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How to Write a Project Proposal (Examples & Template Included)

Table of Contents

What is a project proposal, types of project proposals, project proposal vs. project charter, project proposal vs. business case, project proposal vs. project plan, project proposal outline, how to write a project proposal, project proposal example, project proposal tips.

• ProjectManager & Project Proposals

A project proposal is a project management document that’s used to define the objectives and requirements of a project. It helps organizations and external project stakeholders agree on an initial project planning framework.

The main purpose of a project proposal is to get buy-in from decision-makers. That’s why a project proposal outlines your project’s core value proposition; it sells value to both internal and external project stakeholders. The intent of the proposal is to grab the attention of stakeholders and project sponsors. Then, the next step is getting them excited about the project summary.

Getting into the heads of the audience for which you’re writing the project proposal is vital: you need to think like the project’s stakeholders to deliver a proposal that meets their needs.

We’ve created a free project proposal template for Word to help structure documents, so you don’t have to remember the process each time.

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Project Proposal Template

Use this free Project Proposal Template for Word to manage your projects better.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As you can see from the kanban board above, work has begun on tasks such as product documentation and design. Tasks regarding stakeholder feedback, ideation, market research and more have been completed, and there’s a good start on the engineering drawings, 3D rendering, supply chain sourcing and translation services.

A PDF is then attached to the card, and everyone added to the task receives an email notifying them of the change. This same process can be used throughout the life-cycle of the project to keep the team updated, collaborating, and producing a first-class project proposal. In addition to kanban boards, you can also use other project management tools such as Gantt charts , project dashboards, task lists and project calendars to plan, schedule and track your projects.

Project proposals are just the first step in the project planning process. Once your project is approved, you’ll have to solidify the plan, allocate and manage resources, monitor the project, and finally hand in your deliverables. This process requires a flexible, dynamic and robust project management software package. ProjectManager is online project management software that helps all your team members collaborate and manage this process in real-time. Try our award-winning software with this free 30-day trial .

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Blog Business

How to Write a Project Proposal (with Examples & Templates)

By Jennifer Gaskin , Dec 11, 2023

For businesses that rely on clients and partnerships to generate sales and revenue, project proposals are must-haves. A polished, professional project proposal is one of the best ways to present the capabilities your team has and put your goods and services in the best possible light.

But creating a good project proposal is more than just a timeline and a budget. Adding visual flourishes like charts, graphs and other imagery can help elevate a boring proposal to the top of the pile. Learn how you can create a successful project proposal and take a look at several project proposal templates you can fully customize using Venngage.

Click to jump ahead:

• What is a project proposal and how to use it

How to write a project proposal in 9 steps

4 project proposal examples with templates.

• What are the 6 types of project proposals?

What are the contents of a project proposal?

What is a project proposal & how to use it.

A project proposal is a formal document that outlines the details, objectives and scope of a proposed project. The purpose of a project proposal is to describe the parameters of a potential project or initiative.

Depending on the industry and type of project proposal (more on that in a moment), these documents can include things like scope of work, timelines, staffing, budget, capability statement and more.

Companies that receive project proposals from other firms or individuals use these documents to narrow down their options and make an informed decision about the best partner for them. And companies that create project proposals use them to make their pitch for the project.

Here’s an example of a project proposal to propose a new partnership:

It’s important to note that project proposals are not the same as business proposals , though there are some similarities. One of the biggest differences is that business proposals tend to be more general and expansive. Learn more about writing a great business proposal.

Writing a great project proposal can be a challenge. That’s because you need to craft the message specifically for the company or individual you’re sending the proposal to.

But don’t worry if you don’t know where to start, here’s how you write an effective project proposal:

Step 1: Review the RFP (if you have one)

If there is no formal RFP, you’ll still need to start out researching as much as you can about your potential client. That means finding out not only about the problem you’re hoping to solve but the history of the client, their industry, their competitors and more. Getting to know them better will help you understand how to portray yourself or your company in the best light.

Step 2: Create a project proposal outline

Whether you use the sections we listed above in that order, add or remove ones or shift things around, jot down a quick outline of sections to keep in mind as you work.

Step 3: Define the problem and present your solution

Kick things off by clearly nailing down the problem or need your project is tackling. Back it up with some hard evidence and data to show why this issue is a big deal. Break it down for your audience, explaining how your project is going to make their lives better.

Step 4: Highlight elements that may set your proposal apart

For example, if you know that your company will be able to complete the task more quickly than any competitors, make that the focus of your solution or scope of work section. Compare your proposed timeline with what your competitors are likely to propose to the client.

You should also make notes of any elements that you might be able to visualize through a graph, chart or other design element — visuals can help not only make your project proposal easier on the eyes, but they can make it more memorable and illustrate to the client that you are able to think creatively.

Here’s an example of how it can look in your project proposal:

Step 5: Define project deliverables and goals

A rock-solid project hinges on clarity, and that starts with laying out precisely what your project will deliver. Whether it’s reports, shiny new products, or top-notch services, make it crystal clear from the get-go.

Next, set the bar with measurable goals and objectives that scream success. Break them down so everyone’s on the same page. And because time is money, map out a timeline that’s not just a bunch of dates but a roadmap with key pit stops.

These milestones and deadlines are the heartbeat of your project, guiding you through each phase and making sure you hit the finish line with style. It’s all about setting the stage for success and making sure everyone’s got their eyes on the prize.

Step 6: State your plan or approach

Now, we’ve made it to the meat of your project proposal. In this section, walk your readers through the nitty-gritty of your project management approach.

Break down the essentials when it comes to resources—think people, equipment, and budget. And, while you’re at it, clue them in on your game plan for handling potential challenges through your risk management strategy. Additionally, consider your approach to project management, for example  agile project management  prioritizes flexibility and adaptability in order to effectively respond to changes and deliver successful outcomes.

Step 7: Outline your project schedule and budget

Crafting a successful project hinges on meticulous planning, starting with the creation of a detailed project schedule.

Break down the project into specific tasks and assign realistic timelines to each one. This step-by-step schedule, like a roadmap, not only helps in visualizing the project’s progression but also aids in resource allocation and risk management.

Simultaneously, developing a comprehensive budget is paramount. Dive deep into identifying and estimating all project costs, including personnel, materials equipment, and any potential contingencies. The budget acts as the financial backbone, ensuring that resources are allocated judiciously.

But here’s the deal – keep it real. Your schedule and budget need to be doable, considering the real-world factors at play. It’s all about laying the groundwork for success and keeping everyone in the loop from start to finish.

Step 8: Write the executive summary

The executive summary serves as the project’s sneak peek, condensing the entire proposal into a punchy snapshot. This opening act isn’t just a formality; it’s your chance to grab the reader’s attention from the get-go.

Picture it like the movie trailer – it needs to be compelling, leaving the audience eager for the full feature. In this compact summary, shine a spotlight on the critical elements of your proposal.

Outline the problem you’re tackling, showcase your ingenious solution, spell out the perks and benefits and throw in a quick glance at the budget for good measure. It’s your project’s elevator pitch, setting the stage for what’s to come and making sure your audience is hooked right from the first line.

Step 9: Proofread and edit

Before sending your proposal out into the world, give it a thorough once-over. Take the time to meticulously proofread every nook and cranny, hunting down grammar slip-ups, punctuation quirks and sneaky spelling errors.

A second perspective can catch things you might have overlooked. And let’s talk presentation – ensure your proposal isn’t just a content champ but looks the part too. Format it like a pro, making sure it’s visually appealing and easy on the eyes.

After all, a polished proposal not only communicates your ideas effectively but also leaves a lasting impression. Browse Venngage’s selection of project proposal templates to get a head start today!

Additional tips:

Avoid overly salesy language.

It can be tempting, particularly if you’re sending unsolicited project proposals, to use some of the same language in your proposal as you might in an ad, but you should keep such wording to a minimum.

Let the proposal speak for itself; if you or your firm truly are the best one for the job, it should be evident in your proposal. Being straightforward can also signal to the hiring party that you don’t want to waste their time with flowery language. It’s better to deal in facts rather than opinions for project proposals.

Establish a single point of contact

Some project proposals will include lists or even short bios of your staff members who will be involved in the project. But it’s a good idea to ensure that your project proposal makes it clear whom the client should contact to move the project forward or submit any questions. Include this person’s information at the beginning and the end of your document.

