Technical Writing Services - SBIR & Federal Proposal Help

Home

Planning Your Proposal

The idea of writing a research grant proposal can seem overwhelming, especially once you start wading through official solicitations and proposal requirements. However, by performing some initial planning, the process can actually go quite smoothly. By asking yourself a few simple questions, you can clarify the key concepts of your proposal quickly.

WHAT are you proposing? Boil your concept down to a few sentences. What are the milestones that you'll need to meet in order to achieve your objectives?
WHY are you proposing this? Why should the agency fund your project? Why is your proposal the best solution to the problem you are addressing? Why is your concept better than the current state-of-the-art?
HOW are you going to achieve what you proposed? How will you start, conduct, and finish your project? How will you know if your objectives have been achieved?
WHEN will you perform the work that you're proposing? When will each task start? When will you communicate with the agency about wht project's progress? When will each project milestone be reached?
WHO will perform the work that you're proposing? Who will manage the overall project execution? Who will oversee each technical area of the project? Who will be working with you from outside your company as either a subcontractor or consultant? What are the qualifiations of all of these people, and how are they relevant to the project?
WHERE will the work you propose take place? Do you have the in-house facilites and equipment to do what you're proposing? Will you need to rent facilities or use the facilities of a subcontractor to get the work done?

All of these questions relate directly to various portions of a solid proposal. By asking yourself these questions before you dive into the formal writing process, you can get a good idea fast of what information is clear and what still needs to be defined.

The Kristoff Group can help you define the answers to these and other questions you may have about the proposal development process. Over the next few months, I'll be expanding on each of the questions outlined above to give you a more detailed concept of what information you need to convey in a winning proposal. Need more help? Contact me, Sue Kristoff, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 978-549-2019 with your proposal development questions.

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]

Proposal Prep and SBIR Solutions