., it’s a requirement in the RFP), use that format. Sure, a pamphlet that unfolds into a wall-sized mind-map will make you memorable, but it could get you disqualified.

Otherwise, I’d recommend doing some research into your audience to try to get a sense of whether they will prefer brevity and conversation, or an in-depth narrative. The former may warrant a short-form, 5-10 slide deck. The latter may require a much larger, chaptered document.

How To Write A Project Proposal In 5 Steps

The moment you are asked to lead or support a proposal, the PM parts of your brain will likely zero in on two goals almost immediately: get the proposal submitted on time, and make sure the proposal reflects something that your peers and your teams can actually deliver.

You’ll instinctively start reaching for your process documents, risk management strategies , and launch checklists, but you’re in foreign territory.

The good news is that when a proposal is done right, they have a life cycle that is similar to a project life cycle . The proposal process typically goes something like this:

The process to create a successful proposal can be broken down into 5 basic steps.

1. Qualify Whether The Opportunity Is A Good Fit

The first step is to identify opportunities that are a good fit for the team and for the business.

Opportunities can be identified externally (such as through a request for proposal issued by the buyer) or internally (for example, when an account team or delivery team sees a need for a project and wants to pursue it proactively). But the real skill is in the qualification process.

To qualify an opportunity, you need to review the requirements in depth and evaluate it against the capabilities, culture, and strategy of your organization. Many sales teams will use a qualification matrix or scorecard to quantitatively assess and prioritize opportunities.

These scorecards might ask questions around the winnability, feasibility, and desirability of the opportunity and use that to develop a numerical score.

Overall, the idea is to use the qualification process to inform a go / no-go decision about whether to pursue the opportunity or not.

This decision should be made by the relevant leads within your organization to ensure that you are only pursuing opportunities that you can win, that you can deliver, and that you actually want in the first place.

2. Plan Your Strategy To Win

If the decision is to pursue the opportunity, the next step is to draw up a plan to deliver the proposal. What is the strategy to win? Who is the team that will create the proposal , and what are their roles and responsibilities? What is the work plan for creating and delivering the proposal?

At this stage, it’s important to brief the team properly, set expectations clearly, and bring them together to create the strategy. If it’s a competitive opportunity, endeavor to know your competitors and be realistic about your positioning in the marketplace.

If you have folks in your network that know the buyer, do some reaching out. Research what is important to the buying organization to find some background information: look at annual reports, check for new hires on their leadership team, find out where they’ve been in the news lately.

Develop a handful of win themes together — statements about why your team should be selected based on what your buyer or decision-maker cares about — and build a process to weave these themes throughout your proposal.

Lastly, you’ll want to agree to a high-level approach for the proposed project as well as a work plan for developing the proposal itself.

Make sure that the proposal team can allocate the time to create the proposal so that you’re not left high and dry as the due date approaches. Set up a cadence of meetings to check in on progress and collaborate on content. Treat it like planning a project!

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3. Create A Strong Approach And Proposal Document

Creating the proposal itself is an iterative process that — in a perfect world — happens in tandem with an iterative review process. This helps find the balance between developing the best approach and performing a continuous reality check with your experts.

During the creation of the proposal, your PM skills will be a welcome addition to any proposal team. As someone who can lead the scoping and estimation process while converting risks and ambiguity into assumptions, you are well-positioned to bring unity to the various, sometimes conflicting voices you’ll meet along the way.

In the meantime, other components of the proposal will need to start coming together:

• Case studies will need to be curated
• Bios for the proposed team members will need to be sourced and tailored
• References will need to be contacted for consent
• New team contributors will need to be briefed
• Sections of content will need to be proofread, edited, and massaged into a singular voice with a singular message

4. Review Iteratively And Do Your Due Diligence

As you create the proposal, be sure to get the drafts in front of your reviewers along the way: run the project scope and approach by your subject matter experts, your leadership team, your legal team, and especially the individual who will be giving final approval on the proposal.

Like I mentioned above, this is best executed as an iterative process: create, review, repeat. The reason for this is twofold: leaving review to the end will limit the quality of feedback you’ll get, and risk having the proposal not be approved for delivery unless some drastic last-minute changes are made.

The iterative method helps build consensus along the way, primes your proposal for final approval, and gathers valuable input from a variety of perspectives that will make your proposal as strong as it can be.

5. Deliver And Prepare For Next Steps

Delivering the proposal is more than just hitting send: you’ll need solid planning. This is not where you want any ambiguity. Triple-check the submission requirements and confirm the logistics. Proofread and check the numbers.

Is it a print submission? If so, how many copies? Who is printing the mailing envelopes? If it’s a digital submission, test the PDF export well in advance so that you know it will be emailable.

Once the proposal is submitted, make sure you get a confirmation of receipt.  And then don’t put your feet up for too long — this is not where the story ends. Being prepared for the next steps is critical. Prepare the team for oral presentations or clarification questions.

Update the brief as scope is negotiated. Keep tabs on the proposed team members so that you know whether or not they will be available when the project lands.

Like any project, this process doesn’t always go perfectly! If you’re looking to overcome or steer clear of common proposal challenges, consider becoming a DPM member and taking our Master Project Proposals mini-course !

Example Of A Project Proposal

As mentioned earlier, the exact structure and contents of your project proposal will vary depending on the opportunity and the requirements of the ask. However, the best advice I can give is to structure your proposal based on what your audience cares about rather than what you care about.

Each section should drive towards a consistent set of win themes. Do your research, and gain an understanding of what is important to the project stakeholders and decision-makers as well as the organization at large.

Project Proposal Template

Download your template here and use this guide as you are completing it – the insights in this article will help you create a rock-solid project proposal.

