Learning how to write a project proposal helps you communicate your project’s value to your clients, investors or an employer. This skill is essential for getting your project approved and funded. When writing a project proposal, you can follow some steps to make sure you write an effective one. In this article, we discuss the importance of project proposals, the different types of project proposals and how to write one.
Meaning of a project proposal?
Project proposals are documents that define your project, including things such as start and end dates, objectives and goals. They tell stakeholders why your project ideas should be executed. Reading about your ideas in a well-written document should convince stakeholders to support them. You may use project proposals for the following purposes:
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To secure funding
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To win new clients
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To get existing clients to sign a extend their contracts
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To convince manager or employer to allocate resources to a new initiative
How to write a project proposal
You should have a good understanding of your project and your recipient before writing your project proposal. Conducting preliminary research will help you write a detailed and compelling document. After you feel confident in your understanding, draft a project proposal that includes six sections:
Section 1: Executive summary
Section 2: Project background
Section 3. Solutions and approach
Section 4. Financial information
Section 5. Additional documents
Section 6. Conclusion
Section 1: Executive summary
Write an introductory section, called the executive summary, to summarize your project. Just like the introduction of an essay, this section should aim to catch your recipient’s attention and encourage them to read on. Your executive summary should include details about:
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The problem your project solves
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How your project solves the problem
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Your project’s intended impact
The length of your executive summary will depend on your project’s complexity. One paragraph will be sufficient for many projects, but you may need a longer executive summary if your project is more complex. Make your executive summary concise to keep it engaging and convincing.
Section 2: Project background
Write a section that provides a background to the project and the problem it seeks to address. This section should include:
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A history of the problem as it relates to your business
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A concise summary of your project’s requirements
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Some details about your project
You will write more about the details of your project in the following section, so the details you provide here should be minimal. You might focus on how and why you came to think of the project, for example. This section should be relatively brief at one to three paragraphs in most cases.
Section 3. Solutions and approach
Write a section that outlines your project in greater detail. This section should explain your solution to the problem and how you will execute it. It should include:
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Your goals and vision for the project
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What your project will deliver
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Your expected timeline
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Who will take ownership of the project
More detailed solutions and approach sections may also include details of any risks you anticipate and how you might address them, how you will report to stakeholders during the project and what criteria you will judge its success on. This section will usually be the largest part of your project proposal.
Section 4. Financial information
Write a section that provides an itemized budget for your project and the predicted financial impact of your completed project. You should research this section carefully to ensure your calculations are as accurate as possible. Accurate calculations give investors and clients the best idea of how much the project will cost and whether it can fit into their own budgets.
Section 5. Additional documents
Gather any relevant documents for the final section of your proposal. These documents might include:
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A list of the contact details of everyone with authorization power for the project
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Maps of the area where your project will be based or will service
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Company financial statements and annual reports
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Any brochures or promotional materials for the project
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Relevant studies or reports
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Letters in support of the project
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A glossary of terms used in the project proposal
Section 6. Conclusion
Complete your project proposal by creating a summary of your of the points you have already discussed. Include the most important information needed to enhance your chances of receiving approval.
Benefits of a good project proposal
A good project proposal benefits you, your business and your client in the following ways:
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Drives innovation. A project proposal provides enough detail about a project that stakeholders can feel confident investing resources in it. Executive innovative projects are good for business and the wider public.
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Helps projects stay focused. Businesses can refer to project proposals while the project is being executed to ensure they stay focused and deliver what was promised.
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Anticipate and solve problems early. A project proposal exposes a project’s planning to a new audience. This new audience may be able to see risks or challenges the project proposal’s writer did not. Discussing these risks and challenges early can help project teams solve problems before they become major issues.
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Aids planning. A good project proposal helps businesses and their stakeholders plan for the future. They can anticipate how to allocate finances, time and other resources and predict how the project may impact their business in the future.
Tips for writing an effective project proposal
Using proven strategies can help make your project proposal even more effective. Consider the following tips when writing your own project proposals for the best results:
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Write for your audience. Keep your audience in mind and use terms, tone and details that will resonate with them. Preliminary research on company websites and social media profiles will help you learn the best language to use and content to include.
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Be persuasive. A project proposal aims to convince its recipients to act in some way, so being persuasive is vital. Use persuasive tools, including historic data, survey results, market predictions, testimonials and case studies to encourage action. Highlighting your own experience and qualifications can also instill confidence.
