Types of Project Proposals

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.

Project Proposal vs. Project Charter

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.
Project Proposal vs. Business Case

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.

Project Proposal vs. Project Plan

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.

Project Proposal Outline

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.

Project Proposal Template

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.

Project proposal tempalte for Word

ProjectManager’s project proposal template.

How to Write a Project Proposal

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.
Project Proposal Example

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.

Project Proposal Tips

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.

Addis Ababa University

College of ------------------ Program

Assignment forcourse Title – course #

Thesis Proposal in Title The Challenges and Opportunities of Cement Marketing in Ethiopia

By: FekaduMinale

ID: __________ Submitted to: Dr.

Table of Contents ContentPages Table of

Contents.................................................................................................................i Lists of
Tables.....................................................................................................................ii 1.
Introduction....................................................................................................................3
1.1.Background..........................................................................................................3
1.2.Statement of the Problem.....................................................................................4 1.3.Research
Question...............................................................................................5 1.4.Objective of the
Study.........................................................................................5 1.4.1.General
Objective.........................................................................................5 1.4.2.Specific
Objectives.......................................................................................5 1.5.Significance of the
Study.....................................................................................6 1.6.Scope and Limitations of the
Study.....................................................................6 2.Research
Methodology..................................................................................................7 2.1.Research
Design..................................................................................................7 2.2.Source of
Data.....................................................................................................7 2.3.Target Population of
the Study............................................................................8 2.4.Data collection Instrument and
Methods.............................................................8 2.5.Methods of Data
Analysis....................................................................................8 2.6.Ethical
Issues.......................................................................................................9 2.7.Organization of the
study.....................................................................................9
Schedule............................................................................................................................10
Budget...............................................................................................................................11
Reference..........................................................................................................................12 i

Lists of Tables Table 1: Tentative Schedule of the

Study..........................................................................10 Table 2: The expected costs of the
study...........................................................................11 ii