The above shouldn’t be used as a definitive project proposal template, so I thought I’d take you through a project proposal outline that I consider to be a somewhat typical short-form proposal for an executive audience. Here are the parameters: 

• The buyer will receive the proposal as a pre-read, but we will get a chance to present it to them.
• The buyer consists of multiple executives representing different parts of the business.
• This is not a new client. We have an existing relationship with the buyer, and they have asked for this proposal.
• The buyer wants to hear what we’ll do for them more than our credentials.

Here’s a sample structure based on the above parameters:

1. Summarize Your Proposal And Credentials In A Succinct Introduction Or Executive Summary

The first page isn’t necessarily the first page that will be read, but an executive summary will help get your points across to someone who only plans to read the first page and the price tag.

Use 1-2 sentences to explain each of the following key points: your understanding of the challenge, your approach, why your team is the right fit, how you’ll work with their team, and next steps.

2. Demonstrate Your Understanding Of The Problem Or Challenge

Moving into the body of the proposal, It’s often a good idea to start with a reframing of the problem and the project background.

My rationale is that your readers likely want to hear about themselves first, not about you. Beyond demonstrating your understanding, try to reflect an understanding of how the buyer’s business operates as well as the broader implications of the project.

Make it clear that you understand the scope and goals of the proposed project—state your assumptions.

3. Describe At A High-Level How Your Approach Will Solve The Problem

When you want to get straight to the point, it’s good to follow your understanding of the challenge with a proposed vision of how you will overcome that challenge.

This is typically a high-level description of your approach that answers the “why” more than it answers the “what” or “how”. Typically we will highlight the business value of our approach and what specific outcomes we would drive for the buyer in relation to their ask.

Present a high-level overview of your approach and explain the “why” behind your decision to adopt that approach.

4. Describe Your Approach And Project Plan In Detail

For this shorter format, we want to show our plan only in enough fidelity to get a conversation going (but make sure you have all the detailed answers when you present it!).

Often this will include a high-level timeline with key phases, milestones , and deliverables or outcomes. This could include a Gantt chart , or it could just describe broader time frames. We typically frame this in the context of the value we will produce (the “why”), not just what we’ll do (the “what” and the “how).

5. Introduce The Team: Who Will Do What, And Why Are They The Best People For The Job?

For some buyers, the team is as important as the approach. Assuming you’re putting forward a strong and qualified team, highlight the specific credentials that make them the A-players for this job and describe what they will be contributing to the project.

6. Prove That You Have Done It Before

Relevant case studies can amplify the persuasiveness of your proposal. Irrelevant case studies can just create confusion. If possible, include case studies that meet at least two of the following criteria, and don’t be shy about stating explicitly why the case study is relevant to your readers:

• A project with a similar scope/approach
• A project done for a similar type of organization at a comparable scale
• A project that used the same team that you’re putting forward
• A project that you have a strong, senior, and contactable reference for

7. Articulate Your Assumptions And What You Would Need From Your Readers To Succeed

At this stage, you likely won’t want to scare your buyer with hyper-detailed assumptions, but you do want to communicate the basis for your estimate while also setting the stage for what you need from your buyer to be successful.

I would recommend including a section on “What we’d need from you” that includes things like access to data and past research, a dedicated point of contact throughout the project, access to systems and documentation, team participation in bi-weekly planning and review sessions, etc.

8. Frame The Cost In The Context Of The Value

A big mistake I frequently made early in my career was simply putting a cost breakdown on a page without any context.

Buyers will invariably have some kind of reaction to the price tag, and the best way to counteract that is to frame the cost using its relationship to the value. Summarize the deal on this page: what your buyer asked for, what value you’ll deliver, and then the cost for that value.

9. If Appropriate, Include Additional Information As An Appendix

If there’s detail that you want to include for select readers that is supplemental, put it in an appendix and label it clearly.

This could include thought leadership content, a detailed description of your methodology , an overview of your company and its management structure, financial statements, your approach to sustainability and corporate responsibility, awards, etc.

These may be important to some readers, but it’s not core to your argument. Don’t add unnecessarily to the cognitive load of your readers.

Expert Advice: How To Make Your Project Proposal Stand Out

Don’t bury your budget in the deliverables.

Jason Swenk, who boasts an impressive 80% acceptance rate on his proposals, also recommends separating pricing from the deliverables section of your proposal.

Talking about price can be uncomfortable, but it deserves its own section. By sneaking it in next to the deliverables, you’ll be pulling the client’s focus away from what you can do for them. You want the client imagining what you can achieve together, not how much of their budget you cost.

Prove Your Worth To Your Client With Past Successes

Business coach Nathan Ingram says proposals do not include “spec” work. “You would never mock up a homepage for a client before they paid you, right?” If a client wants proof of your competency, provide examples and references instead.

Put A Price Tag On Your Client’s Problem

Be persuasive. At a 2009, Project Management Institute conference , Eddie Merla said that, “sometimes the concept may be properly stated but the justification for the project is weak.”

You need to build a compelling argument to move forward with the project. One way to solve this problem is to attach a price to the problem. Clients will be far more compelled to move forward if they believe the current problem is costing them money.

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• Indian J Anaesth
• v.60(9); 2016 Sep

How to write a research proposal?

Department of Anaesthesiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Devika Rani Duggappa

Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. The proposal is a detailed plan or ‘blueprint’ for the intended study, and once it is completed, the research project should flow smoothly. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard. A search was conducted with keywords such as research proposal, writing proposal and qualitative using search engines, namely, PubMed and Google Scholar, and an attempt has been made to provide broad guidelines for writing a scientifically appropriate research proposal.

INTRODUCTION

A clean, well-thought-out proposal forms the backbone for the research itself and hence becomes the most important step in the process of conduct of research.[ 1 ] The objective of preparing a research proposal would be to obtain approvals from various committees including ethics committee [details under ‘Research methodology II’ section [ Table 1 ] in this issue of IJA) and to request for grants. However, there are very few universally accepted guidelines for preparation of a good quality research proposal. A search was performed with keywords such as research proposal, funding, qualitative and writing proposals using search engines, namely, PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus.