Write with one voice

While it’s common for large RFPs to be completed by many people on the team, ensure that whoever is responsible for bringing it all together has a chance to make the document feel cohesive. It should read as if one person put the entire thing together.

Now that we’ve explored some of the background and purpose of project proposals, let’s take a look at some templates you can customize using Venngage for your own project.

Construction project proposal examples

The construction industry is a complex one, and project proposals are critical for landing business and keeping projects on track. But there are many approaches a construction project proposal can take.

Taking the complicated and making it simple is a challenge, particularly in this field, but as this project proposal example shows, it can be done. By using simple, clear language and well-placed visual emphasis, this free project proposal template stands out for its simplicity.

Many hiring companies simply skim project proposals for things like budget and timeframe, and while you still need to craft an engaging proposal, it’s a good idea to put those types of elements front and center, as this construction project proposal does.

Remember that regardless of whether your firm is hired for the job at hand, every document you send to another business is a chance to establish your company’s brand identity. Use a template like the one below, update it with your logo and brand colors and fonts to keep it aligned with your messaging.

As you can see from the example below, a few color changes can make a huge difference:

To easily apply your brand colors and logos, simply have them automatically extracted from your website using Autobrand:

And apply them to your design in one click with My Brand Kit :

Design project proposal examples

You might think it would be a no-brainer for a designer to create a well-designed project proposal, but it’s common for creative people to have difficulty when it comes to analytical thinking. That’s why having a couple of great project proposals in your back pocket is perfect for a designer.

Project proposals in creative fields tend to be a bit less buttoned-up than those in other industries, so use your proposal as an opportunity to make a bold design statement. The template below, for example, uses a striking color palette and minimalist imagery on the cover to make the proposal stand out, and those touches are reinforced throughout the document.

This example, similarly, uses creative color combinations to strike a design-forward tone. But as both of these templates illustrate, the bones of the project proposal must be sound, and all the information required should still be covered.

Work project proposal examples

Not every industry requires a unique approach to project proposals, and, in fact, for most applications, a general work proposal template will suffice, provided that you do your due diligence in following any requirements set forward by the hiring party.

This template created for a consulting firm illustrates a straightforward approach to project proposals that you can easily adapt for your needs. Add or remove pages, insert charts and graphs or new icons and craft a compelling narrative.

This project proposal template is an excellent example of how companies can use established templates to create a unique proposal. Note how they’ve used the sections that apply to them and put them together in a way to appeal to their potential client.

Marketing project proposal examples

Marketers and marketing agencies are regularly asked to submit RFPs, whether for individual projects or long-term engagements, so the average marketing agency will need to have several project proposals on hand that they can modify when new requests come in.

This social media marketing project proposal template is ideal for a single campaign rather than a multi-year engagement. In that situation, it’s crucial to make sure all dates and milestones in the campaign are clearly stated.

Ideally, a marketing agency or marketer will get a chance to pitch for long-term work. In that case, this project proposal template is ideal for outlining all aspects of the project proposal, including a timeline that extends to a full year.

A critical aspect of modern marketing success is doing a great deal of research on keywords, competitors and traffic, and many marketers include such metrics in their project proposals, along the lines of this example. Note how high-impact charts and graphs are used to help the audience absorb the data and make an informed decision. There are various marketing proposal examples that you can look at to inspire your next proposal design and help catch the attention of your clients.

What are the 6 types of project proposal s?

Because every project is unique, there are many types of project proposals, but these are the most common ones:

Solicited through RFP

RFP stands for Request for Proposal (they may also be called Request for Quotation, or RFQ).

These types of project proposals typically come with the most stringent requirements and obligations. The hiring company will usually list out the elements that must be included in the RFP as well as any limitations or conditions that apply.

From the vendor’s standpoint, being asked to submit an RFP is generally a good sign because it means that your firm (or yourself, if you’re an individual) has made it through the initial round of research by the hiring party.

I nformally solicited

Informally solicited project proposals are similar to RFPs or formally solicited proposals in that they may have just as many requirements, but because they’re outside of the formal RFP process, the requirements often aren’t stated up front. That could mean the vendor needs to do more research and ask more questions of the hiring party, or it could mean there actually aren’t as many requirements.

Another benefit of submitting an informally solicited project proposal is that the absence of a formal process likely means the vendor will be up against less competition.

Unsolicited

Also called spec (speculative) proposals, unsolicited project proposals come from the vendor’s side rather than the hiring party.

These proposals are particularly difficult because the hiring party, well, may not be hiring at all. With a spec or unsolicited project proposal, the vendor believes there’s a need for their services and must not only convince the hiring party that the need exists, but that the vendor is the best one to fill that need.

Pre-proposals

Pre-proposals can be considered mini versions of RFPs. They are often sought by a hiring party that wants to avoid a lengthy proposal process — or simply doesn’t want to read a long pitch. These types of proposals are brief, usually a few pages at most, and depending on the results, the hiring party may make an offer or make a full RFP request.

Non-competing/continuation proposals

Continuation proposals are common in multi-year projects or ones in which both parties may have agreed to certain conditions governing how the project proceeds.

With a continuation proposal, the goal isn’t to pitch your services but rather to keep the client up to date on the project, inform them of any metrics they need to know or that may be part of the scope of work and get their formal approval to continue with the project.

Competing/renewal proposals

Renewal proposals are similar to continuation proposals, but instead of being created in the middle of a project, a renewal project proposal is generated once a project or contract has ended. They’re also called competing proposals because the vendor will need to make their case as to why the project or contract should be renewed.

It may be wise to approach these types of proposals as you might an unsolicited one, but the benefit to the vendor is that (if the project has been a success), they will have past results with that specific client to showcase in their new proposal.

The content of project proposals will vary depending on the industry and the type of proposal. For example, while solicited, unsolicited and pre-proposals will typically include a budget that is negotiable, a continuation proposal’s budget has likely already been set. That said, here are the typical contents of a project proposal:

• Summary : An executive summary or project background is typically the first section of a project proposal. Most vendors use this as an opportunity to thank the hiring company for the opportunity, as well as summarizing what the client is about to see through the remainder of the proposal.

This template shows a complete executive summary for a product launch, which can be longer than a typical executive brief or project background in your proposal — something to keep in mind:

• Objective : An explanation of what needs to be done or what problem can be solved if the hiring party accepts the proposal.

• Solution : An explanation of what the vendor would do to solve the problem or how they would approach completing the needed task.

• Scope of work : A detailed description of what exactly would be done, when and how much it would cost. This section may also need to include legal information, though in most cases, contracts are separate from project proposals.

Here’s an example of how you can write down the scope of work for your proposed project:

Call to action : The final section of your project proposal (assuming there are no appendices) should let the hiring party know what to do next. Include a place for them to sign the document to show their acceptance, as well as contact information in case they have further questions. To make the proposal legally binding, you can send it to your client via a free eSignature software such as Papersign  and collect their signature in a compliant manner.

• Appendix : Appendices in project proposals could include information that didn’t fit within the client’s requirements or that helps to further explain information in the main part of the document. This section is optional.

Project proposal FAQs

What is the difference between project proposals and project charters.

The difference between both is that project proposals serve to present a project’s goals and approach for approval. On the contrary, project charters officially authorize the project, defining roles, responsibilities and initial objectives.

What is the difference between project proposals and business cases?

Project proposals focus on securing approval by presenting a project idea and its feasibility. On the other hand, a business case provides a more comprehensive analysis, including financial aspects and long-term strategic impact, aiding stakeholders in making informed decisions.

What is the difference between project proposals and project plans?

Project proposals aim to gain approval by detailing the project’s purpose and scope, whereas project plans are comprehensive documents specifying tasks, timelines and resources necessary for successful project execution.

Highlight your products effectively with Venngage’s professional project proposal templates

Letting a potential customer know what you’re capable of is a critical tool in many fields, and project proposals can highlight your company in a way few other documents can.

Start with one of these templates or create your project proposal from scratch. Whether your company has just gotten an RFP or you want to land that big fish in your industry, Venngage makes it simple to create an effective project proposal without becoming overwhelmed. It’s free to get started.

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• Project planning |
• 6 steps for writing a persuasive projec ...

