Developing A Winning Proposal

9th Annual Government Procurement

Conference

July 8, 2005
By Laveda Page Brown
 Agenda
• What is the proposal and how to get
started planning
• Marketing, analyzing, designing,
estimating and publishing the
proposal
• Presenting your companies
capabilities and making your case
• What about a government proposal
• Sample proposal outline and contents
• Final Checklist
Your Company Introduction
Developing your commercial

• In one minute or
less tell us briefly:
• Tell us what you do?
• Give us one benefit
statement (why?)
• End with your Name
 What is a proposal?
• A proposal is a plan of action for
fulfilling a need.
• Basically, it is a sales document
that responds to the needs of
someone else.
• It is a written document
describing in detail the work to be
performed and provides the
reader/evaluator adequate
information to make an informed
purchasing decision.
 Why use a Proposal?
• A good RFP will help the evaluator
collect critical data to streamline the
evaluation process and compare
only the qualified bidders.
• The RFP outline format is design to
help the evaluator quickly compare
proposal.
• Most proposal writers spend a huge
amount of time writing the RFP.
They expect you to read it and
follow it carefully.
 Getting Started
• The first thing you will need to do is to gather the documentation
for the proposal’s six planning steps.
• 1. Marketing
• 2. Analyzing and making bid decision
• 3. Planning
• 4. Designing, when applicable
• 5. Estimating/Pricing
• 6. Publishing the proposal
• The data-gathering process makes the actual writing much easier.
• The planning stage is a good time to focus your key people on the
mission of the company, available resources, and the project's
overall value to the organization.
 What is Marketing?
To make a communication about a
product or service a purpose of which is to
encourage recipients of the
communication to purchase or use the
product or service.
MARKETING – The techniques used to
attract, build confidence and persuade
potential customers.
What are you marketing?
You are marketing/selling solutions. Your
proposal should illustrate how your
company understands and provides the
solution to the evaluators problem.
 Marketing the company to the evaluator
• Marketing plays an important role in writing a proposal and building the
case for the Company’s capabilities to perform the project.
• Be proactive in marketing. When an RFP hits the street is not the time to
start marketing your company, it is extremely hard to meet with the
purchaser. You must establish a relationship with the purchaser before
hand to learn what motivates the project.
Marketing experts' state it takes at least eight contacts before a potential
client becomes a client and three to four follow-ups with existing clients to
keep them as clients.
• The proposer should determine if their company is truly able to do the job
better than anyone else. If the answer is yes, state your case in writing.
• Next step: develop or review the company’s vision, goals, objectives, and
strategic plans.
• A successful proposal is a win-win situation for the proposer and the
purchaser. Talk about what the purchaser’s agency will gain.
• All throughout the proposal market your company.
What's in it for them? Why is your company the best choice for the project?
 proactive marketing takes time