Five ‘C’s while writing a literature review

BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A proposal needs to show how your work fits into what is already known about the topic and what new paradigm will it add to the literature, while specifying the question that the research will answer, establishing its significance, and the implications of the answer.[ 2 ] The proposal must be capable of convincing the evaluation committee about the credibility, achievability, practicality and reproducibility (repeatability) of the research design.[ 3 ] Four categories of audience with different expectations may be present in the evaluation committees, namely academic colleagues, policy-makers, practitioners and lay audiences who evaluate the research proposal. Tips for preparation of a good research proposal include; ‘be practical, be persuasive, make broader links, aim for crystal clarity and plan before you write’. A researcher must be balanced, with a realistic understanding of what can be achieved. Being persuasive implies that researcher must be able to convince other researchers, research funding agencies, educational institutions and supervisors that the research is worth getting approval. The aim of the researcher should be clearly stated in simple language that describes the research in a way that non-specialists can comprehend, without use of jargons. The proposal must not only demonstrate that it is based on an intelligent understanding of the existing literature but also show that the writer has thought about the time needed to conduct each stage of the research.[ 4 , 5 ]

CONTENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

The contents or formats of a research proposal vary depending on the requirements of evaluation committee and are generally provided by the evaluation committee or the institution.

In general, a cover page should contain the (i) title of the proposal, (ii) name and affiliation of the researcher (principal investigator) and co-investigators, (iii) institutional affiliation (degree of the investigator and the name of institution where the study will be performed), details of contact such as phone numbers, E-mail id's and lines for signatures of investigators.

The main contents of the proposal may be presented under the following headings: (i) introduction, (ii) review of literature, (iii) aims and objectives, (iv) research design and methods, (v) ethical considerations, (vi) budget, (vii) appendices and (viii) citations.[ 4 ]

Introduction

It is also sometimes termed as ‘need for study’ or ‘abstract’. Introduction is an initial pitch of an idea; it sets the scene and puts the research in context.[ 6 ] The introduction should be designed to create interest in the reader about the topic and proposal. It should convey to the reader, what you want to do, what necessitates the study and your passion for the topic.[ 7 ] Some questions that can be used to assess the significance of the study are: (i) Who has an interest in the domain of inquiry? (ii) What do we already know about the topic? (iii) What has not been answered adequately in previous research and practice? (iv) How will this research add to knowledge, practice and policy in this area? Some of the evaluation committees, expect the last two questions, elaborated under a separate heading of ‘background and significance’.[ 8 ] Introduction should also contain the hypothesis behind the research design. If hypothesis cannot be constructed, the line of inquiry to be used in the research must be indicated.

Review of literature

It refers to all sources of scientific evidence pertaining to the topic in interest. In the present era of digitalisation and easy accessibility, there is an enormous amount of relevant data available, making it a challenge for the researcher to include all of it in his/her review.[ 9 ] It is crucial to structure this section intelligently so that the reader can grasp the argument related to your study in relation to that of other researchers, while still demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. It is preferable to summarise each article in a paragraph, highlighting the details pertinent to the topic of interest. The progression of review can move from the more general to the more focused studies, or a historical progression can be used to develop the story, without making it exhaustive.[ 1 ] Literature should include supporting data, disagreements and controversies. Five ‘C's may be kept in mind while writing a literature review[ 10 ] [ Table 1 ].

Aims and objectives

The research purpose (or goal or aim) gives a broad indication of what the researcher wishes to achieve in the research. The hypothesis to be tested can be the aim of the study. The objectives related to parameters or tools used to achieve the aim are generally categorised as primary and secondary objectives.

Research design and method

The objective here is to convince the reader that the overall research design and methods of analysis will correctly address the research problem and to impress upon the reader that the methodology/sources chosen are appropriate for the specific topic. It should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.

In this section, the methods and sources used to conduct the research must be discussed, including specific references to sites, databases, key texts or authors that will be indispensable to the project. There should be specific mention about the methodological approaches to be undertaken to gather information, about the techniques to be used to analyse it and about the tests of external validity to which researcher is committed.[ 10 , 11 ]

The components of this section include the following:[ 4 ]

Population and sample

Population refers to all the elements (individuals, objects or substances) that meet certain criteria for inclusion in a given universe,[ 12 ] and sample refers to subset of population which meets the inclusion criteria for enrolment into the study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria should be clearly defined. The details pertaining to sample size are discussed in the article “Sample size calculation: Basic priniciples” published in this issue of IJA.

Data collection

The researcher is expected to give a detailed account of the methodology adopted for collection of data, which include the time frame required for the research. The methodology should be tested for its validity and ensure that, in pursuit of achieving the results, the participant's life is not jeopardised. The author should anticipate and acknowledge any potential barrier and pitfall in carrying out the research design and explain plans to address them, thereby avoiding lacunae due to incomplete data collection. If the researcher is planning to acquire data through interviews or questionnaires, copy of the questions used for the same should be attached as an annexure with the proposal.

Rigor (soundness of the research)

This addresses the strength of the research with respect to its neutrality, consistency and applicability. Rigor must be reflected throughout the proposal.

It refers to the robustness of a research method against bias. The author should convey the measures taken to avoid bias, viz. blinding and randomisation, in an elaborate way, thus ensuring that the result obtained from the adopted method is purely as chance and not influenced by other confounding variables.

Consistency

Consistency considers whether the findings will be consistent if the inquiry was replicated with the same participants and in a similar context. This can be achieved by adopting standard and universally accepted methods and scales.

