Writing proposals which are compliant (in the format the customer is expecting), competitive (delivering what they have asked for in an efficient way) and compelling (leaving no doubt in their mind you are the best organisation with the best offer) takes considerable skill, thought and effort.

Firstly, read, understand and answer the questions. The initial step in the proposal writing process is reading. Read the words in the invitation to tender document, RFP (request for proposal) RFQ (quotation request) or research grant call several times until you understand fully what is required. You will probably need to do some background research on your history and competitors.

The next step in the process of writing a proposal writing process is to identify the primary aim of the proposal and condense all of the requirements into five key things the customer really needs from the service or proposal. The lists below gives you a brief proposal writing template as an example of how to do this. This will makes it easier to convey clear messages throughout the rest of the proposal.

* Key Theme – Detail the requirement from the ITT

* Value for money – Demonstrate this showing that it’s fixed for duration of contract

* Innovation and Flexibility – your general approach, show some examples, outline some future ideas, and show flexibility

* Customer Service – Complaint escalation, approach to compliance, and voluntary code

* Reporting – management reports, skills staff, future plans

* Robustness of your organisation – management structure, detailed organisation charts, disaster recovery plans

Now you need to create the proposal document itself. If one is provided in the ITT, RFP or RFQ then use that. If not, you’ll probably annoy the customer and at could even be rejected outright for non-compliance. If the ITT, RFP or RFQ does not provide a specific proposal structure then use the evaluation criteria to help you create your headings and sub-headings. This makes it simple for the evaluator to determine if you have answered all of the questions properly.

A simple but important piece of advice is to keep in mind that in writing, less is more. Every word in the document should be there for a reason.

In the past six months Tenders-UK have given tender writing training workshops to 272 individuals from 167 firms, 96% of whom were SMEs. 100% of delegates rated the workshops good or excellent. The tender and proposal writing tools and techniques we teach have been proven over a 14 year period to consistently achieve success rates of greater than 60%.

Tyler E Robinson is an expert in Proposal Writing and tender writing, and recommends Tenders UK for further advice on Proposal Writing. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

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