Make a contact and follow up

Develop a plan of action for
your 8 to 12 contacts;
• Thank You Card or Letter
• Confirmation Letter
• Follow up telephone call
• Company fact sheet or a capability
statement
• Media articles-A collection of editorial
about a person, the product, or the
company.
• Develop a sales pitch: Why should the
agencies choose your company.
Something more than price and
quality.
• PORTFOLIO – A large, bound volume
containing samples of past work and
used to promote business.
 analyzing
• What is the key to success? “one word:
customizing” if you don’t address the
specific needs of the purchaser, you’re
wasting your time.
• Only through analyzing the customers
basic needs can you prepare a proposal
stating your company’s capability to
perform the required work.
• The purchaser may need you to convince
their higher ups that the project is
necessary. Present your proposal as the
solution to the specific problem.
 analyzing
• Public sector purchasers are accountable to
the public, which affects how they
scrutinize proposals. Generally, experience
is more important to the selection.
The audience for a public proposal is not
just the evaluator, but the general public.
• When presenting your analysis always talk
the language of benefit.
• Can you respond quickly with a quality
product or service? How
can you demonstrate this?
• A part of your analysis should be
considering if the proposal is profitable for
your company.
 planning
• Army Five P’s; proper planning prevents
poor performance.
• Companies that plan, schedule meticulously
and test prior to work implementation ensure
that the work activities will be profitable and
beneficial to all.
• In your planning process consider yourself in
a contest, focused on how you’re going to tip
the scales in your favor.
• For an evaluator that looks at proposals all
day long a really good proposal is often like
a breath of fresh air.
• A poor proposal will not win against a really
good proposal, no matter who wrote it.
 Questions to answer
Here are a few questions to answer when preparing
the information for the proposal:
• What is your company good at? What’s
your legal status? How long have
you been in business?
• What is your company’s philosophy on this type of
project?
• What is the nature of the project and how will it be
conducted?
• How will your company respond to the timetable
for the project?
• What are the anticipated outcomes and how will
the required results be evaluated?
• Who are your references? What
certifications do you have? Awards you have
received?
 designing
• The design part of
the proposal includes
such items as
schedules, sketches,
plant layouts, work
flow diagrams, scale
models, mockups,
and prototypes.
 estimating
• Estimating is one of the most important steps.
Estimating includes forecasting (predicting) the
amounts of administrative time, materials, man
hours, travel and all other costs required to
accomplish the job.
• You will not know all the expenses associated
with the project until the project details and
timing have been completely worked out.
• Thus, the main financial data gathering takes
place after the master proposal has been
written.
• However, at this stage you need to sketch the
outlines of the budget as you go along to be
sure that the costs are all accounted for.
 publishing
• This includes the organizing, writing,
editing, planning, and binding of the
proposals.
• Follow the required proposal format.
Proposals that do not follow format
instructions are rejected.
• The emphasis should be neat, accurate,
easy reading with easy references to
assure the evaluator the company has
the capabilities and experience to
perform the work.
• The appearance and adequacy of the
proposal are crucial. However,
excessive proposals can show a lack of
cost consciousness.
 Writing objectives
• Keep the writing simple.  Proposals with clear
objectives and methods are generally the most
successful.
• Avoid jargon. Also be sure to spell out the full
names of any acronyms.
• Have someone proofread your proposal. A fresh
set of eyes can help you identify sections that
are unclear and catch typographical errors.
• Follow directions. Every year, proposals are
disqualified because the writer failed to follow
general format directions regarding the number
of pages, appendices, fonts, spacing etc. 
• Evaluators rank proposals lower when writers
fail to follow instructions regarding what content
goes in which section of the proposal.
 capabilities
• Capability is defined as having the ability to perform
in an efficient manner; qualified.
• Question: How is capability evidenced in a written
proposal?
By the qualifications of the team, life of the
equipment and adequate facilities; the Company’s
organization, organization for the planned project,
attributes of key personnel; the Company’s
resources and financial backing.
• The need that the proposal is addressing and the
qualifications of your company must be well
documented and well articulated in the proposal.
• Address the purchasers needs and demonstrate how
your proposal reinforces the overall direction of the
purchasing agency.
 Writing a proposal for
a government solicitation
• There are three situations that require you
to prepare a proposal:
Invitation for Bid (IFB)
• When the solicitation is an IFB, your
proposal will consist of filling out the
forms that you received in the bid package
and sending them in.
• This is contracting that consist of
competitive bids, public openings of the
bids (which you should attend), and award.
• The government knows exactly what it
wants, where, and how many, the award is
based on price and other price related
factors.
• You must bid the requirements exactly as
presented.
Request for proposals (RFP)
• Negotiated bid, such as a request for
proposals (RFP) or request for quote (RFQ).
• Request for Proposals (RFP) is the type of
contracting commonly used when the
government is not sure what is required and
they are looking for your input on ways you
plan to meet their objectives.
• First and foremost, respond to an RFP in
exact accordance with the requirements
outlined in the RFP.
• Requests for Quote (RFQ) is the method
often used to solicit price or market
information. A quote submitted does not
constitute an offer and is not the government
form of a binding contract.
Responding to an RFP
• Provide all the information requested, in the order
and format specified. The first indication of your
professional qualifications is the ability to follow
directions.
• Restate the scope of services and specifications
included in the RFP.
• Describe how you will approach the project and
state why this approach will best serve the
purchasers needs.
• Include specific references to the goals and
objectives provided in the RFP.
• Outline your cost estimates including all fixed and
variable prices.
• Ask for their business. The style and contents of
the proposal must communicate your desire for the
business. Do this in a well constructed cover letter.
 Sample Proposal Outline
When a format is not provided.
• Executive Summary: a short statement of your
case and summary of the entire proposal; typically
1 to 2 pages.
• Statement of Need: why this project is necessary;
1 to 3 pages
• Project Description: nuts and bolts of how the
project will be implemented; 2 to 5 pages
• Bid Amount/Budget: financial description of the
project plus explanatory notes; 1 to 2 pages
• Organization Information: history and structure
of the company; its primary activities, clientele,
and services; 1 to 2 pages
• Conclusion: summary of the proposal's main
points; one-page.
 The Executive Summary