Applicability

Applicability refers to the degree to which the findings can be applied to different contexts and groups.[ 13 ]

Data analysis

This section deals with the reduction and reconstruction of data and its analysis including sample size calculation. The researcher is expected to explain the steps adopted for coding and sorting the data obtained. Various tests to be used to analyse the data for its robustness, significance should be clearly stated. Author should also mention the names of statistician and suitable software which will be used in due course of data analysis and their contribution to data analysis and sample calculation.[ 9 ]

Ethical considerations

Medical research introduces special moral and ethical problems that are not usually encountered by other researchers during data collection, and hence, the researcher should take special care in ensuring that ethical standards are met. Ethical considerations refer to the protection of the participants' rights (right to self-determination, right to privacy, right to autonomy and confidentiality, right to fair treatment and right to protection from discomfort and harm), obtaining informed consent and the institutional review process (ethical approval). The researcher needs to provide adequate information on each of these aspects.

Informed consent needs to be obtained from the participants (details discussed in further chapters), as well as the research site and the relevant authorities.

When the researcher prepares a research budget, he/she should predict and cost all aspects of the research and then add an additional allowance for unpredictable disasters, delays and rising costs. All items in the budget should be justified.

Appendices are documents that support the proposal and application. The appendices will be specific for each proposal but documents that are usually required include informed consent form, supporting documents, questionnaires, measurement tools and patient information of the study in layman's language.

As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used in composing your proposal. Although the words ‘references and bibliography’ are different, they are used interchangeably. It refers to all references cited in the research proposal.

Successful, qualitative research proposals should communicate the researcher's knowledge of the field and method and convey the emergent nature of the qualitative design. The proposal should follow a discernible logic from the introduction to presentation of the appendices.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

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• Project management
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• Proposal outline

What is a project proposal outline? Steps and best practices

Browse topics.

Every significant project begins with a proposal. But before you learn how to write a project proposal , you must master how to build an effective outline. 

To create a project proposal outline, start by understanding the project goal and scope , its key stakeholders, their concerns, and the project's anticipated benefits. This will help provide a framework for the outline.

This article explores the importance and key components of a project proposal outline, highlights best practices for creating a solid outline, and explains how to write one. Write your project proposal outline in Confluence for free.

Understanding a project proposal outline

A project proposal outline aims to clearly explain a project in a way that convinces readers to support it. An effective project proposal outline is essential to strategic planning and influences your company’s decision-making process . 

To create an effective project proposal outline, you must understand the stakeholders' primary goals and concerns. Draft your proposal outline to align with and address what those stakeholders care about and can expect from your project. 

That effort begins with the outline’s title, which should persuade your audience to continue reading the outline. This approach will result in a project proposal outline that engages and persuades participants, stakeholders, and influencers to support your project.

Types of proposals

There are multiple types of project proposals, including academic proposals, business proposals, project proposals, and research proposals. 

• Academic proposals intend to gain support for creating a specific dissertation, research paper, or thesis. 
• Business proposals aim to secure funding from investors, persuade clients to sign a contract or gain support for a project. 
• Research proposals aim to gain resources and support for a specific research project. 
• Project proposals intend to garner support for a particular project from colleagues, decision-makers, and stakeholders. 

The structure and components of each project proposal outline may vary depending on the type of proposal involved. Most of your proposals will likely be project management proposals, which aim to address a specific operational business need or pursue a specific business opportunity.

Components of a proposal outline

Every project proposal outline should include several key components. Use this project proposal format to write an effective outline: 

• Title : Give your outline a title that captures the critical focus of your project. Don’t try to summarize the entire project; instead, provide a few words of incentive for people to continue reading the outline.
• Executive summary : This succinct project proposal overview focuses on its goals, objectives, and anticipated outcomes. This should be no more than one to two short paragraphs.
• Introduction : This section should cover the same grounds as the executive summary and provide more details centered on the content of the proposal outline. It should be brief and encourage further reading.
• Problem statement : Include a brief, clear statement of the business problem or opportunity the proposed project intends to address.
• Objectives : Provide details of the specific goals of the proposed project. Focus on stakeholder and company-wide benefits.
• Methodology : Briefly describe how the proposed project will achieve its objectives. Give information on which roles and teams will be active participants, and list all stakeholders.
• Budget : Detail the money, people, and other resources needed to complete the proposed project successfully. Where appropriate, include information about the source or sources of budgeted resources.
• Timeline : Detail the planned schedule for all stages of the proposed project. Highlight any anticipated decision or inflection points.
• Evaluation : Describe how you’ll evaluate the results and outcomes of the proposed project and what the next steps will be.
• Conclusion : Summarize the key points and include a call to action requesting feedback and questions from readers.
• Appendices : Add any appropriate supporting documents and links to online resources. Label each appendix and include a brief description of why you included it.

Steps to create a project proposal outline

Now that you have a usable structure, you can start creating your outline. Here’s a summary of the critical steps.

Conduct preliminary research

Start by researching your audience, their primary goals and concerns, and how your proposed project can align most closely with these. Gather information through surveys, interviews, and informal conversations to shape the structure and content of your proposal outline.

Take good notes and record conversations where possible, which will help ensure you capture all the valuable information your research unearths.

Structure the outline

Structure your outline by using your primary research and the list of components above. Organize information logically and create headings and subheadings for each section to help enhance readability. Focus on presenting your project proposal outline clearly and concisely.

Write the proposal outline

Once you have a structure in place, start writing. Draft each section in clear and professional language while incorporating terms familiar to or essential to your primary audience wherever appropriate. 

Review and revise each outline section to achieve maximum accuracy and completeness. If time and circumstances permit, try to get at least one or two members of your primary audience to review and comment on your outline before developing and sharing your final version.

Best practices for creating proposal outlines

When creating a project proposal outline, it’s crucial to keep your work concise, focused, and aligned with your goals and objectives (and those of your primary audience). Use familiar, comfortable language and include credible supporting data within the body of your outline or as appendices. Use consistent formatting and fonts to prevent visual disruption and focus your readers’ experience on the content of your outline.

Create effective project proposal outlines with Confluence

The right software can ease and speed up your entire project proposal creation process, including collaborative review and editing. This is where Confluence shines.

