Writing a Business

Proposal
A workshop by:

Syed Qaiser Hussain

 What is a proposal?

• In the simplest terms…

• A plan or suggestion, especially a formal or written
one, put forward for consideration or discussion by
others.
 Types of a Proposal

• Solicited
• Unsolicited
• Research Proposal
• Business Proposal
 Types of a Proposal

Solicited
• The customer issues a Request for Proposal (RFP),
Request for Quotation (RFQ), or an Invitation for
Bids (IFB).
 Types of Proposals

Unsolicited
• Submitted to a sponsor who is believed to have an
interest in the subject.
 What is a Business Proposal?

• In the simplest terms…

• “A Business Proposal is a request for support of
sponsored research, instruction, or extension of
projects.”
 A Few Functional Types…

• Grant Proposals - For funding proposals to all

levels of government.

• Business Proposals - For all types of business

proposals.
 A Few Functional Types…

• Technical Proposals - Research, academic,

business and government.

• Project Proposals - For all types of projects - all

sectors.
 A Few Functional Types…

• Sales Proposals - For all types of products and

services.
 General Misunderstanding

• “Business Proposal” and “Business Plan” are

synonymous.

• But they are not.

 General Misunderstanding
• A business proposal offers a product or service to a
buyer or client.

• A business plan is a “formal statement of a set of

business goals” and how these would be achieved.

• Business Plan is a part of Business proposal.

 Structure

• Title

• Executive Summary

• Table of Contents

• Introduction
 Structure

• Statement of the Problem

• Approach or Objective or Solution

• Method or Activities or Work plan

• Resources (Human and Other)

 Structure

• Schedule and Benchmarks

• Justification or Bidder’s Qualification

• Budget

• Measurement or Evaluation
 Structure

• Conclusion
 Your Task…

• You have been given a situation.

• Take the sheets provided to you.

• Start working on the assigned proposal and write

each section of the proposal as it is elaborated.
 Title
• Your name, name of the company, name of the
person or company to whom the proposal is
submitted, and the date of submission.

• Identifies what the proposal is about.

• Must be written very clearly.
 Executive Summary
• Like an abstract.
• A one- or two-paragraph summary of the product
or service.

• How it meets the requirements and exceeds

expectations?
 Table of Contents

• Not necessary for shorter proposals

• Sometimes used for complex formal proposals.
• Useful where different departments review parts of
the document separately.
 Introduction

• The business entity in terms of company,

partnership, proprietorship.

• The major activities of the company.

• A past accomplishments briefly.

 Introduction

• The values and the ethical standards adopted in

dealings with stakeholders.

• The purpose of the proposal.

• Credits, including the author and external sources.
 Introduction

• Concise personal profiles (not resumes) of key

people who would drive the project.

• The contact details of the key person.

 Introduction

• The intended recipients of the proposal.

• The date of the proposal and its validity.

Note:The best reports confine the introduction to

one page, but still cover all details very concisely.

 Statement of the Problem

• Defines what the proposal tries to achieve.

• Sets the direction, tone, and structure of the

proposal.
 Statement of the Problem

• The major components of the Problem/Need

section are:

• Statement of problem or need reinforced with facts,

statistics, interviews, and comparisons.
 Statement of the Problem

• The relevance of the need, or why the problem

needs a resolution.

• Present status and past performance in graphs

and tabular formats.
 Statement of the Problem

• Proves the gap between existing state and ideal

state.

• The optimal length of the problem/need section is

two to three pages.
 Approach/Objective/Solution

• Goals that the proposal hopes to accomplish.

• Breaks down the goals into small measurable time-

bound targets.

• Function wise strategies and plans.

 Method/Activities/Work Plan

• Lists the approach or methodology proposed to

attain the objectives or reach the solution.

• It includes:
 Method/Activities/Work Plan

• A management plan detailing:

 Project structure.
 Organization of work with milestones.
 Implementation schedule.
 Method/Activities/Work Plan

• Management structure, including administration

and system profiles.

• A list of what the proposal does not include along

with reasons.
 Method/Activities/Work Plan

• For instance, some items listed in the need

statement might not find mention in the objectives
as the cost-benefit analysis makes fulfillment of
such need unviable.
 Method/Activities/Work Plan

• Set a realistic timeframe for the likely rate of

progress

• Include provisions for lags.

Resources (Human and Other)

• This includes:
 Total manpower required.
 Job descriptions for all staff.
 Biographies of key team members.
Resources (Human and Other)

• May also include:

 Any resource other than human beings.
 E.g. Any technological aid, movement from one
place to another, etc.
 Schedule and Benchmarks

• Major elements of the job are here displayed against

a time line.

• Benchmarks are identified to indicate successful

accomplishment of intermediate objectives.
 Justification/Bidder’s
Qualification
• Only used and bid and research proposals.
• Why this bidder should be chosen on the basis of:
 Qualifications.
 Successful history of similar jobs.
 Budget

• The most critical section.

• The approval is usually based or contingent upon
financial considerations.
 Budget
• It incorporates:
• The costs and pricing for implementing the work
plan.

• Projections such as proposed cash flow, profit and

loss statement, balance sheet, and key ratios.
 Budget

• Cost benefit analysis for implementing the

objectives.

• Source of funds, for instance, debt or equity.

• Tax implications and accounting standards used.
 Budget

• Any funding requests with potential returns on

investment.

• Include a detailed breakdown of actual figures and

justification for the stated amounts.
 Measurement/Evaluation
• Reviews the work plan to underscore the strong
points.

• It usually incorporates:
• A Strength-Weakness-Opportunities-Threats
(SWOT) analysis.
 Measurement/Evaluation

• Shows how the proposed plan builds on key

strengths, resolves internal weaknesses, exploits
opportunities, and avoids threats related to the
business.
 Measurement/Evaluation

• Mentions issues and risk factors that can derail or

hold up the work plan.

• Contingency plans to deploy when established plans

go awry due to internal or external factors.
 Measurement/Evaluation

• Good reports document everything that may go

wrong, and prepare a dedicated plan for each such
issue.
 Conclusion

• Review of what the business expects to achieve.

• Strives to reinforce the proposal by restating the
problem and solutions as well as possible reasons
why the proposed work plan will succeed.
 Conclusion

• The conclusion section also contains:

• Testimonials or references of satisfied clients

• Appendices containing lists of tables and detailed

information, exhibits, and other important data.
 Conclusion

• The appendices help avoid cluttering the report

with excessive detail.
Any Questions…???
Thank you very much…