Lesson 4:

Project Proposal
Project Proposal
A project proposal is the framework of certain
plans for projects such as programs, services, and
events that usually involve two organizations: the
benefactor and the beneficiary. It is an outline of the plans
the benefactor has for a project that certain communities
or group of people will be benefiting from. The project
proposal aims to provide a substantial, specific and
transparent information about the project including its
concept, purpose, details about its beneficiaries,
projected dates, and the phases it will go through.

2
Project Proposal
A project proposal is usually written and
presented to possible donors for the project or to request
financial assistance from a company or an organization. It
also helps the people involved in the planning of the
project to work well together in order to achieve the same
goal and that is to make the project organized and
successful.

3
Types of Project Proposal

Before heading to the actual writing of a project

proposal, it is necessary to identify which type is appropriate
to use. The differences among the types of project proposal
are shown in the following table.

4
Types of Project Proposal
Type Description
This is asked by the customers or organizations verbally or
through a request for proposal (RFP) document. It is done out of
Formally the request of the customers or organizations themselves, and it
usually states about their personal requests on their specific
solicited wants and needs, and even the hows of the project. Hence, this is a
more organized type of proposal as it needs to be structured
according to the request made by the customers or organizations.

This is similar with formally solicited project proposal, but in

contrast, there are no requests given and outlined for this type of
Informally proposal. This means that the customers’ or the organizations’
solicited needs, wants, and other important details are not provided aside
from the basic ideas only. Hence, extra work to figure out what
and what not to include in the proposal will be required.

5
Types of Project Proposal
Type Description
As the term suggests, this proposal is not asked by anyone in
particular. It is only written out of a good idea and a feeling that
someone or some people can be successfully persuaded by this
Unsolicited proposal. This is often considered as one of the most difficult types
of project proposal to make as there are no requests to base it
from, so the probability of getting an approval is minimal. Hence,
this type of proposal has to be as persuasive as possible.

This is the easiest type of proposal to create as it does not state

about the creation of a new project, but it reminds the customers
Continuati or organizations about the progress of the project and gives them
updates about it. It serves any of the following functions: provide a
on report about the project’s progress, explain about any changes
made in the project, or ask for the permission to continue the
project.

6
Types of Project Proposal
Type Description

This is usually written for a project that has a termination date and
is made to prove that the project should be continued. It aims to
convince the audience, especially the financial donors, that the
Renewal project is worth supporting as it can make a huge difference or
generate a good profit eventually as in the case of a business
venture.

This is made to convince the sponsors that additional resources or

Supplemen funds are necessary to finish the project. This type of proposal can
tal be aided with an updated report about the project that will prove
the necessity of additional resources or funds.

7
Planning a Project Proposal
After identifying which type of proposal is appropriate to
use, it is important to follow the basic steps in planning a project
proposal.

1. Define your audience. Your audience refers to your

customers, boss, donor, or sponsor. By knowing your
audience well, it becomes easier for you to persuade and
convince them to provide financial assistance for your project.

2. Identify the problem being solved. This could be the deciding

factor in the approval of your project proposal as you
effectively lay out why your audience should approve it. By
identifying the problem being solved, you explain what its
contexts are, the purpose of solving this problem, and how it
will concern and affect the audience in the process.

8
Planning a Project Proposal
After identifying which type of proposal is appropriate to
use, it is important to follow the basic steps in planning a project
proposal.

3. Research about the current issue and potential solutions. After

presenting what problem is aimed to be solved, research
current issues about it and whatever have been addressed to
potentially solve it. This will contribute to the strengthening of
your proposal as you consider and reconsider ideas based on
existing ones.

9
Planning a Project Proposal
After identifying which type of proposal is appropriate to
use, it is important to follow the basic steps in planning a project
proposal.

4. Predict probable results. This is one of the most important steps

in planning the process as the investors, sponsors, or donors
would always want to know what would happen if they give their
approval. Hence, presenting the probable positive and negative
results of the project will aid in convincing them. Do not hesitate
to include the probable negative results for they are always
expected to arise in any project. Doing so will also let the
investors, sponsors, or donors know that risks are evident and
inevitable. However, it is necessary to make sure that the
predicted success for the project will be presented as well.

10
Planning a Project Proposal
After identifying which type of proposal is appropriate to
use, it is important to follow the basic steps in planning a project
proposal.