6 steps for writing a persuasive project proposal

A project proposal is a written document outlining everything stakeholders should know about a project, including the timeline, budget, objectives, and goals. Your project proposal should summarize your project details and sell your idea so stakeholders buy in to the initiative. In this guide, we’ll teach you how to write a project proposal so you can win approval and succeed at work.

All projects have creation stories, but they don’t start with someone declaring, “Let there be resources!” To move forward with a project, teams must submit a proposal to decision-makers within their organization or to external stakeholders. 

What is a project proposal?

A project proposal is a written document outlining everything stakeholders should know about a project, including the timeline, budget, objectives , and goals. Your project proposal should summarize your project details and sell your idea so stakeholders feel inclined to get involved in the initiative.

The goal of your project proposal is to:

Secure external funding

Allocate company resources to your project

Gain stakeholder buy-in

Build momentum and excitement

Project proposals vs. project charters vs. business cases

Project proposals and project charters serve different purposes in the project creation process, and it’s important to understand the difference between the two. While a project proposal takes place in the initiation phase of the project, the project charter takes place in the planning phase. 

As mentioned above, a project proposal is a persuasive document meant to convince stakeholders why the project should be carried out. A project charter is a reference document that defines project objectives, and it can’t be created until the project proposal is approved.

People also confuse the business case with the project proposal, but the business case also comes after the proposal. Once the project is approved through a proposal, a business case may be used to secure additional funding for the project.

Types of project proposals

There are six types of proposals you may encounter as a project manager, and understanding the different formats can be useful as you write yours. Each type has a different goal.

Solicited: You’ll send solicited proposals in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP). An RFP announces a project in detail and asks for bids from qualified teams. Because you’re competing against other companies for this type of proposal, you must do thorough research and write persuasively.

Unsolicited: You’ll send unsolicited proposals without an RFP, meaning no one asked for your proposal. In this case, you won’t be up against other companies or teams, but you’ll still need to be persuasive because you have no knowledge of whether the stakeholder you’re pitching to needs you.

Informal: You may have a client send you an informal request for a project proposal, in which case you can respond with your project pitch. Because this isn’t an official RFP, the rules are less concrete.

Renewal: You’ll send renewals to existing clients in hopes that they’ll extend their services with your organization. In this type of project proposal, the goal is to emphasize past results your team has produced for the client and persuade them you can produce future results.

Continuation: You’ll send continuations as a reminder to a stakeholder letting them know the project is beginning. In this project proposal, you’ll simply provide information about the project instead of persuading the stakeholder.

Supplemental: Similar to a continuation proposal, you’ll send a supplemental proposal to a stakeholder already involved in your project. In this type of proposal, you’re letting the stakeholder know the project is beginning, while also asking for additional resources. You should persuade the stakeholder to contribute more to the project in this proposal.

The tone of voice and content of your project proposal will differ based on the type of proposal you’re sending. When you know your project goals, you can write your proposal accordingly.

How to write a project proposal

These step-by-step instructions apply to most project proposals, regardless of type. You’ll need to customize your proposal for the intended audience, but this project proposal outline can serve as a reference to ensure you’re including the key components in your document. 

1. Write an executive summary

The executive summary serves as the introduction to your project proposal. Similar to a report abstract or an essay introduction, this section should summarize what’s coming and persuade the stakeholder to continue reading. Depending on the complexity of your project, your executive summary may be one paragraph or a few paragraphs. 

Your executive summary should include:

The problem your project plans to solve

The solution your project provides for that problem

The impact your project will have 

You should only address these items briefly in your executive summary because you’ll discuss these topics in more detail later in your proposal. 

2. Explain the project background

In this section, you’ll go into the background of the project. Use references and statistics to convince your reader that the problem you’re addressing is worthwhile.

Some questions to include are:

What is the problem your project addresses?

What is already known about this problem?

Who has addressed this problem before/what research is there?

Why is past research insufficient at addressing this problem?

You can also use this section to explain how the problem you hope to solve directly relates to your organization. 

3. Present a solution

You just presented a problem in the project background section, so the next logical step in proposal writing is to present a solution. This section is your opportunity to outline your project approach in greater detail. 

Some items to include are:

Your vision statement for the project

Your project schedule , including important milestones

Project team roles and responsibilities  

A risk register showing how you’ll mitigate risk

The project deliverables

Reporting tools you’ll use throughout the project

You may not have all these items in your proposal format, but you can decide what to include based on the project scope . This section will likely be the longest and most detailed section of your proposal, as you’ll discuss everything involved in achieving your proposed solution. 

4. Define project deliverables and goals

Defining your project deliverables is a crucial step in writing your project proposal. Stakeholders want to know what you’re going to produce at the end of your project, whether that’s a product, a program, an upgrade in technology, or something else. As the stakeholder reads through your vision, this will be the section where they say, “Aha, this is what they’ll use my resources for.”

When defining your deliverables, you should include:

The end product or final objective of your project 

A project timeline for when deliverables will be ready

SMART goals that align with the deliverables you’re producing

While it’s important to show the problem and solution to your project, it’s often easier for stakeholders to visualize the project when you can define the deliverables.

5. List what resources you need

Now that you’ve outlined your problem, approach, solution, and deliverables, you can go into detail about what resources you need to accomplish your initiative.

In this section, you’ll include:

Project budget : The project budget involves everything from the supplies you’ll need to create a product to ad pricing and team salaries. You should include any budget items you need to deliver the project here.

Breakdown of costs: This section should include research on why you need specific resources for your project; that way, stakeholders can understand what their buy-in is being used for. This breakdown can also help you mitigate unexpected costs.

Resource allocation plan : You should include an overview of your resource allocation plan outlining where you plan to use the specific resources you need. For example, if you determine you need $50,000 to complete the project, do you plan to allocate this money to salaries, technology, materials, etc.

Hopefully, by this point in the proposal, you’ve convinced the stakeholders to get on board with your proposed project, which is why saving the required resources for the end of the document is a smart strategic move.

6. State your conclusion

Finally, wrap up your project proposal with a persuasive and confident conclusion. Like the executive summary, the conclusion should briefly summarize the problem your project addresses and your solution for solving that problem. You can emphasize the impact of your project in the conclusion but keep this section relevant, just like you would in a traditional essay. 

Tips for writing an effective project proposal

Following the steps listed above will ensure your project proposal has all the right elements. But if you want to impress your readers and win their approval, your writing must shine. In addition to the above, a project proposal includes:

Know your audience

As you write your proposal, keep your audience (i.e. the stakeholders) in mind at all times. Remember that the goal of the proposal is to win your audience over, not just to present your project details. For example, if you’re creating a new editing tool for a children’s publishing house, can you determine whether your stakeholders are parents and appeal to their emotional side when persuading them to buy in to your product?

Be persuasive

Persuasion is important in a project proposal because you’re hoping your audience will read your proposal and do something for you in return. If your reader isn’t intrigued by your project, they won’t feel inclined to help you. If you describe your editing tool but don’t mention the many features it will offer, how it will benefit clients, and its positive impact in the industry, your audience will wonder, “Why should I care about this project?” 

Keep it simple

While you should go into detail on your problem, approach, and solution, you shouldn’t make your project proposal overly complex. This means you can discuss the project plan for your proposed editing tool without discussing what codes the engineers will use to make each feature work. 

Do your research

A successful project proposal includes thorough research. Be prepared to back up your problem—and solution—with reputable sources, case studies, statistics, or charts so you don’t leave your audience with questions. When writing your proposal, put yourself in the reader’s shoes and ask:

Why is this a problem?

How is this a solution to the problem?

Has anyone addressed this problem before?

What are the project costs?

If you can answer these questions, then you’ve likely done enough research to support your proposed initiative.

Use project management tools to strengthen your project proposal

Good project proposals require team collaboration . With the right management tools, your team can communicate, share information, and work together on one shared document. 

When you store all your project information in one place, it’s easy to access that data when you need it. Project proposals stem from well-organized and properly planned projects, which is why project management software is a key resource to effectively write a project proposal. Ready to get started? Try Asana .

Related resources

How Asana uses Asana to drive product development

How Asana uses Asana to streamline project intake processes

How Asana uses work management for smoother creative production

How to create a request for information (RFI) document

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Project Management

How to write a project proposal (examples & templates).

Senior Content Marketing Manager

July 13, 2023

Have you ever left a doctor’s appointment feeling uncertain about the treatment plan? It stinks—no one likes being left in limbo when it comes to things that matter to them. 

