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How To Write A Proposal – Step By Step Guide [With Template]

Table of Contents

How To Write A Proposal

Writing a Proposal involves several key steps to effectively communicate your ideas and intentions to a target audience. Here’s a detailed breakdown of each step:

Identify the Purpose and Audience

• Clearly define the purpose of your proposal: What problem are you addressing, what solution are you proposing, or what goal are you aiming to achieve?
• Identify your target audience: Who will be reading your proposal? Consider their background, interests, and any specific requirements they may have.

Conduct Research

• Gather relevant information: Conduct thorough research to support your proposal. This may involve studying existing literature, analyzing data, or conducting surveys/interviews to gather necessary facts and evidence.
• Understand the context: Familiarize yourself with the current situation or problem you’re addressing. Identify any relevant trends, challenges, or opportunities that may impact your proposal.

Develop an Outline

• Create a clear and logical structure: Divide your proposal into sections or headings that will guide your readers through the content.
• Introduction: Provide a concise overview of the problem, its significance, and the proposed solution.
• Background/Context: Offer relevant background information and context to help the readers understand the situation.
• Objectives/Goals: Clearly state the objectives or goals of your proposal.
• Methodology/Approach: Describe the approach or methodology you will use to address the problem.
• Timeline/Schedule: Present a detailed timeline or schedule outlining the key milestones or activities.
• Budget/Resources: Specify the financial and other resources required to implement your proposal.
• Evaluation/Success Metrics: Explain how you will measure the success or effectiveness of your proposal.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main points and restate the benefits of your proposal.

Write the Proposal

• Grab attention: Start with a compelling opening statement or a brief story that hooks the reader.
• Clearly state the problem: Clearly define the problem or issue you are addressing and explain its significance.
• Present your proposal: Introduce your proposed solution, project, or idea and explain why it is the best approach.
• State the objectives/goals: Clearly articulate the specific objectives or goals your proposal aims to achieve.
• Provide supporting information: Present evidence, data, or examples to support your claims and justify your proposal.
• Explain the methodology: Describe in detail the approach, methods, or strategies you will use to implement your proposal.
• Address potential concerns: Anticipate and address any potential objections or challenges the readers may have and provide counterarguments or mitigation strategies.
• Recap the main points: Summarize the key points you’ve discussed in the proposal.
• Reinforce the benefits: Emphasize the positive outcomes, benefits, or impact your proposal will have.
• Call to action: Clearly state what action you want the readers to take, such as approving the proposal, providing funding, or collaborating with you.

Review and Revise

• Proofread for clarity and coherence: Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
• Ensure a logical flow: Read through your proposal to ensure the ideas are presented in a logical order and are easy to follow.
• Revise and refine: Fine-tune your proposal to make it concise, persuasive, and compelling.

Add Supplementary Materials

• Attach relevant documents: Include any supporting materials that strengthen your proposal, such as research findings, charts, graphs, or testimonials.
• Appendices: Add any additional information that might be useful but not essential to the main body of the proposal.

Formatting and Presentation

• Follow the guidelines: Adhere to any specific formatting guidelines provided by the organization or institution to which you are submitting the proposal.
• Use a professional tone and language: Ensure that your proposal is written in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
• Use headings and subheadings: Organize your proposal with clear headings and subheadings to improve readability.
• Pay attention to design: Use appropriate fonts, font sizes, and formatting styles to make your proposal visually appealing.
• Include a cover page: Create a cover page that includes the title of your proposal, your name or organization, the date, and any other required information.

Seek Feedback

• Share your proposal with trusted colleagues or mentors and ask for their feedback. Consider their suggestions for improvement and incorporate them into your proposal if necessary.

Finalize and Submit

• Make any final revisions based on the feedback received.
• Ensure that all required sections, attachments, and documentation are included.
• Double-check for any formatting, grammar, or spelling errors.
• Submit your proposal within the designated deadline and according to the submission guidelines provided.

Proposal Format

The format of a proposal can vary depending on the specific requirements of the organization or institution you are submitting it to. However, here is a general proposal format that you can follow:

1. Title Page:

• Include the title of your proposal, your name or organization’s name, the date, and any other relevant information specified by the guidelines.

2. Executive Summary:

•  Provide a concise overview of your proposal, highlighting the key points and objectives.
• Summarize the problem, proposed solution, and anticipated benefits.
• Keep it brief and engaging, as this section is often read first and should capture the reader’s attention.

3. Introduction:

• State the problem or issue you are addressing and its significance.
• Provide background information to help the reader understand the context and importance of the problem.
• Clearly state the purpose and objectives of your proposal.

4. Problem Statement:

• Describe the problem in detail, highlighting its impact and consequences.
• Use data, statistics, or examples to support your claims and demonstrate the need for a solution.

5. Proposed Solution or Project Description:

• Explain your proposed solution or project in a clear and detailed manner.
• Describe how your solution addresses the problem and why it is the most effective approach.
• Include information on the methods, strategies, or activities you will undertake to implement your solution.
• Highlight any unique features, innovations, or advantages of your proposal.

