Summary: It is more convenient for the contractors to have a federal writing proposal checklist at hand during government proposal writing in order for them to have an idea on what a proposal should contain.
Government proposal writing has always been a tedious task for contractors. This particular document will reflect the company’s qualifications and abilities to cope with the comprehensive processes of government procurement. Thus, it has to be formulated and written professionally for the contractors to win bids and negotiations.
While there can be government proposal writing guide that can be downloaded form the Internet or bought from the bookstores, it is more convenient for the contractors to simply have a federal proposal writing checklist at hand when writing the proposals.
The checklist should contain all the “must do’s” for the contractors in government proposal writing, along with the required contents and proper presentation of information.
In doing a government proposal writing walkthrough, the contractors should be wary of the following:
ü Grammatical errors
ü Typographical errors
ü Organization of ideas
ü Formatting
ü Language
Grammatical and typographical errors in proposals would be a sign of lack of professionalism. Remember that government procurement is a serious business, and the client (in the guise of the government agency) would be difficult to please.
The government contract proposal should therefore be double checked and revised should there be discrepancies in the information given or lapses in the formality of the marketing language.
Along with the government proposal writing walkthrough, the contractors should also keep the required contents of the contract proposals in minds. The most effective government proposal writing includes the following in the federal proposal writing checklist:
ü Requirement matrix as stated from the Request for Proposals (RFP) or Invitation for Bids (IFB) paired with the response of the contractor. It is in this section that the contractors have the opportunity to convince the government that their company can meet the demands and needs of the clients.
ü Executive summary that includes a synopsis stating the reasons why the government should buy from the proposing supplier. Most government proposal writing guide encourages the contractors to provide details on why their company differs from other bidders in this section. Previous achievements and concrete evidences of the company’s edge over their competitors may also be included.
ü Discussion of technical and/or management system which covers the narrative of the requirements and how the company will meet these requirements. This section backs up the first two items in the federal proposal writing checklist as it enumerates the procedures which can possibly be utilized by the company in meeting the requirements of the government agency.
ü Presentation of prices and costs of the contract, along with the basis and computation of the values presented. Labor rates, implementation plans, and schedules will also contribute to the success of government proposal writing.
ü Relevant experiences and past negotiations with other customers. This section may serve as the reference part of the proposal and thus should be presented in such a way that it provides all the positive feedback from past business partners.
Contractors may doubt the length of the contract during the government proposal writing walkthrough. Then again, the entrepreneurs should not hold back on the provision of details that may get them to win federal bids and/or negotiations. Government proposal writing guide may give samples of proposals that can reach up to ten to a thousand pages. It would be up to the contractors to determine which length is more appropriate to the business proposed and the government agency playing the role of their customers.
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