Clients feel the same type of frustration when they receive unclear project details from agencies. Reassure your customers with a strong project proposal—a statement that clarifies what your agency will do to help the client meet their goals. 

This proposal is basically a “diagnosis” and a “treatment plan.” It shows the client you understand their situation and outlines what project deliverables your agency will create to help the customer meet their objective. 

Boost clients’ confidence in your projects with this guide. It’s packed with proposal writing best practices, project proposal examples, and more to help you strengthen your pitches.

What is a Project Proposal?

Types of project proposals, step 1: research your prospective client’s product and industry, step 2: brainstorm with your internal team, step 3: define deliverables and determine the required resources, step 4: write the project proposal, step 5: add design elements to the project proposal, step 6: present it to your prospective client, step 7: follow up with the prospective client.

A project proposal is a document that outlines what deliverables your agency will create and the objectives you plan to meet through the work. It should describe your diagnostic and prescriptive approach to getting them where they want to be.

Project Proposal Example Outline

A good project proposal should include the Who, What, Where, When, and How of the solution you provide. Specifically, your project proposal needs to include:

• Table of Contents : An index of what’s to come in the project proposal and page numbers
• Executive Summary : A statement that describes the project background and gives a brief overview of what’s to come in the proposal
• Goals : The long-term outcome the client wants to achieve
• Problem Statement : A summary of the obstacles standing in the way of the client’s goals
• Value Statement : A summary statement of how your agency’s services and expertise will solve the problem statement and benefit the client
• Strategy : The high-level proposed solution for how you will reach the client’s goals
• Project Scope : The services that will be included in your agency’s project approach
• Project Deliverables : Individual tasks within the services you provide that contribute to the project objective(s)
• Measures of Success : Metrics that will be used to measure project success (KPIs)
• Timelines : A roadmap of when the client can expect project deliverables and key milestones along the way
• Case Studies : Success stories and testimonials from clients you’ve worked with on similar projects
• Budget : The monetary resources required to complete the project proposal . Include more than one package with a range of pricing to fit different project budgets and goals).
• Project Summary : A concrete takeaway that summarizes the key details of the project proposal.
• Next Steps : Don’t forget your call to action! Tell the client how to get started working with you.!

Not sure how to tie all of this together? Don’t worry; we’ll cover that later!

There are a few different situations where you would submit a project proposal to a client:

• Solicited project proposal : A prospective client approaches you with a Request For Proposal (RFP) , and you submit a proposal in response.
• Unsolicited project proposal : You identify a prospect in your CRM that fits your ideal customer profile (ICP) and submit an unsolicited project proposal to start a contracting conversation without the prospect reaching out first. 
• Informal project proposal : A more conversational approach to a proposal or one that wasn’t specifically requested.
• Renewal project proposal : An existing client is up for renewal. You send this proposal as a prerequisite to resigning so you can reevaluate your current relationship and set new goals.
• Continuation project proposal : Remind or convince current clients to continue the project or provide details about any outstanding or new tasks that might be needed to complete the project.
• Supplemental project proposal : You identify the need to expand an existing project’s scope of work and redefine the client relationship.

Related: Business Proposal Templates

The benefits of writing proposals for projects 

A well-written project proposal is a powerful tool for showing clients why hiring your agency is their best chance for success. 

Specifically, project proposals have a few key benefits:

• Credibility: Provides you a platform to establish your expertise with the prospect
• Differentiation: Give the prospect something concrete to take to internal stakeholders to compare and contrast your services with others competing for the project and get buy-in from their decision-makers.
• Alignment: Aligns internal and external teams on what the goals and vision are for the project proposal from the very beginning.

How to Write a Project Proposal in 7 Steps

A project proposal can either be a big selling point or a missed opportunity; the difference comes down to your process for developing one. Before you begin writing a project proposal, centralize your team communication . Then you can establish a clear planning process so nothing falls through the cracks.

Bonus: Project Planning Tools

Your prospective client doesn’t want an impersonal project proposal. They want a statement that shows you understand their history, branding, industry, and customers.  Show the client you get them and what matters to them by conducting research for your project proposal.

While conducting your research, consider the following:

• What are your customer’s objectives that are driving this project? 
• What gaps in industry knowledge does your agency have that you need to explore during market research ? 
• How long will you have to conduct your research?
• What form of data collection will you use? 
• Will you conduct a competitor audit, client surveys, or an organizational gap analysis?
• Once you collect the data, how will you analyze it? 
• Are there limitations to your research that need to be considered during your planning?
• Do any themes rise to the top as you conduct your research?  
• What resources did you use in developing your research?
• Are the sources credible?
• Are the sources diverse enough to accurately represent the industry?

Don’t forget to document all of your findings in ClickUp’s User Research Plan Template so you can easily reference your analysis in the following steps of your project proposal!

Armed with your research, rally the troops! It’s time to collaborate with your internal team on how you can solve the client’s needs before you put it on paper. 

Brainstorm together using the mind mapping methodology— a visual diagram of ideas connected by a central concept.  It’s an easy way for your teams to brain-dump ideas and talk through each of their unique perspectives on the project – ultimately coming up with the best ideas. 

For example, developing concepts for a marketing campaign requires inputs from multiple teams in your agency. Using ClickUp’s Mind Map will help subject matter experts from across the agency weigh in on the best approach while keeping the client’s goal as the central concept. 

Corral all that genius in one room with ClickUp’s template for project mapping ! With this resource, you can easily brainstorm and organize ideas visually to identify connections between them quickly.

Once your team has identified the best approach to the project, it’s time to outline the specifics of the solution in a project plan . This includes identifying phases of the project, defining deliverables, and filling in the details of each task. 

Using a project management tool, work with your team to assign the timeline, project budget , and task owners for each deliverable to determine the project’s overall scope. Here are a few ClickUp  project management tools that will help you communicate each of these details:

• Custom Fields: ClickUp’s custom fields enable you to assign unique values to tasks like budgets, task owners, due dates, and so much more.
• Gantt Chart: It’s easy to define timelines when you look at tasks in ClickUp’s Gantt chart view , where you can define dependencies between tasks and layout project deliverables in sequential order.
• Checklists: Sometimes, you just need a simple to-do list to make sure you’ve assigned each piece of the project; that’s where checklists are super handy! Easily tag in task owners, set due dates, and notify the project team of completion with a single click.

Now that you have all the project’s internal details, it’s time to organize them into a concise, personalized proposal statement. Collaborating on all of the ideas in a project proposal whiteboard makes it easy to define your proposal as you go.

Once you have outlined the key concepts on ClickUp’s Whiteboard , it’s time to tag in your copywriting team to round out those ideas and write a cohesive proposal Doc. The copywriting team should reference the Whiteboard, project map, and research document as they write to make sure it’s as personalized to the client as possible.

The copy needs to be definitive, concise, and measurable as possible. Once the copywriters are done, give your internal project team a chance to review and surface any revisions needed before sending the project proposal on to the next step.

Make sure you clearly define the project budget as well. The last thing a client wants is to see various costs from initial conversations.

Now for the fun part! Tag your creative team to translate that project background document into a beautifully designed project proposal (a.k.a. make it pretty!). If you don’t have an internal design team, there are several drag-and-drop design templates from services like Pitch and Canva . 

Consider standardizing your proposal in a template regardless of whether you have an internal design team or are using one of these services. Your team can simply adapt ClickUp’s Project Proposal Whiteboard Template for each new client to maintain brand consistency and save time.

You did it!

The day has finally come—you get to wow your client with your genius. Whether you meet in person or via zoom, send a meeting agenda and a copy of your project proposal via email to your client prior to the proposal presentation.

Providing the proposed project and meeting cadence beforehand will give the client time to consider the proposal, form any questions, and potentially add notes to the meeting agenda. 

CLICKUP PRO TIP Make this step quick, easy, and consistent across teams by developing a standardized email template in ClickUp .

During the meeting, keep detailed meeting notes and assign follow-up tasks immediately so nothing falls through the cracks post-meeting. Easily take notes and assign action items in real-time with the ClickUp Meeting Minutes Template to create the best project proposal.

Make sure to keep your proposal presentation to the point and as brief as possible. You don’t want to bore your audience before they get to the end.

