Tips For Federal Proposal Development That Will Help Funding

Anytime you are hoping to receive funding from the federal government you need to develop a proposal to the proper department. You need to do a lot of research to determine which agency is giving out funds and what they are giving them for. Once you find an agency that might be interested in helping to fund your idea you need to apply for it. This will entail filling out their application and a federal proposal development that's based on what you plan on doing and how much you will need to do it. Here are a few tips to follow when writing the proposal that will help with the process.

Follow Application Guidelines

When filling out the application, there will be guidelines for submitting the proposal. It is important that you follow these guidelines exactly. Be sure to check for any deadline dates. It is best to have a checklist of everything that is requested with any deadlines. There may be a specific order in which the agency wants to receive certain items.

Be Clear and Concise

The proposal should state exactly what it is you will be doing. Be clear in everything, this means you should limit technical jargon as much as possible. Use terms someone not in the field can understand. Give reasons why you need to do something the way you have outlined. Be sure to include a budget and have justification for all expenses.

Get Feedback

You should always have at least two people read the proposal and give you feedback on what you have written. One person should be a colleague who works in the same field as your proposal. The other person should not work in the field but have some type of business and financial background. Be prepared to listen to their constructive criticism and make the changes or corrections they suggest. Have them read the new draft before you finalize it for submission. Be prepared to have several drafts before everyone feels it is good enough to submit.

While you are having the proposal reviewed, and while waiting for the agency to respond, take some time to learn about the funding source. You may want to use some of this information in any revisions you make. Of course, if your proposal is denied, do not be afraid to reapply. Use what you learned during your first attempt to make the next one better. The more you learn about the process, the agency, and the funding source, the better your chances for getting the funding you need.