Proposal Editing and Production

Does your company submit comprehensive technical proposals to bid on projects?

Many of today’s requests for proposals (RFPs) specify exactly how submissions should be organized and laid out, the type of technical information and level of detail that must be provided, and how proposals will be evaluated. An effective response follows the instructions set out in the RFP to the letter, making it easy for evaluators to understand how your company’s solution meets the requirements better than any of the others. Effective proposals are:

• clear and concise: they communicate the advantages of your company’s solution without providing unnecessary information
• complete: they directly address each point in the RFP with sufficient technical information to show an understanding of the requirements, and provide any supporting background detail
• professional: their design makes them visually appealing and easy to read, and the writing is free of distracting grammatical errors and typos

Proposals typically consist of multiple volumes—the main body describing how the proposed solution meets each of the requirements set out in the RFP and perhaps any factors that provide value over and above the minimum requirements, followed by appendices with supporting technical detail. They include navigational aids such as a table of contents, list of tables and figures, glossary, and executive summary summarizing and emphasizing the critical messages in your proposal.

Preparing a proposal may require weeks or even months of effort by a team of contributors with expertise in a variety of subject areas, and the contract awarded may represent years of work for your company. With these stakes, it’s critical to ensure that your message stands out and leaves a positive impression with evaluators.

We can help with any of the following:

• formatting using an attractive, readable design that makes your proposal easy to read and navigate
• establishing style conventions so that the terms used in the proposal are consistent and follow industry practices
• editing and re-writing to ensure that the message is clear and consistent, and reads as ‘one voice’ rather than as though written by different authors
• a ‘fresh set of eyes’ to ensure that all requirements set out in the RFP are met
• proofreading to correct grammatical errors and typos
• production of binders, tabs, artwork, and other pieces, freeing your team to focus on the technical content
• project management to track the status of each section and ensure that all are ready in advance of the submission deadline