Confluence brings everyone together in a connected workspace to move projects forward. Teams can create, edit, and share project plans so everyone is on the same page. Every project, proposal, and outline can include multiple types of information, including action items, assignees, dates, tables, and more.  Confluence offers a range of available templates, including a project proposal template , to help you start quickly and efficiently. Explore the project poster template in Confluence, and use Confluence to write your project proposal outline for free .

Proposal outline: Frequently asked questions

Why is a proposal outline important.

A project proposal outline helps you organize your thoughts and ensure that you cover all critical points. It also makes the writing process more efficient and enables you to clearly communicate the proposal's objectives and methodology to reviewers and stakeholders. A solid project proposal outline can benefit all of your project management phases , including project planning .

Can you use the same proposal outline for different types of proposals?

You can use the same basic proposal outline structure for different types of proposals. Tailor each outline to fit the specific context and goals of each proposal and the needs and expectations of your primary audience and stakeholders. Primary research can help you select the best proposal type and structure for your specific outline.

What common mistakes should you avoid when creating a proposal outline?

Some common mistakes to avoid when creating a proposal outline include overloading the outline with information, unclear directions, or a lack of precision. Others include ignoring your primary audience's needs and expectations, lack of cohesion, and poor information flow.

Sticking closely to a well-crafted structure such as the one outlined in this article can help you avoid these and other pitfalls. Soliciting reviews and comments from select audience members and stakeholders while crafting your outline can help ensure that your final version resonates with and positively persuades your audience.

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Home » Research Proposal – Types, Template and Example

Research Proposal – Types, Template and Example

Table of Contents

Research Proposal

Research proposal is a document that outlines a proposed research project . It is typically written by researchers, scholars, or students who intend to conduct research to address a specific research question or problem.

Types of Research Proposal

Research proposals can vary depending on the nature of the research project and the specific requirements of the funding agency, academic institution, or research program. Here are some common types of research proposals:

Academic Research Proposal

This is the most common type of research proposal, which is prepared by students, scholars, or researchers to seek approval and funding for an academic research project. It includes all the essential components mentioned earlier, such as the introduction, literature review , methodology , and expected outcomes.

Grant Proposal

A grant proposal is specifically designed to secure funding from external sources, such as government agencies, foundations, or private organizations. It typically includes additional sections, such as a detailed budget, project timeline, evaluation plan, and a description of the project’s alignment with the funding agency’s priorities and objectives.

Dissertation or Thesis Proposal

Students pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree often need to submit a proposal outlining their intended research for their dissertation or thesis. These proposals are usually more extensive and comprehensive, including an in-depth literature review, theoretical framework, research questions or hypotheses, and a detailed methodology.

Research Project Proposal

This type of proposal is often prepared by researchers or research teams within an organization or institution. It outlines a specific research project that aims to address a particular problem, explore a specific area of interest, or provide insights for decision-making. Research project proposals may include sections on project management, collaboration, and dissemination of results.

Research Fellowship Proposal

Researchers or scholars applying for research fellowships may be required to submit a proposal outlining their proposed research project. These proposals often emphasize the novelty and significance of the research and its alignment with the goals and objectives of the fellowship program.

Collaborative Research Proposal

In cases where researchers from multiple institutions or disciplines collaborate on a research project, a collaborative research proposal is prepared. This proposal highlights the objectives, responsibilities, and contributions of each collaborator, as well as the overall research plan and coordination mechanisms.

Research Proposal Outline

A research proposal typically follows a standard outline that helps structure the document and ensure all essential components are included. While the specific headings and subheadings may vary slightly depending on the requirements of your institution or funding agency, the following outline provides a general structure for a research proposal:

• Title of the research proposal
• Name of the researcher(s) or principal investigator(s)
• Affiliation or institution
• Date of submission
• A concise summary of the research proposal, typically limited to 200-300 words.
• Briefly introduce the research problem or question, state the objectives, summarize the methodology, and highlight the expected outcomes or significance of the research.
• Provide an overview of the subject area and the specific research problem or question.
• Present relevant background information, theories, or concepts to establish the need for the research.
• Clearly state the research objectives or research questions that the study aims to address.
• Indicate the significance or potential contributions of the research.
• Summarize and analyze relevant studies, theories, or scholarly works.
• Identify research gaps or unresolved issues that your study intends to address.
• Highlight the novelty or uniqueness of your research.
• Describe the overall approach or research design that will be used (e.g., experimental, qualitative, quantitative).
• Justify the chosen approach based on the research objectives and question.
• Explain how data will be collected (e.g., surveys, interviews, experiments).
• Describe the sampling strategy and sample size, if applicable.
• Address any ethical considerations related to data collection.
• Outline the data analysis techniques or statistical methods that will be applied.
• Explain how the data will be interpreted and analyzed to answer the research question(s).
• Provide a detailed schedule or timeline that outlines the various stages of the research project.
• Specify the estimated duration for each stage, including data collection, analysis, and report writing.
• State the potential outcomes or results of the research.
• Discuss the potential significance or contributions of the study to the field.
• Address any potential limitations or challenges that may be encountered.
• Identify the resources required to conduct the research, such as funding, equipment, or access to data.
• Specify any collaborations or partnerships necessary for the successful completion of the study.
• Include a list of cited references in the appropriate citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).

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Research Proposal Example Template

Here’s an example of a research proposal to give you an idea of how it can be structured:

Title: The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Well-being: A Mixed-Methods Study

This research proposal aims to investigate the impact of social media on the well-being of adolescents. The study will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to gather comprehensive data. The research objectives include examining the relationship between social media use and mental health, exploring the role of peer influence in shaping online behaviors, and identifying strategies for promoting healthy social media use among adolescents. The findings of this study will contribute to the understanding of the effects of social media on adolescent well-being and inform the development of targeted interventions.