At the end of the presentation, reiterate the next steps you’ve outlined in the proposal and note how much lead time your team will need if the client chooses to sign on. After presenting the project proposal, answer as many questions as possible, and follow up via email with any answers you don’t immediately have.

We’ve all been there. One minute an agency is promising you the world, and the next, they’re ghosting you for the next best client. Don’t let prospects slip through the cracks.

Keep track of every stage of your project proposals so you know who is responsible for reaching out to the prospect, and when your team last contacted them. 

Tracking the client lifecycle in real-time is easy in ClickUp with custom fields. You can define the stages of your project proposals through custom fields, assigning roles, setting due dates for routine follow-ups, and tagging team members. You can also send client emails and comments right from the task window, giving you a clear audit trail of each customer communication.

Related Project Proposal Resources:

• Project Proposal Templates
• Professional Services Template
• Creative Project Plan Template
• Creative Agency Proposal Planning Template
• Consulting Project Plan Template
• Grant Proposal Template
• Consulting Templates
• RFQ Templates

Use ClickUp for Your Next Project Proposal

At the core of successful project proposals, there’s a team that collaborates effectively. And that’s exactly what ClickUp enables your agency to do.

We bring all of your tools, documents, teams, dashboards, budgets, and workflows into one project management software. This is all in an effort to put an end to context-switching and siloed workflows from working within multiple tools.

What’s better?

We have over 1,000 app integrations and a full library of free templates built by project management experts that make workflow building easy. You no longer have to spend your precious time creating every process and procedure from the ground up.

It’s already here, just waiting for you in ClickUp. Get started today— completely for free —and see why so many agencies are switching to ClickUp.

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How to Write a Business Project Proposal that Gets Approved

Updated on: 5 January 2023

Writing a business project proposal definitely takes time and careful consideration, but it will pay off when you have managed to impress your investors. 

Your project getting approved or funded may depend on how effective your project proposal is, so investing that extra effort into perfecting it is essential. 

There are steps that you can follow to make sure that your business proposal makes a great impact on your company’s decision-makers , and in this post, we will walk you through them, explaining how to write a project proposal step-by-step. Also provided are templates that you can use to write a winning project proposal.   

What is a Project Proposal 

Let’s start with the basics. 

What is a project proposal? It’s a document that lists down all aspects of a project ; its background, vision, goals, tasks, requirements, owners, associated risks, etc. So it basically explains what your project is, what you want to achieve with it, and how you plan to execute it. 

It’s one of the many crucial parts of the planning phase of the project. It lays out each and every step of the project, allowing everyone to understand what is required of them, their priorities, and the common goal they are supposed to work towards. 

The purpose of the project proposal is to communicate the value of your project to all stakeholders; clients, employers, investors, and convince them of the value of the project.

Benefits of a well-structured project proposal 

• Clarifies the expectations of the project – project requirements and the action plan
• Helps increase the viability of the project 
• Offers a large overview of the project allowing you to identify issues easily 
• Simplifies project implementation  

Different types of project proposals include

• Formally solicited – a proposal that is made in response to an official Request for Proposal (RFP). The RFP document usually outlines the stakeholder requirements and even sometimes spells out the instructions to prepare the proposal. 
• Informally solicited – this type of proposal does not require an RFP, which means there is no official document outlining the demands of the customer or the stakeholder, therefore doesn’t consist of the specific details a formal one usually has.  
• Unsolicited – this type of proposal is thought of by the person creating them and not expected or requested by anyone, yet they can be of a lot of value to the stakeholder .  
• Continuation – this basically requires you to update an ongoing or already approved proposal or remind the stakeholders of it. You are required to check-in with the stakeholders and discuss progress. 
• Renewal – this is written in support of renewing a project that has been terminated or outlived its usefulness. 
• Supplemental – when you need more resources than what was originally allocated to a project, you can write a supplemental project proposal . Its purpose is to justify the need for extra resources and re-estimate the project scope and timeline.  

How to Write a Project Proposal

Once you have identified the type of project proposal that suits your requirement, you can start writing your business project proposal. 

Before you actually begin to write down the project proposal, there are a few preliminary steps that you need to take. These are: 

• Identify who your stakeholders are. While you should aim to win the attention and interest of your stakeholders with your proposal, the best way to do that is to think like them. Understand who they are, what they already know of, and what they prefer in terms of your idea. Based on who they are, you can alter the information you include, and the language you use. 
• Gather information about the problem the project is aiming to solve, especially in terms of how it’s affecting your stakeholders and their interests.
• Conduct research into the current state of the issue and the potential solutions that have already been discovered by those who are outside of your company or by your own team. This will help you adjust your own solution to generate a more solid argument or determine whether it’s worth pursuing (especially if the solutions found by others have already been tested and failed). 
• Determine the impact of the project on your company’s success or how it will benefit your stakeholders. Layout the success metrics for the proposal and showcase the results, and if you find any risks involved, don’t be afraid to bring them to light as well; in any case, knowing them will allow you to alter your action plan to withstand them. 
• Specify a timeline and the resources needed to complete the project. Check if the teams, equipment, and material needed to carry out the project tasks are available and the objectives can be achieved in a timely manner. Take into account the other projects your team will be working on, the equipment or material that’s currently unavailable, and any extra costs on resources you will have to bear in order to carry out the proposed project. 
• Create an outline of your project proposal based on the information you have gathered. Write down the core elements; more or less the basic elements should include an introduction, problem, solution, the action plan, timeline and resources, and a conclusion.

Completing the initial steps above provides you a good head start to writing your business project proposal. Your next step is to organize your research into a coherent document – an actual proposal. Here’s how to write a proposal for a project from scratch; 

1. Write the executive summary

The executive summary offers a quick overview of the proposal that is to follow. It’s not only the first thing the reader will see, but sometimes it’s the only thing a stakeholder will read before making a decision about the proposed idea. Therefore, the executive summary should make sense to someone who hasn’t read it; for this purpose, it should consist of a synopsis of all the sections in the document. 

• An analysis of the problem 
• The conclusions you have arrived at 
• The recommended action plan   

Aim to keep the summary intriguing and convincing; make use of notable statistics in the first two sentences to pique the interest of the reader. 

2. Define the problem 

Give a brief description of the problem your project aims to solve. 

Referring to the research you have done earlier, you can explain the current situation of the problem in terms of what’s being done about it both within and outside of your organization, and why your stakeholders should be concerned about it.

While you need to be straightforward with your explanation, remember to use the language and concepts your stakeholders resonate with the most. 

03. Introduce your solution 

Now that the stakeholders know what the problem is, it’s time to explain how your project or your solution comes into play. This section is usually the most detailed out part of the project proposal, and to retain the attention of your reader, you can play around with the use of visuals.  

This section should explain your solution along with how you plan to execute it. It should reinforce the fact that your decision is backed by proper and thorough research. Clarify,

• The project approach ; how the team will be put together, the tools and equipment that will be used, and how you will be handling the changes during execution. 

• Project schedule ; list the project tasks along with time estimations for each of them. The task breakdown will enable you to allocate your team properly, and you can use a Gantt chart in this section to clearly outline the resources, tasks, and timeline. 

• Project deliverables ; deliverables are the outcomes of a completed project (i.e. product, service or a detailed report). Mention your project deliverables along with delivery dates. Use a work breakdown structure here to help the stakeholders get a clearer picture.    

As required you can also include additional information such as the anticipated risks and steps you would take to overcome them, a communications plan , and milestones to help track progress.  

In order to make this section more reader-friendly, you can present all this information using an action plan . 

04. Outline the project costs

This section focuses on the estimated cost of the proposed project. It should include an itemized budget for the project. 

The purpose of this section is to help the investors get an idea as to whether the project costs can fit into their own budgets, therefore make sure that the calculations are as accurate as possible.

05. Conclude your proposal 

Provide a brief review of all the key points discussed throughout the proposal. As this is the last section, it’s also the last chance you have to convince your stakeholders; therefore reinforce your solution and why your stakeholders should care about it while ensuring that your proposed method is in the best interest of the organization.

06. Add an appendix 

This section is reserved for the reference documents, charts , graphs, etc. that were referred to when writing the project proposal.  

07. Revise and refine 

In order to substantiate your professionalism and win over your stakeholders, you must present an error-free project proposal. 

Proofread your proposal to check for any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Often a fresh pair of eyes helps detect mistakes easily; either get a colleague to review the document or wait 1-2 days and review it anew yourself. 

