When you are in business, a good way to generate business is to win a government contract.  There is almost an endless amount of government contracts available, so no matter what your business you should be able to find one that you can do and bid on.  Now, getting a government contract is not as easy as just calling up the appropriate office and telling them you are willing and able to work there is a method to being selected.

Summarize the Proposal

You should include a summery at the being of your proposal.  It should be in the form of either a cover letter or executive summery.  In your cover letter or executive summery, you should include the following information.  A synopsis of the project and why you want help with funding.  A brief history of previous projects and achievements of your company along with the amount of money that you feel that you will need to complete the project.   Perhaps, most importantly, do not forget to include your contact information.

Body of the Proposal

This is the main part of your proposal.  In this section, you should include information about your company.  You should explain how your staff’s experience would help the proposal succeed.  What the mission of your company is and its vision for the future.  The amount of employees that will be working on the project and what benefits that the completed project will bring to the community.

Be specific about where the money that you want to will receive will go.  This information should be backed up with good research with statistical data that backs up the research.  You should also include information about your projects goals and objectives.  You do not have to be too specific on the goals, but the objectives should be more to the point.

You should include where you think or have received other monies.  Most grants will not cover the entire cost of a project so they are interested in how the project will get completed and where the other money will come from.

Budget

The budget that is in your proposal needs to be specific in nature.  Budgets are usually broken down into two sections, administrative and operational.  You must make sure that you include all costs that you think you will incur during your project, even miscellaneous ones.  Some grant agencies have their own budget forms that they want completed.  If that is the case with your proposal, make every effort to fill it out completely.

Conclusion

Here you will summarize the need for the grant.  Unlike the summery at the beginning of the proposal, here you will summarize the entire proposal to include other sources of funding and how your project is going to benefit the community.

Appendix

Here you will include forms and attachments such as, your company’s certificate of incorporation and its bylaws, resumes of key employees that will be involved in the project.  Any letters of recommendation, financial statements of the company for the past year, and your IRS determination letter along with any other information that the grant making agency requests or requires in order to make their decision.