1. Introduction

1.1 Background and Context:

Adolescents today are immersed in social media platforms, which have become integral to their daily lives. However, concerns have been raised about the potential negative impact of social media on their well-being, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, and body dissatisfaction. It is crucial to investigate this phenomenon further and understand the underlying mechanisms to develop effective strategies for promoting healthy social media use among adolescents.

1.2 Research Objectives:

The main objectives of this study are:

• To examine the association between social media use and mental health outcomes among adolescents.
• To explore the influence of peer relationships and social comparison on online behaviors.
• To identify strategies and interventions to foster positive social media use and enhance adolescent well-being.

2. Literature Review

Extensive research has been conducted on the impact of social media on adolescents. Existing literature suggests that excessive social media use can contribute to negative outcomes, such as low self-esteem, cyberbullying, and addictive behaviors. However, some studies have also highlighted the positive aspects of social media, such as providing opportunities for self-expression and social support. This study will build upon this literature by incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches to gain a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between social media and adolescent well-being.

3. Methodology

3.1 Research Design:

This study will adopt a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. The quantitative phase will involve administering standardized questionnaires to a representative sample of adolescents to assess their social media use, mental health indicators, and perceived social support. The qualitative phase will include in-depth interviews with a subset of participants to explore their experiences, motivations, and perceptions related to social media use.

3.2 Data Collection Methods:

Quantitative data will be collected through an online survey distributed to schools in the target region. The survey will include validated scales to measure social media use, mental health outcomes, and perceived social support. Qualitative data will be collected through semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of participants. The interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis.

3.3 Data Analysis:

Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis to examine the relationships between variables. Qualitative data will be analyzed thematically to identify common themes and patterns within participants’ narratives. Integration of quantitative and qualitative findings will provide a comprehensive understanding of the research questions.

4. Timeline

The research project will be conducted over a period of 12 months, divided into specific phases, including literature review, study design, data collection, analysis, and report writing. A detailed timeline outlining the key milestones and activities is provided in Appendix A.

5. Expected Outcomes and Significance

This study aims to contribute to the existing literature on the impact of social media on adolescent well-being by employing a mixed-methods approach. The findings will inform the development of evidence-based interventions and guidelines to promote healthy social media use among adolescents. This research has the potential to benefit adolescents, parents, educators, and policymakers by providing insights into the complex relationship between social media and well-being and offering strategies for fostering positive online experiences.

6. Resources

The resources required for this research include access to a representative sample of adolescents, research assistants for data collection, statistical software for data analysis, and funding to cover survey administration and participant incentives. Ethical considerations will be taken into account, ensuring participant confidentiality and obtaining informed consent.

7. References

Research Proposal Writing Guide

Writing a research proposal can be a complex task, but with proper guidance and organization, you can create a compelling and well-structured proposal. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you through the process:

• Understand the requirements: Familiarize yourself with the guidelines and requirements provided by your institution, funding agency, or program. Pay attention to formatting, page limits, specific sections or headings, and any other instructions.
• Identify your research topic: Choose a research topic that aligns with your interests, expertise, and the goals of your program or funding opportunity. Ensure that your topic is specific, focused, and relevant to the field of study.
• Conduct a literature review : Review existing literature and research relevant to your topic. Identify key theories, concepts, methodologies, and findings related to your research question. This will help you establish the context, identify research gaps, and demonstrate the significance of your proposed study.
• Define your research objectives and research question(s): Clearly state the objectives you aim to achieve with your research. Formulate research questions that address the gaps identified in the literature review. Your research objectives and questions should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
• Develop a research methodology: Determine the most appropriate research design and methodology for your study. Consider whether quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods approaches will best address your research question(s). Describe the data collection methods, sampling strategy, data analysis techniques, and any ethical considerations associated with your research.
• Create a research plan and timeline: Outline the various stages of your research project, including tasks, milestones, and deadlines. Develop a realistic timeline that considers factors such as data collection, analysis, and report writing. This plan will help you stay organized and manage your time effectively throughout the research process.
• A. Introduction: Provide background information on the research problem, highlight its significance, and introduce your research objectives and questions.
• B. Literature review: Summarize relevant literature, identify gaps, and justify the need for your proposed research.
• C . Methodology: Describe your research design, data collection methods, sampling strategy, data analysis techniques, and any ethical considerations.
• D . Expected outcomes and significance: Explain the potential outcomes, contributions, and implications of your research.
• E. Resources: Identify the resources required to conduct your research, such as funding, equipment, or access to data.
• F . References: Include a list of cited references in the appropriate citation style.
• Revise and proofread: Review your proposal for clarity, coherence, and logical flow. Check for grammar and spelling errors. Seek feedback from mentors, colleagues, or advisors to refine and improve your proposal.
• Finalize and submit: Make any necessary revisions based on feedback and finalize your research proposal. Ensure that you have met all the requirements and formatting guidelines. Submit your proposal within the specified deadline.

Research Proposal Length

The length of a research proposal can vary depending on the specific guidelines provided by your institution or funding agency. However, research proposals typically range from 1,500 to 3,000 words, excluding references and any additional supporting documents.

Purpose of Research Proposal

The purpose of a research proposal is to outline and communicate your research project to others, such as academic institutions, funding agencies, or potential collaborators. It serves several important purposes:

• Demonstrate the significance of the research: A research proposal explains the importance and relevance of your research project. It outlines the research problem or question, highlights the gaps in existing knowledge, and explains how your study will contribute to the field. By clearly articulating the significance of your research, you can convince others of its value and potential impact.
• Provide a clear research plan: A research proposal outlines the methodology, design, and approach you will use to conduct your study. It describes the research objectives, data collection methods, data analysis techniques, and potential outcomes. By presenting a clear research plan, you demonstrate that your study is well-thought-out, feasible, and likely to produce meaningful results.
• Secure funding or support: For researchers seeking funding or support for their projects, a research proposal is essential. It allows you to make a persuasive case for why your research is deserving of financial resources or institutional backing. The proposal explains the budgetary requirements, resources needed, and potential benefits of the research, helping you secure the necessary funding or support.
• Seek feedback and guidance: Presenting a research proposal provides an opportunity to receive feedback and guidance from experts in your field. It allows you to engage in discussions and receive suggestions for refining your research plan, improving the methodology, or addressing any potential limitations. This feedback can enhance the quality of your study and increase its chances of success.
• Establish ethical considerations: A research proposal also addresses ethical considerations associated with your study. It outlines how you will ensure participant confidentiality, obtain informed consent, and adhere to ethical guidelines and regulations. By demonstrating your awareness and commitment to ethical research practices, you build trust and credibility in your proposed study.