Project Proposal Templates 

A detailed, well-structured project proposal will help you stay focused and stay on track by offering you the necessary instructions throughout the project, which is certainly better than picking things out from your memory or conversations you had with your team during that meeting a few weeks back. 

To make it easy for everyone, you can have a standard project proposal template that they can refer to when documenting their project idea. 

Following are a few project proposal templates that you can share with the team.

One Page Business Project Proposal

You can edit this template online and share the link with your team or the stakeholders online so they can collaborate on it too. Connect with them via Creately in-app video conferencing and walk them through each section of the proposal. Alternatively, using in-line commenting, they can also leave their feedback on the proposal.

Project Proposal Template

What’s Your Process for Writing a Business Project Proposal? 

Creating a project proposal can sometimes be a mini project in itself.  Using a proper process checklist or a standard template can help you accelerate things. Before writing your project proposal, follow the preliminary steps mentioned above first. Keep your target stakeholders in mind and make a compelling case for your proposal. 

Want to share your thoughts on how to write a proposal for a project ? Let us know in the comments section below. 

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How to Write a Proposal in 10 Easy Steps [Templates Included]

You’re tasked with writing a proposal, and a lot is at stake.

Now is not the time to guess. What should you write? How can you appeal to the client’s deepest desires? How do you satisfy client expectations for your specific industry?

Now is the time to follow a proven process. We’ve analyzed millions of proposals sent with our software to see which tips and tricks actually have an impact on closing rates.

We’re covering all that and more.

Keep reading for our step-by-step guide that shows you exactly how to write a proposal simply by customizing the sections in one of our proposal templates . The right template will show you exactly what to include while helping you save hours on design and formatting.

What’s in this guide:

What is a proposal?

How to write a proposal in 10 easy steps, industry-specific proposal writing guidelines, 3 proposal templates, next steps: write your own proposal.

A proposal is a document that outlines a project or service to clarify the details and get agreement from all parties involved. Proposals typically include the overall service approach, important timelines, and key deliverables.

For best results, use proposal software instead of a PDF. This way, you’ll get important features for sales like e-signatures, brand and content control, and full visibility into the client’s viewing activity.

The 9 Important parts of a proposal

There are many different ways to structure a proposal . Through our research of successful proposals , we’ve found that the winning documents usually include these key sections:

Executive Summary

Deliverables

Terms and Conditions

Case Studies (or Social Proof)

Each proposal might name these key sections differently, or put them in a different order.

No matter the sections you choose, make sure you include a table of contents. If you use Proposify , the table of contents is automatically shown on the left-hand side, so clients can easily click around to review different sections again. As you might imagine, the pricing section is often viewed a few times before a decision is made.

Proposals vs reports

While a proposal is used to pitch a new project or service (either to a client or internally to your boss), a report is designed to share details on a project that’s already taken place. Use reports to audit business operations or share the success of a marketing campaign.

Follow along with our step-by-step process, as we use our advertising proposal template . While the content of the examples is specific to advertising, this template can easily be adjusted to fit any industry or project type.

Step 1. Discover the needs and requirements

You can’t write a great proposal without a great pitch.

Take the time to understand what your client needs, what their goals are, what they’re concerned about, and what results they care about most.

If you’re pitching a project internally, be sure to talk with different stakeholders and members of your team.

Tips for discovery:

During discovery sessions , ask the appropriate questions to find out if the client is worth your time. Do they fit your ideal client profile? Are they ready to implement your solution? Set criteria to determine if this prospect is ready to even receive a proposal for you. And make sure to update your criteria over time as you learn more about your ideal client.

Proactively discover and handle objections . Ask the client about any concerns, hesitations, or times they’ve been burned by service providers before. This way, you know exactly what points to cover in your proposal.

Get verbal agreement from the client on your pitch and approach before putting it in writing with a proposal.

Step 2. Create the cover page

Kick off your proposal writing with a compelling cover page (also known as the title page). The visuals and style take center stage here—it’s your first impression after all. As for the text, you just need a proposal title and key details such as your company’s name, the client’s name, the date, and your contact information.

Our proposal example features a bright, bold design and all of the details you need. There’s no “one way” to do this right, as long as you’re following your brand guidelines.

Tips for creating cover pages:

Give your project a results-driven title that will immediately put the entire pitch and investment into perspective.

Make sure to choose a proposal template that matches the style of your brand, as it will be easy to change the colors and text later.

Step 3. Write the cover letter

Now it’s time to write your cover letter. This is one of the most challenging proposal sections to write because it really sets the tone for the rest of your pitch.

The cover letter (also known as the executive summary) should do more than just provide an overview. This section must be persuasive enough to convince your client to read the rest of the proposal.

Appeal to their desires, hit their key pain points, and get them excited about the transformation you can provide. Make sure you’re crafting compelling, relevant messaging specifically for each individual buyer.

Tips for writing cover letters:

Make sure the copy is on brand. That might mean funny and irreverent or serious and formal.

Put the focus on the outcome of the service, whether that’s customer acquisition, improved facility safety, or a memorable event.

Step 4. Create a company bio

Before you move on to the project approach and pricing, it’s smart to tell the potential client a bit about your company.

This section could include basic information such as your founding date and the niche you focus on, as well as small business bragging rights, such as awards, average results, or audience reach.

If this is an internal pitch, you can write about your team instead of the entire company.

In our example proposal, there’s one page for a company bio and one page for company statistics that matter to the potential client.

Tips for writing company bios:

Even though this section is about you, find ways to make it about your prospective client. Include the company details that show that you can get them the results they’re looking for.

Get creative. Instead of just a wall of text, can you use icons or statistics to show who you are?

Make sure to save this section as a template to re-use it for future proposals. You don’t have to modify this for each client, but you might want to create slightly different company bios for different services (if you offer very different services).

Step 5. Add social proof

We recommend that you include social proof immediately after your company bio section. This way, you use the words of your previous clients to back up the nice things you just said about yourself.

Social proof can be testimonials, mini case studies, reviews, and star rating averages.

If you’re doing creative or construction work, you might also want to include a couple of portfolio samples.

Tips for using social proof:

Match the testimonial or review to the pitch. Have a bank of testimonials to choose from so you can always pick the most relevant ones.

Be concise. You may want to trim or edit long testimonials so each one is under 50 words. Otherwise, prospective clients might not read them.

Continue to proactively collect social proof. Ask happy clients to write a testimonial or review you online

Step 6. Outline the core approach

Now it’s time to sell your services. Create an approach section to showcase what you want you plan to offer the client.

There are so many different ways to write this section, as it really depends on what you’re pitching. You might break the work down into categories with bullet points or descriptions for each category. Or, you might write a few paragraphs describing your proposed solution and why you believe it’s the best fit for the client.

Tips for writing approach sections:

Consider giving this section a unique name, such as The Project Path , Our Plan , or Let’s Get to Work .

Beef it up with additional details. You might include a list of deliverables, a more detailed breakdown of the scope of services, or a timeline illustration with important milestones.

If you don’t have package options and there’s only one price listed, then this section should be very detailed. If there are pricing and service options, then this section will be simpler, and the following section will have the service breakdowns (per package options).

Step 7. Create a pricing table

When writing proposals, make sure to give plenty of time and attention to the pricing section. All of the details and options you provide will help clients better understand what they’re getting.

We recommend naming this section "Your Investment" as it helps remind potential buyers of the investment they’re making in their business.

In our example below, you’ll see 3 package options on the first page of the pricing section. And then, the client can select their package choice on the second page. This will automatically update the total pricing of the proposal.

Tips for proposal pricing:

Use optional pricing when possible, such as packages, project lengths, or add-ons, because these methods are known to positively affect closing rates .

Make sure to clarify the different types of costs, such as hourly costs versus fixed costs for an event management pitch.

Step 8. Write bios for your team members

In Step 4, you created a bio for your company to sell your company’s expertise and prove that you have what it takes to succeed at the service you’re pitching.

Now it’s time to show your client the real humans they’ll be working with if they decide to work with you. Think of this as the “you’re in good hands” section.

Include the faces the client will interact with, making sure to specify your team’s unique talents and what they bring to the table.

Tips for writing team bios:

Only include bios for up to 6 people. You could write bios for the entire company (for a very small business), the executive team, or the people who will handle the account if the proposal is won.

