Government Proposal Writing Checklist

Preparing to respond to a government RFP can be very time-consuming and intimidating if you don’t know what’s involved or how to best prepare for the proposal writing process. Before you even dig out a pencil or start typing out a draft of your government proposal, it’s important to get organized in order to get things done right in the first place. Consider the following to help you prepare for your government proposal writing process:

• Reread the RFP.
• Create an outline of the RFP and delegate people to handle different sections. If you are the sole person responsible for writing the RFP, be sure to take notes on where you need to gather and prepare the required information.
• Create a timeline or calendar where you set goals and deadlines for each section of the proposal.
• Contact the buying office and ask for the evaluation criteria that the office uses to measure proposals. While you have the buyer or contracting official on the phone, clarify any questions you may have and ask if there is anything else you need to know.

Once you decide that you want to go after the government contract and prepare for a government proposal, you can begin planning for the content. There are some common criteria that evaluators look for when reviewing proposals that you should keep in mind when writing your proposal:

• Is the proposal formatted according to the instructions?
• Have you presented a plausible solution in the proposal?
• Is the proposal organized and does it respond to the basic layout requirement?
• Are all other proposal requirements met?
• Have you provided an acceptable delivery schedule?
• Have you demonstrated your capability to perform?
• How have you demonstrated your related experience or past performance history?
• Is your financial situation stable?
• Are you proposing a reasonable price for the project?
• Are your costing methods credible?
• Will you need the help of subcontractors? If there is a part of the contract for which you will need assistance from an outside source, be sure to outline it in your proposal.