Importance of Research Proposal

The research proposal holds significant importance in the research process. Here are some key reasons why research proposals are important:

• Planning and organization: A research proposal requires careful planning and organization of your research project. It forces you to think through the research objectives, research questions, methodology, and potential outcomes before embarking on the actual study. This planning phase helps you establish a clear direction and framework for your research, ensuring that your efforts are focused and purposeful.
• Demonstrating the significance of the research: A research proposal allows you to articulate the significance and relevance of your study. By providing a thorough literature review and clearly defining the research problem or question, you can showcase the gaps in existing knowledge that your research aims to address. This demonstrates to others, such as funding agencies or academic institutions, why your research is important and deserving of support.
• Obtaining funding and resources: Research proposals are often required to secure funding for your research project. Funding agencies and organizations need to evaluate the feasibility and potential impact of the proposed research before allocating resources. A well-crafted research proposal helps convince funders of the value of your research and increases the likelihood of securing financial support, grants, or scholarships.
• Receiving feedback and guidance: Presenting a research proposal provides an opportunity to seek feedback and guidance from experts in your field. By sharing your research plan and objectives with others, you can benefit from their insights and suggestions. This feedback can help refine your research design, strengthen your methodology, and ensure that your study is rigorous and well-informed.
• Ethical considerations: A research proposal addresses ethical considerations associated with your study. It outlines how you will protect the rights and welfare of participants, maintain confidentiality, obtain informed consent, and adhere to ethical guidelines and regulations. This emphasis on ethical practices ensures that your research is conducted responsibly and with integrity.
• Enhancing collaboration and partnerships: A research proposal can facilitate collaborations and partnerships with other researchers, institutions, or organizations. When presenting your research plan, you may attract the interest of potential collaborators who share similar research interests or possess complementary expertise. Collaborative partnerships can enrich your study, expand your resources, and foster knowledge exchange.
• Establishing a research trajectory: A research proposal serves as a foundation for your research project. Once approved, it becomes a roadmap that guides your study’s implementation, data collection, analysis, and reporting. It helps maintain focus and ensures that your research stays on track and aligned with the initial objectives.

When to Write Research Proposal

The timing of when to write a research proposal can vary depending on the specific requirements and circumstances. However, here are a few common situations when it is appropriate to write a research proposal:

• Academic research: If you are a student pursuing a research degree, such as a Ph.D. or Master’s by research, you will typically be required to write a research proposal as part of the application process. This is usually done before starting the research program to outline your proposed study and seek approval from the academic institution.
• Funding applications: When applying for research grants, scholarships, or funding from organizations or institutions, you will often need to submit a research proposal. Funding agencies require a detailed description of your research project, including its objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes. Writing a research proposal in this context is necessary to secure financial support for your study.
• Research collaborations: When collaborating with other researchers, institutions, or organizations on a research project, it is common to prepare a research proposal. This helps outline the research objectives, roles and responsibilities, and expected contributions from each party. Writing a research proposal in this case allows all collaborators to align their efforts and ensure a shared understanding of the project.
• Research project within an organization: If you are conducting research within an organization, such as a company or government agency, you may be required to write a research proposal to gain approval and support for your study. This proposal outlines the research objectives, methodology, resources needed, and expected outcomes, ensuring that the project aligns with the organization’s goals and objectives.
• Independent research projects: Even if you are not required to write a research proposal, it can still be beneficial to develop one for your independent research projects. Writing a research proposal helps you plan and structure your study, clarify your research objectives, and anticipate potential challenges or limitations. It also allows you to communicate your research plans effectively to supervisors, mentors, or collaborators.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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High Grove Solar Farm

Consultation now open, project introduction.

Located in Norfolk, approximately 1.5km southwest of Dereham and extending west of Swaffham, the High Grove Solar Farm will provide 720MW of clean energy – enough to power the equivalent of 363,000 typical UK households each year and displacing over 24.8M tonnes of CO 2 from equivalent fossil fuel energy.

Facts & figures

of clean energy

powered with electricity

of CO₂ displaced from equivalent fossil fuel energy

Early consultation now open!

RWE values the input of the local community and will ensure that local perspectives are considered throughout the design process. High Grove is currently at a preliminary design phase, and this consultation is an early opportunity for local people to provide feedback that, where appropriate, will influence the design of the project. This early consultation will run from Monday 9 September 2024 to Friday 18 October 2024 . A further round of consultation, known as a ‘statutory consultation’, required as part of the Development Consent Order process , will follow in early 2025.

We would like to invite you to have your say by completing our feedback form here and exploring our proposals on an interactive map here , where you can leave comments too! We are using Commonplace as our virtual consultation tool to collect your feedback. 

If you would like to find out more about the project, please read on, where information is provided about the proposals , the need for solar , and the project’s benefits . Further detail on the proposals can also be found in our Consultation Brochure, which can be viewed here . Alternatively, come and find us at one of our in-person events, or join a virtual webinar. The details of these in-person events and virtual webinars are shown in the table below. 

The need for solar

Solar power is a vital part of the energy mix helping the UK to meet its net zero targets , while becoming less reliant on expensive fossil fuel imports for electricity and heating. 