Use this section to show off not only your credentials but your personality. Have fun with it, but as always, stay on brand. A formal proposal might skip the jokes and stick just to the accolades.

Step 9. Add your business contract

This section of the proposal should include the contractual details that will formalize the agreement. This way, you can send the business proposal, and you don’t have to also send a separate contract.

You might have multiple pages of legal clauses or a simple statement of work.

Tips for writing proposal contracts:

If the statement of work isn’t already clarified in the meat of the proposal, make sure to include it here.

Include a clause on refunds, cancellations, and project modifications.

Make sure to have your legal team help you craft the contract section so you know it satisfies your company’s requirements.

Step 10. Sign and send it for signature

And lastly, you need to write your e-signatures page and add an e-signature for yourself and one for your client.

As soon as a client has chosen their pricing options, they can sign the proposal to begin the project.

Tips for adding proposal e-signatures:

Write a message above the signature that helps to seal the deal. Talk about how excited you are to get started and clarify what the immediate next steps will be after the proposal is signed.

Always sign your proposals before you send them! Our research shows that a proposal is more likely to close if you’ve already signed it by the time the client opens it.

Review your proposal analytics to know how to follow up with clients. For example, if a client hasn’t opened the proposal yet, remind them to do so. But if they’ve opened it several times, ask if they have any questions or if they would like to modify the project.

Every industry has its own proposal writing best practices. Here are some tips to consider.

When writing a software proposal, ensure you include ample information on how you will help the client implement and utilize your software. That might look like staff training sessions, custom integrations, a pilot rollout, etc.

Construction

In the construction industry, you will likely receive a request for proposals (RFPs) from large corporations and government agencies. So make sure you check the details of the RFP so that your solicited proposal covers all required information.

You typically need to include a very detailed pricing and timeline breakdown, and you might need to showcase your adherence to state and county requirements , whether for certifications, environmental protections, etc.

Marketing is all about results. You should include a couple of different formats of social proof, such as statistics with client results and testimonials. Marketing also requires a lot of creativity regardless of the channel, so make sure you showcase your company’s creative side with unique proposal headings and imagery.

When you’re writing a proposal for event management, catering, or some other service, you need to keep a couple of things in mind. First, make sure that you source testimonials from event attendees, not just your direct clients. Also, your pricing section should include the fixed costs (such as a venue) and the variable costs (like your team’s hours decorating the event or the venue’s bar tab at the end of the night). For any variable costs, provide an estimate that’s 10% higher that what you actually expect.

Proposify offers dozens of proposal templates to guide your writing and help you win deals. Here are some of our favorites.

1. Construction job proposal template

Ready-made for the construction industry, this template includes previous projects to serve as portfolio pieces, a detailed project summary with items the client is expected to provide, and a project schedule.

2. Accounting proposal template

While this template was created for accounting services , it can be easily modified to fit various consulting services. The top sections include the introduction letter, about us page, project summary with goals and service breakdown, and a detailed pricing estimate.

3. Catering proposal template

With this event catering proposal template , you’ll get a short and sweet introduction page, a longer company bio, a food showcase, event details (great for proactively handling any confusion or mix-ups), a theme moodboard, and a menu sample.

This proposal could be adapted for other types of creative work, such as photography, retail store decorating, or makeup services.

To write an effective proposal, you must start with a solid understanding of the client’s needs. This way, you can put their desired results and transformation front and center. Write a cover letter, project summary, company bio, and pricing table to clarify what the client will receive while also selling your company as the best solutions provider.

You can easily write a proposal using our detailed, beautifully designed proposal templates .

Ready to close deals faster? Start your free trial of Proposify.

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How to create impossibly good project proposals.

• Understand your readers and mirror their preferences
• Address the root cause of proposal rejection
• Justify the project’s existence by tying a dollar value to the problem
• Apply project management best practices to project proposals
• Use a conventional project proposal outline
• Use persuasive copy
• Reframe your content based on proposal-type

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It all starts with the project proposal. From million-dollar ad campaigns to thousand-dollar one-pagers, so much of your agency’s success depends on sending persuasive proposals. This guide will show you how to create more compelling project proposal outlines.

Of all the documents you’ll create while running a project, few are more important than the project proposal .

This tiny document is the seed that gives birth to million-dollar projects. You’ll use it to win new clients, persuade sponsors to increase funding and convince existing clients to renew their contracts.

A great project proposal is at once informative and persuasive. It may revolve around data, but it doesn’t shy from using marketing copy. It is, at heart, the distillation of several skills - project management , data analysis, copywriting, etc.

Given this expansive brief, writing a convincing project proposal can be a challenge even for agency veterans.

In this guide, I’ll share 7 tips you must follow to create more convincing project proposals.

1. Understand your readers and mirror their preferences

The project proposal isn't just a project management document. It is also a marketing document.

And as with any marketing document, you have to keep your audience in mind when creating it.

In practical terms, this means using the same language, tone, style, and level of complexity as your audience.

If your audience is a veteran CTO, feel free to pepper in jargon. If it's a small business owner who has never touched a computer before, dumb things down.

Doing this means that you have to research your audience thoroughly. LinkedIn is your best friend here. Dig through their profile and approximate the following:

• Experience with your proposed solution or technology, based on past employment & education history. For example, you don't have to explain " CRM " to a former Salesforce exec.
• Interests are based on public group affiliations and recent shares. If a target is a part of a LinkedIn group on AI and has shared articles on AI/ML in the past, you can assume that he would understand AI terms.
• Busyness based on seniority and other commitments.

  Publicly shared interests and group memberships show what your target audience is interested in.

Use this information to create a rough sketch of the target, such as this:

This will tell you how much detail you should include in a proposal. A veteran CTO, for instance, might want to know the technical details of your proposed solution. A small business owner might be more interested in the impact on his bottom line.

2. Address the root cause of proposal rejection

A client might reject your proposal for any number of reasons. Perhaps he isn't sure of your ability to deliver results. Or perhaps he has a better price than a competitor.

But as Francis McNamara points out , most proposals are rejected because of a failure of persuasion, not a failure of process.

It is very seldom that sponsors discard proposals because they don't have enough data. Rather, it is because you failed to make the data compelling enough.

Addressing this root cause of the proposal requires two things:

Within the context of a project proposal, persuasion means two things:

• Emphasizing results that will have the biggest impact on the decision maker, i.e. its target audience.
• Countering the target audience's rejections (with storytelling, data, and past results).

A mistake you can make is to assume that the motivations of the business and the decision-maker are the same. While there is certainly a big overlap, decision-makers also have independent goals and ambitions - to get a promotion, to improve their department's performance, etc.

Your goal should be to highlight the project results that will benefit the decision-makers the most.

For example, your project might have two key benefits - improving website performance by 20% and increasing online sales by 5%.

• Pitching to the VP of engineering: Highlight performance improvements and technical underpinnings of the solution.
• Pitching to the VP of sales: Highlight the impact on sales and total revenue.

Persuasion defines what you say in the project proposal. Clarity defines how you say it.

In practical terms, clarity is a function of the proposal's formatting, tone, and copy. Your target shouldn't have to read through two pages before understanding the project's key benefit. Nor should he have to trawl through paragraph after paragraph of jargon.

To be clear, then, is to:

• Present the key benefit(s) of the project quickly and succinctly.
• Structure the proposal in a way to emphasize its biggest benefits upfront.
• Only include information necessary to make a decision and omit the rest.
• Use copy that aligns with the target's interests, knowledge, and busyness.

3. Justify the project’s existence by tying a dollar value to the problem

In a 2009 PMI conference paper , Eddie Merla, says that one of the chief causes of project failure is “weak justification”.

“Sometimes the concept may be properly stated but the justification for the project is weak… the lack of justification indicated a lack of commitment on the part of the team to build a compelling business case.”

This is a frequent problem on technical and creative projects. The technical or creative problem might seem substantial enough on its own. But if you can’t connect it to a business issue, you’ll struggle to justify the project’s existence.

One way to do this is to tie a dollar figure to the problem. Focus on what the business stands to lose if it doesn’t solve the problem. Since people are more likely to avoid a loss than to seek a gain (i.e. loss aversion theory ), emphasizing the loss can sell the urgency and impact of the project.