5. Create a time line and assess the resources. Time and finances
are the most important aspects in any project as they make the
projects possible. For isntance, it is essential to consider the
following carefully: How long would it take before the project is
done and the benefits for the audience will be visible? After
finishing the plans, is the project still relevant and needed by the
audience to solve the presented problem? Most importantly, you
have to remember that time equals money. Hence, the longer the
project is done, the more the finances are stretched. As with the
resources, make sure to provide enough allowance in your
finance so that you can avoid spending more than what is
needed and avoided the need to make a supplemental proposal
later on.
11
Planning a Project Proposal
After identifying which type of proposal is appropriate to
use, it is important to follow the basic steps in planning a project
proposal.

6. Create an outline. After considering all the necessary

information to be set in a project proposal, create an
outline to organize all of them. This outline will be your
guide in writing the actual project proposal.

12
Outline and Components of a Project Proposal
After the planning, it is time to write the actual project
proposal. In order to do so, it is important to consider the basic
components of a project proposal as well as the outline to be
observed in writing it.

1. Title page - This component should include the project title, the
name of the organization and partner (if any) involved, and the
name of the donor or sponsor to whom the project proposal will
be presented to (if any).
2. Abstract or Summary – This component allows the probable
investors or donors to know about the general information
needed for the project. Since project proposals are usually long,
equipping them with an abstract or summary will save the time
of the probable investors or donors in reading every page of the
proposal. The abstract or summary should include a statement
of the problem, objectives, implementing organization/s, key
project actvities, potential time frame, and the budget needed.
13
Outline and Components of a Project Proposal
After the planning, it is time to write the actual project
proposal. In order to do so, it is important to consider the basic
components of a project proposal as well as the outline to be
observed in writing it.

3. Introduction – This component includes the problem you are trying to solve
and the probable solutions to it. You should also state here your
researches about the current issues concerning the problem and the
solutions others have posed to solve it. You should explain here as well why
you think the solutions posed by the others are not as effective as your
suggested solutions. Your main objective for the project should be set here
too.
4. Justification – This is the component where you justify or strengthen your
claim that your project is the necessary solution for the problem posed.
Included here are the proposed approach or methodology to be used, the
implementing organizations (convince them why your organization is fit to
implement this solution or project), the target audience, the
implementations, and the deliverables (the predicted results of the project:
both positive and negative).

14
Outline and Components of a Project Proposal
After the planning, it is time to write the actual project
proposal. In order to do so, it is important to consider the basic
components of a project proposal as well as the outline to be
observed in writing it.

5. Schedule and budget layout – This component includes the time

frame and the projected budget for the project. Detailed
schedule of each phase in the project should be included here
together with the expected date of completion. More importantly,
include the detailed and itemized summary of the expenses of
the whole project, from travel expenses to salaries and supplies.
Include the indirect costs as well.
6. Monitoring and reporting plan – This component gives the
donors an idea on how they will receive reports on the progress
of the project. This should include the proposed dates and
activities wherein the donors will be allowed to visit or monitor
the project site. This should also state any other proposed ways
to ensure the continuation and progress of the project to the
donors. 15
Outline and Components of a Project Proposal
After the planning, it is time to write the actual project
proposal. In order to do so, it is important to consider the basic
components of a project proposal as well as the outline to be
observed in writing it.

7. List of personnel – This component shows the names of all the

people needed for the project, their roles, and other information
about them that require consideration for the project.
8. Conclusion – This component wraps up all the points set in the
project proposal. You should also reiterate to the sponsors why
they should approve your proposal and risk their resources for
this project. Provide reassurance about the project and its
projected success coupled with statistics or numbers when
possible.

16
Tips in Writing a Project Proposal
There are some tips to remember in writing a project
proposal. These include the following:

1. Plan ahead. Doing this gives you ample time to prepare and
create an effective project proposal.
2. Be realistic. The use of flowery words does not work in project
proposals knowing that the resources of an organization or a
person is at stake. Hence, it is essential to present project
proposals with a realistic time frame and budget allocation.
3. Present facts and be specific. All of the presented information
must not be based on instinct, hope, wish, and opinion but must
rely on facts instead. Do not generalize ideas as well, instead, be
as specific as possible.
4. Limit the use of jargons. The purpose of the project proposal is
not to impress the sponsors but to get their approval. Hence,
using jargons is not necessary.
17
Tips in Writing a Project Proposal
There are some tips to remember in writing a project
proposal. These include the following:

5. Offer a satisfaction guarantee. Sponsors would always

want an assurance that their resources will not be
wasted, so offering a satisfaction guarantee can aid in
convincing them to approve the proposal.
6. Be familiar with the interests and priorities of the
donors or sponsors. Knowing what the interests and
priorities of the donors or sponsors are can help
increase the probability of getting the project proposal
approved.

18