The UK has a legally binding commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 . As one of the cheapest and most rapidly deployable forms of renewable energy, solar will play an important role in achieving this commitment. 

The UK Government has set an ambition of reaching 70GW of installed solar capacity by 2035 , a five-fold increase in the current installed capacity, and our proposals for High Grove will make a key contribution towards achieving this ambition. Recent announcements by the Government following the general election have reinforced the UK’s commitment to renewable energy, including substantial investments in solar power infrastructure and strengthened policy support for accelerating the deployment of solar technologies.

Our proposals

High Grove is a solar and battery storage project that would provide 720MW of clean energy. The project is distributed across five distinct Proposed Development Areas in Norfolk, about 1.5 kilometres southwest of Dereham, 2 kilometres east of Necton, and 2 kilometres north of Watton. 

A site location plan indicating each of the Proposed Development Areas is shown on the right. Please refer to the Consultation Brochure  or our interactive map for further detail on our initial proposals for each Proposed Development Area, which comprise a combination of electrical infrastructure (such as solar panels) and mitigation/enhancement measures (such as planting and new permissive paths).

Click on the image to zoom

Project benefits

Contributing 720MW of clean electricity to the national grid, enough to power the equivalent of approximately 363,000 homes, and displacing over 24.8M tonnes of CO 2 from equivalent fossil fuel energy - that equates to taking 368,573 cars off the road for a year!

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) on-site, ensuring the solar farm can be as flexible as possible in delivering energy to the grid.

Community Benefit Fund

A community benefit fund of up to £11.5 million to support local community groups and initiatives, seeking your ideas on the important causes.

Over 95% of the solar panel areas can be used for sheep grazing, maintaining agricultural use and promoting topsoil recovery by increasing organic matter and improving soil structure.

Biodiversity Net Gain

Over 50% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) to be delivered on-site, providing new and improved habitats, such as wildflower meadows, grassland areas, bird and bat nesting boxes, and beehives.

Landscape and Ecology

Providing additional opportunities for public recreation, with proposed new footpaths, outdoor picnic areas and benches.

Green Infrastructure

Several kilometres of new native hedgerow and trees including a mix of mature and semi-mature tree planting to further improve visual screening and habitat creation.

Business Rates

Over £48 million generated in business rates over the lifetime of the project, to be used by Breckland Council to fund important local services.

The DCO process

As the project will generate more than 50MW of power, it is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and requires consent via the Development Consent Order (DCO) planning process. The DCO process provides a dedicated framework specifically designed to address the complexities associated with large, complex energy projects (as well as other project types).

The project is currently at the pre-application stage and we expect to submit our DCO application in Autumn 2025. Applications for DCOs are examined independently by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS). Following an Examination of the project, which typically takes place over a six month period, the Planning Inspectorate will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, who will decide whether or not to grant the DCO.

Consultation is an important part of the DCO process as it enables everyone to comment on the proposals. The feedback received, along with further technical work and environmental studies, will inform the development of our proposals ahead of the submission of our DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate.

For further information about the DCO process and our planned timeline for the project please refer to our Consultation Brochure .

Project Contact Details

Telephone: 01362 350 063

Email: [email protected]

FREEPOST HIGH GROVE SOLAR

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All locations and figures by RWE Renewables and RWE Generation.

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All our solar projects in development at a glance.

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Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities

FY23 Selections

Get Started

General questions.

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) supports states, local governments, tribes and territories as they work to reduce their hazard risk.

The program aims to support communities as they build capability and capacity. BRIC also encourages and aids innovation. It helps partnerships grow; supports infrastructure projects; and fosters flexibility and consistency.

Project Selections

In July 2024, FEMA announced 56 projects from the National Competition totaling $674.5 million. These projects are selected in all 10 FEMA regions and are in 22 states and the District of Columbia.

Review the BRIC Selections

Review the BRIC DTA Selections

Fiscal Year 2023 Selections

On July 2, 2024, FEMA announced the subapplicants selected for the BRIC program in four funding opportunities:

• State or Territory Allocation
• Tribal Set-Aside
• State or Territory Building Code Plus-Up
• Tribal Building Code Plus-Up
• National Competition

The federal cost share for these total more than $882.6 million. In addition, 93 communities, territories, and tribal nations were announced for the FY23 BRIC Direct Technical Assistance initiative.

An additional $116.2 million for recipient management costs is allocated for 79 states, tribes, territories, and the District of Columbia. This brings the total amount of funding for this BRIC grant cycle to nearly $1 billion.

BRIC Direct Technical Assistance

The BRIC program also offers communities, territories and tribes non-financial direct technical assistance. This support helps with hazard planning and projects.

BRIC DTA does not require a previous grant subapplication or award. Communities also don’t need an approved hazard mitigation plan to apply.

Visit the  BRIC DTA web page  for more information or to learn about participating communities, territories and tribal nations .

The FY23 BRIC selections further underscore FEMA's commitment to equity and environmental justice. These awards will assist the most disadvantaged communities in building resilience to climate change and extreme weather events. Aligning with the Justice40 Initiative , BRIC will advance the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that may be overburdened by pollution and under-investment.

View BRIC selections for previous fiscal years 2020-2022 .

Before You Apply

Learn about the available funding, who's eligible to apply, types of activities eligible for funding, and what to expect when you apply.

When You Apply

Get important application dates, resources to navigate FEMA GO, criteria required in your application and details on the documentation you need to include.

After You Apply

Understand your application status, the appeal process and how to manage your award.

BRIC Information and Program Resources

Read about the mission and vision of the BRIC program and gain access to all BRIC program resources.

Read this fact sheet to learn about other programs available under Hazard Mitigation Assistance.

Subapplicants should contact their  state, tribe or territory (applicant level) Hazard Mitigation Office . You can also reach out to the  FEMA Regional Office  with any questions.