The first page of the proposal is the most important
section of the entire document. Here you will provide
the reader with a snapshot of what is to follow. It
summarizes all of the key information and is a sales
document designed to convince the reader that this
proposal should be considered. Be certain to include:
Problem: A brief statement of the problem or need your
company has recognized and is prepared to address (one
or two paragraphs);
Solution: A short description of the project, including what
will take place and the benefits, how it will operate, how
long it will take, and how it will be staffed (one or two
paragraphs);
The organization and its expertise: a brief statement of
the name, history, purpose, and activities of your
company, emphasizing its capacity to carry out this
proposal (one paragraph).
 The Statement of Need
• Write your proposal like a sales documents.
• The statement of need will enable the evaluator
to learn more about the issues and to understand
the problem that the project will remedy.
• It presents the facts and evidence that support
the need for the project and establishes that your
company understands the problems and
therefore can reasonably address them.
• You want the need section to be logical, yet
persuasive. Like a good debater, you must
assemble all the arguments. Then present them
in a logical sequence that will readily convince
the reader of their importance. As you marshal
your arguments, consider the following points.
 The Statement of Need
• Demonstrate complete understanding of the
stated requirement or problem.
• Be specific and direct, being vague only
demonstrates that you do not understand the
requirements and will create questions in the
mind of the evaluator.
• Be sure the data you present are accurate.
There is nothing more embarrassing than to
find out your information is out of date or
incorrect.
• Decide which facts or statistics best support the
project and substantiate your promises with
facts and details.
• Information that does not relate to the project
you are presenting will cause the reader to
question the entire proposal.
 The Project Description
Objectives are the measurable
outcomes of the project.
This section of your proposal
should have four subsections:
• Objectives,
• Methods,
• Staffing/administration, and
• Evaluation.
Together, objectives and methods
will dictate your staffing and
administrative requirements.
 The Project Description
Methods
• This means that you demonstrate your ability
to solve or meet the challenge.
• The methods section describes the specific
activities that will take place to achieve the
objectives. It might be helpful to divide your
discussion of methods into the following:
what, how, when, and why.
• Your proposal should clearly communicate
your ability to successfully perform the
contract.
• Documentation of successful fulfillment of
other contracts will help prove your point.
 The Project Description
• How: This is the detailed description of
what will occur from the time the project
begins until it is completed. Your
methods should match the previously
stated objectives.
• When: The methods section should
present the order and timing for the
tasks. It might make sense to provide a
timetable so that the reader does not
have to map out the sequencing on their
own.
• The timetable tells the reader "when"
and provides another summary of the
project that supports the rest of the
methods section.
 The Project Description
• Why: You may need to defend your chosen
methods, especially if they are a new
approach. Why will the planned work lead
to the outcomes you anticipate?
• You can answer this question in a number of
ways, including using the valuation of an
expert and examples of another projects that
worked.
• The methods section helps the reader to
visualize the implementation of the project.
It should convince the reader that your
company knows what it is doing, thereby
again establishing credibility.
 The Project Description
Staffing/Administration
• In describing the methods, you will have
mentioned staffing for the project. You now
need to devote a few sentences to discussing
the number of staff, their qualifications, and
specific assignments.
• Details about individual staff members
involved in the project can be included either
as part of this section or in the appendix,
depending on the length and importance of this
information
• How will you free up the time of an already
fully deployed individual?
 Pricing the project
• As you prepare to assemble the pricing, go back
through the proposal narrative and make a list of
all personnel and contractors related to the
operation of the project.
• Be sure that you list not only new costs to
complete the project but also any ongoing
expenses for items that will be allocated to the
project.
• Verify or get the relevant costs from the person in
your agency who is responsible for keeping the
books.
• You may need to estimate the proportions of your
company’s ongoing expenses that should be
charged to the project and any new costs, such as
salaries for project personnel not yet hired. Put
the costs you have identified next to each item on
your list.
Keeping records
• Your list of pricing items and the calculations you
have done to arrive at a dollar figure for each item
should be summarized on worksheets.
• You should keep these to remind yourself how the
numbers were developed.
• These worksheets can be useful as you continue to
develop the proposal and discuss it with the
evaluator; they are also a valuable tool for
monitoring the project once it is under way and for
reporting after completion.
• Some proposals require you to provide adequate
management and cost information. In this case, you
need to demonstrate your ability to account for all
of the costs involved in performing the contract.
 Developing Your Conclusion
• Every proposal should have a
concluding paragraph or two. This
is a good place to call attention to
the future, after the project is
completed.
• If appropriate, you should outline
some of the follow-up activities that
might be undertaken.
• This section is also the place to
make a final appeal for your
company’s consideration.
• Briefly summarize what your
company wants to do and why it is
important.
 Finishing touches
Packaging
• Cover design
• Cover letter
• Spell check
• Gather appendix materials
• Prepare table of contents,
section dividers, etc.
Production
• Where and by whom will the
document be produced?
A checklist for government proposal writing
 Thoroughly reviewed the RFP
 Prepared any questions concerning the RFP and
submitted to the contracting officer
 Obtained and reviewed background documentation
for the project
 Evaluated your company’s strengths and weaknesses
 Evaluated your company’s competition
 Developed a strategy to differentiate your company
 Prepared document in the appropriate format
 Included commitment letters from potential
employees, suppliers and funding sources
 If appropriate, past performance references
 Purchased a sufficient number of packaging
materials? Binder rings, tabs, notebooks, etc.
Proposal delivery
• Deliver on time.
• Label the original documents
and required number of copies.
• Seal the original and copies in
a package and label
appropriately.
• If mailing, don’t forget to
check delivery schedules.
• If hand carrying, provide a
signature receipt for the
delivery person.
 McLennan Community College
Small Business Development Center
Government Contract Assistance Center

Laveda Brown
Business Consultant/Procurement
Specialist
Owner of TEAMCo and Beautiful Reflection Photography
thelifegem@yahoo.com or Laveda@beautifulreflection.com