Final Proposal Cover Letter Guidelines

Final Proposal Cover Letter Guidelines
[HEADER – Insert your company name and logo]
[INSERT DATE]
Mr. Joe Smith, [Title] [Company Name] [Street Address] [City, State, Zip]			This is the name and address of the contact person and company you are sending your proposal to.
RE:	[Project Name] [Project Specification, i.e., Robot for Bomb Disarming Project]
Dear Mr./Ms./Director [INSERT CONTACT NAME]:					Always use a colon in formal salutation.
1st PARAGRAPH Introduce your company and the proposal you are responding to. Briefly state the problem described in the RFP for your project. Make sure you demonstrate your understanding of the problem. Now, briefly state – using persuasive language – your solution to the problem. Explain why your company is the best choice for the job. Example: [Insert your company name] is pleased to submit our Proposal in response to your [insert name of project proposal you are responding to].
2nd & 3rd PARAGRAPHS Now, describe the problem in more detail. Explain your solution, emphasizing your design innovations and any original thinking about solving the problem. Provide a detailed description of your project and how it answers the specifications of the RFP. You also need to include both mechanism (e.g., the robot itself) and process (e.g., how the robot works) descriptions. Examples: Building an autonomous robot to disarm bombs keeps first responders out of harm’s way… Our firm has designed an innovative touch sensor to… The robot is 13 inches tall and has four wheels… Using state-of-the-art programming tools…
4th PARAGRAPH Briefly describe your company, your team’s specific qualifications and the goals(s) you will meet. This is where you are going to argue persuasively that your company is the best suited to meet the needs of the current proposal. Be specific about what your company’s strengths are. Examples: Our firm has developed over its seven year history… We are uniquely positioned to… Our firm’s location in Lincoln, Nebraska…
5th PARAGRAPH Talk about a past project (or current projects) that your company has undertaken. Highlight the ways you have met other project specifications and guidelines. Be creative but NOT outrageous in describing other fictional projects. This part gives a short but important history of your successes for the potential client.
FINAL PARAGRAPH In two or three sentences, mention again the proposal name you are bidding for, concisely focus again on the problem, your solution and what your company can bring to the project. Make sure you express your strong interest in working on this project. Provide contact information. Example: The [insert your company’s name] team has worked on numerous projects and carefully reviewed your guidelines – we know your procedures. The [insert company name] team can bring available experienced staff… We look forward to the opportunity of working with you.
Sincerely,
David Poly Lead Engineer Jane Jay Project Manager		File:Inst3.gif	INSERT YOUR NAMES AND TITLES
ENCLOSURE		File:Inst3.gif	Below your names, you will write “ENCLOSURE�?, which refers to those items that you will attach to this cover letter
Normally, the Proposal with an Appendix would be attached here to the cover letter. YOU ARE NOT WRITING A PROPOSAL. However, YOU DO HAVE TO ATTACH AN APPENDIX. Include: Your initial sketch, all the drawings of your final design, the final ROBOLAB program, the final MS Project, and the final cost estimate. Be sure to include the photographs of your model. In addition, describe, in complete sentences, your Production Contract Considerations. AGAIN, you are just writing a cover letter and attaching an appendix with supporting documentation.

Return to Index

Continue to next topic: Persuasion