For example, in a project to improve website speed, focus on how slow websites lead to abandoned carts and thus, a loss in revenue.

Try using ROI analysis to figure out the project’s impact on the business. Don’t focus on the exactness of your financial metrics. Rather, focus on their completeness.

At the very least, your proposal should highlight the following:

• The current state of the problem and its negative impact on the business
• The estimated positive impact of the project on the business
• The approximate cost of the resources required to deliver the project

A project with a “strong” justification would have a large difference between the project impact and project cost. The more “complete” you can be with this data, the easier it will be to justify the project’s existence.

4. Apply project management best practices to project proposals

A project proposal is a significantly exhaustive undertaking. You need to research stakeholders, map the relationships between them, identify risks, etc.

How can you make sure that get every detail right and still meet your deadlines?

Easy: treat the project proposal as a mini, self-contained project.

The more complex the proposal, the more you'll want to adopt PM best practices while creating it.

For example, a complex project proposal might go through several stakeholders before it is approved. All these stakeholders will have their own concerns, goals, and preferences.

By creating a stakeholder management plan, you can address all these concerns.

Here are a few things you can do to manage the proposal creation process better:

• Assign tasks (stakeholder research, data gathering, etc.) to different team members.
• Map the relationships between stakeholders and create plans for managing them.
• Create a Gantt chart to map the proposal creation-approval process.
• Create a communication plan for each stakeholder addressed in the proposal.
• Create a risk management plan for risks identified in the proposal.

I don't recommend doing this for every project, but if the project is large and lucrative enough, it is better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.

The best part is that you can use a lot of this data later once you actually win the project.

5. Use a conventional project proposal outline

When it comes to proposal formatting, it’s better to follow traditions than to think outside the box. Sponsors are used to seeing key information structured in a specific way. Tinkering with it will just cause confusion.

So what exactly is this “traditional” proposal format?

Use this image as a reference:

Each section in this project proposal outline serves a specific purpose:

• Executive summary gives a quick, punchy summary of the problem, your solution, and its net impact. Sponsors will often decide to read further based on this summary. Make sure that it is succinct but also sells the project.
• Project background includes a section on the history of the problem in the context of the business, a brief overview of your requirements, and a few details about your proposed solution.
• Project proposal should focus on the project’s goals and vision, key deliverables, timeframe, and ownership. Other details you can include are key risks and issues, success criteria, and reporting.
• Project financials should include details on the estimated budget and approximate financial impact post-completion.
• Project authorization should include a list of everyone who has authorization throughout the project.
• Appendix is where you can attach additional documents supporting your case.

You don’t have to use these exact headings, but I do recommend following the same core structure – summarize the problem, frame the project in context, emphasize the solution, and list the project’s financials and authorization.

6. Use persuasive copy

The purpose of a proposal is to sell the project. You can’t really expect to do that if your copy reads like it was lifted from an academic journal.

You don’t have to turn it into a sales page, but you should use at least a few persuasive writing tactics, such as:

• Use a punchy statistic, testimonial, or case study result at the start of the proposal to grab the reader’s attention.
• Avoid jargon – unless your audience is well-versed in it and expects it.
• Write at grade 5-8 reading level. Use simpler words and shorter sentences whenever possible. Use Hemingway App to check the reading level as you write.
• Use social proof in the form of testimonials, case studies, and quotes from similar projects.
• Use the inverse pyramid writing style where you highlight the most important information at the top and push the minor details to the bottom.
• Use the 1-2-3-4 copywriting formula – identify what you’re pitching, its benefits, why you’re the right person to do it, and what the sponsor needs to do next.
• Highlight your experience, qualifications, and past results. This is a form of persuasion through authority.

Don’t be afraid to use superlatives and sales-focused “power” words (“amazing”, “incredible”, etc.) in your copy. Your objective, after all, is to sell the project.

7. Reframe your content based on proposal-type

Not every proposal has the same objective. A proposal sent in response to a RFP has a different goal from one sent to renew a contract with an existing client.

In the case of the former, you need to emphasize your value and experience. In the latter’s case, you’re already a known quantity to the client.

Most agencies will send the following six types of proposals:

• Solicited: These are sent in response to a Request for a Proposal. You’ll be competing against several other vendors for the client’s business. Your proposal, therefore, needs to be exhaustively researched and persuasive. It also needs to adhere to the guidelines in the RFP.
• Unsolicited: These are “cold” proposals sent to prospective clients. Since the client did not ask for the proposal, you must do a lot of homework to get noticed. Bring anything but your A-game here and you’ll land straight in the trash can.
• Informal: These proposals are sent in response to an informal request from the client. While they must be sufficiently detailed, you don’t have to follow any specific guidelines (as in an RFP).
• Renewal: This proposal is sent to pitch the renewal of an existing contract. Since you’ve already worked with the client, you don’t have to focus much on your work. Rather, your goal should be to emphasize your past results and how you can exceed them in the future.
• Continuation & Supplemental: These two proposal types are largely similar. The former – continuation proposal – is sent to remind the sponsor that you’re working on a project, and to update them on its latest status. The latter – the supplemental proposal – is sent to remind the sponsor about the project and request additional resources.

How much effort you put into each proposal should depend on which category it falls into. Unsolicited proposals require a lot of effort, but you can normally cut that short if you nurture leads upfront.

Similarly, proposals sent in response to an RFP must be comprehensive enough to fight off competitors.

Renewal, continuation, and supplemental proposals, on the other hand, should be shorter since they’ve already been approved in part.

Over to you

Crafting a compelling project proposal is an art. You have to inform and persuade, all within the confines of a few pages. A strong proposal justifies the existence of the project while also making a case for your agency.

Use these tips to help you create better project proposals.

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• Faculty of Arts
• School of Culture and Communication
• Current students

Creative Writing research proposals

Some guidelines to assist you in developing a proposal for a research higher degree in Creative Writing at the University of Melbourne (MA or PhD).

The creative PhD at the University of Melbourne is developed and marked as a single thesis, with two major elements: a dissertation and a creative work.

Each part usually contributes 50% to the overall word count. It is possible to increase the dissertation above 50%, but the creative work cannot be more than 50%.

One way to understand the unity of the creative PhD thesis is to consider that there is one overarching research question or hypothesis, which is approached within the thesis in two different manners, a scholarly one and a creative one.

The dissertation is not an exegesis. The dissertation does not offer a commentary on the creative processes or the intentions of the writer. The dissertation is intended to stand independently as a scholarly work making an original contribution to its field or discipline. In creative writing, this field is often interdisciplinary, but it can be characterised as a discipline interested in writerly questions, that is questions that take into account creativity, creative processes, the decision-making that goes into a creative text, cultural and technological influences on writing, questions of genre boundaries (including emerging genres, hybrid genres), and questions that address issues in conceiving of writing as a craft. This is a broad description and it is not exhaustive, but it does indicate that most dissertations are investigating aspects of the act of writing.

In your proposal you should make it clear what your research question is, and how this question fits with or responds to an ongoing critical discourse. You should identify the fields or disciplines you will draw upon, what models of analysis you will adopt, and what critical and creative texts you wish to discuss in your dissertation.

The creative work will need to be articulated in your proposal with some detail, understanding that as with all creative works there will be room for re-considerations and re-drafting. You should show how your creative work addresses or arises from your research question.

Your proposal should include an indicative list of the texts you will consult.

For more information please see the Doctor of Philosophy (Arts) web page.

Writing a Project Proposal

Main navigation, a good proposal describes....

• what you hope to accomplish
• why those objectives are important to your academic or artistic field
• how you intend to achieve your objectives

Your original project proposal is the core of your grant application. 

Detailed Proposal Guidelines

• General guidelines for all grant proposals
• Additional specific guidelines for  Research, Arts/Design, and Senior Synthesis  project proposals
• Ways to turn your good proposal into a great one
• Sample Project Proposals : Check out exemplars of past student project proposals.

Connect with Faculty Mentors and UADs

• Faculty Mentors should meet required eligibility criteria .
• Students should  schedule a meeting with their Undergraduate Advising Director (UAD)  as they write their proposal. UADs are well-versed with all VPUE Undergraduate Research Grants!

Watch a 3-minute overview of the VPUE Student Grant application process.

Watch a 2-minute video on how to write the critical dialogue section of a creative arts project proposal.

The Charnel-House

From bauhaus to beinhaus.

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