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Connect the project to the recipient. A project may seem like a good idea, but it may not be approved or funded if your recipient does not understand why it matters to them. Make the connection between your recipient’s goals and the project clear to increase your chance of success.
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Keep it simple. A simple proposal is easy to read and understand. Use easily understood terms, simple sentences and an easy-to-follow format to make your proposal clear.
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Follow convention. It might be tempting to be creative with your proposal’s structure to help it stand out. However, following tradition reduces the chance of confusing your reader and forgetting essential information. If you are given a set format, make sure you follow it strictly.
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Proofread and revise your proposal. Read through your proposal to make sure it is clear and free of spelling and grammatical errors. Presenting a clear and mistake-free proposal helps you demonstrate your professionalism, which can help you increase your chance of approval. If you have time, try to proofread your work a few days after you complete your proposal. Time away from the document will help you read it with more objective eyes. You might also choose to ask a trusted colleague or professional editor to proofread your work.
Types of project proposals
Different project proposals have different goals and therefore distinct requirements. These are the most common types of project proposals you are likely to write.
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Solicited. Sent to respond to a Request for Proposal. You must conduct thorough research and write very persuasively, as your project proposal will be in competition with others. You may also need to adhere to a strict format outlined in the Request for Proposal.
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Unsolicited. Sent without an RFP. While you are not in competition with others, you must still be very persuasive to convince your recipient to act, as they did not ask for your proposal.
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Informal. Sent in response to an informal client request. As there is no Request for Proposal, your proposal can follow your preferred format.
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Renewal. Sent to an existing client to encourage them to renew your services. Emphasize past results and predict future benefits to persuade a client to act.
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Continuation. Sent to remind an investor that the project is underway and to provide progress updates. This proposal should focus on communicating information rather than persuading.
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Supplemental. Sent to remind an investor that the project is underway and ask for additional resources. It should be persuasive to encourage the investor to give more.
The first three proposals are typically the longest, as they deal with new projects. As the final three project proposals focus on established projects and relationships, they can typically be shorter.
Project proposal example
This is an example of an informal project proposal that a website design company might send to a fashion boutique. Use this example to write your own project proposal that encourages clients, investors and other stakeholders to support your vision.
Executive summary
Rose Boutique is the leading women’s retro apparel store in the Bay Area. However, without a website, the store cannot sell beyond this area. As discussed in our recent phone conversation, the team at Everbright Technology Solutions would love to create a website for you that can help you expand your reach to the rest of California and even an international market.
This website would feature an easily updatable shopping cart with international currency and other features to provide convenience to local shoppers and engage a wider audience of fashionable women. We anticipate this website would help you increase your sales by 500% in the next two years.
Project background
Everbright Technology Solutions is a website design firm based in Silicon Valley. We have a long history of working with retailers, especially retailers in the fashion space. We are passionate about helping these clients transition into the digital world and build on their success with accessible and functional websites. We believe a website should complement your existing business practices rather than replacing them. We think this philosophy makes us an excellent fit for your retro-influenced store.
Solutions and approach
We plan to create a simple yet stylish website that fits the existing Rose Boutique brand. It will be user-friendly for your existing and growing customer base and easily updatable through a content management system to ensure it always reflects current stock and promotions. It will help your business become more competitive as people increasingly look for online shopping solutions.
The website will have the following components:
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An About Us page detailing the store’s history and philosophy
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An online store that lets shoppers search for and purchase your products from the comfort of their homes. Automatic currency conversion and shipping calculators make shopping anywhere in the world easy. The online store will accept payments from major credit cards and digital wallets.
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A blog that you can update at any time with posts about new clothing arrivals and general stories to engage your readers, such as seasonal styling tips and information about retro style icons.
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A contact page with store address, telephone and a contact form that browsers can complete to email you.
We will provide free ongoing support for the first three months after delivery. After that time, we will happily resolve any issues for a small fee.
We expect your website to go live three months after your acceptance of our proposal. After that time, you will take complete ownership of the project.
Additional documents
Everbright Technology Solutions attached the following documents:
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A list of contacts of Everbright Technology Solutions employees working on the website
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A site map for the website
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A page of testimonials from other retailers that had used its services.
Conclusion and Recommendation
In summary, a website created by Everbright Technology Solutions can help Rose Boutique expand its reach to the rest of California and even the international market. The website would feature an easily updatable shopping cart with international currency and other features to provide convenience to local shoppers and engage a wider audience. We anticipate this website would help you increase your sales by 500% in the next two years.