6. Methodology:

• Provide a step-by-step explanation of the methodology or approach you will use to implement your proposal.
• Include a timeline or schedule that outlines the key milestones, tasks, and deliverables.
• Clearly describe the resources, personnel, or expertise required for each phase of the project.

7. Evaluation and Success Metrics:

• Explain how you will measure the success or effectiveness of your proposal.
• Identify specific metrics, indicators, or evaluation methods that will be used.
• Describe how you will track progress, gather feedback, and make adjustments as needed.
• Present a detailed budget that outlines the financial resources required for your proposal.
• Include all relevant costs, such as personnel, materials, equipment, and any other expenses.
• Provide a justification for each item in the budget.

9. Conclusion:

•  Summarize the main points of your proposal.
•  Reiterate the benefits and positive outcomes of implementing your proposal.
• Emphasize the value and impact it will have on the organization or community.

10. Appendices:

• Include any additional supporting materials, such as research findings, charts, graphs, or testimonials.
•  Attach any relevant documents that provide further information but are not essential to the main body of the proposal.

Proposal Template

Here’s a basic proposal template that you can use as a starting point for creating your own proposal:

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

I am writing to submit a proposal for [briefly state the purpose of the proposal and its significance]. This proposal outlines a comprehensive solution to address [describe the problem or issue] and presents an actionable plan to achieve the desired objectives.

Thank you for considering this proposal. I believe that implementing this solution will significantly contribute to [organization’s or community’s goals]. I am available to discuss the proposal in more detail at your convenience. Please feel free to contact me at [your email address or phone number].

Yours sincerely,

Note: This template is a starting point and should be customized to meet the specific requirements and guidelines provided by the organization or institution to which you are submitting the proposal.

Proposal Sample

Here’s a sample proposal to give you an idea of how it could be structured and written:

Subject : Proposal for Implementation of Environmental Education Program

I am pleased to submit this proposal for your consideration, outlining a comprehensive plan for the implementation of an Environmental Education Program. This program aims to address the critical need for environmental awareness and education among the community, with the objective of fostering a sense of responsibility and sustainability.

Executive Summary: Our proposed Environmental Education Program is designed to provide engaging and interactive educational opportunities for individuals of all ages. By combining classroom learning, hands-on activities, and community engagement, we aim to create a long-lasting impact on environmental conservation practices and attitudes.

Introduction: The state of our environment is facing significant challenges, including climate change, habitat loss, and pollution. It is essential to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to understand these issues and take action. This proposal seeks to bridge the gap in environmental education and inspire a sense of environmental stewardship among the community.

Problem Statement: The lack of environmental education programs has resulted in limited awareness and understanding of environmental issues. As a result, individuals are less likely to adopt sustainable practices or actively contribute to conservation efforts. Our program aims to address this gap and empower individuals to become environmentally conscious and responsible citizens.

Proposed Solution or Project Description: Our Environmental Education Program will comprise a range of activities, including workshops, field trips, and community initiatives. We will collaborate with local schools, community centers, and environmental organizations to ensure broad participation and maximum impact. By incorporating interactive learning experiences, such as nature walks, recycling drives, and eco-craft sessions, we aim to make environmental education engaging and enjoyable.

Methodology: Our program will be structured into modules that cover key environmental themes, such as biodiversity, climate change, waste management, and sustainable living. Each module will include a mix of classroom sessions, hands-on activities, and practical field experiences. We will also leverage technology, such as educational apps and online resources, to enhance learning outcomes.

Evaluation and Success Metrics: We will employ a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Pre- and post-assessments will gauge knowledge gain, while surveys and feedback forms will assess participant satisfaction and behavior change. We will also track the number of community engagement activities and the adoption of sustainable practices as indicators of success.

Budget: Please find attached a detailed budget breakdown for the implementation of the Environmental Education Program. The budget covers personnel costs, materials and supplies, transportation, and outreach expenses. We have ensured cost-effectiveness while maintaining the quality and impact of the program.

Conclusion: By implementing this Environmental Education Program, we have the opportunity to make a significant difference in our community’s environmental consciousness and practices. We are confident that this program will foster a generation of individuals who are passionate about protecting our environment and taking sustainable actions. We look forward to discussing the proposal further and working together to make a positive impact.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Should you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at [your email address or phone number].

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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How to Write a Project Proposal (Examples & Template Included)

Table of Contents

What is a project proposal, types of project proposals, project proposal vs. project charter, project proposal vs. business case, project proposal vs. project plan, project proposal outline, how to write a project proposal, project proposal example, project proposal tips.

• ProjectManager & Project Proposals

A project proposal is a project management document that’s used to define the objectives and requirements of a project. It helps organizations and external project stakeholders agree on an initial project planning framework.

The main purpose of a project proposal is to get buy-in from decision-makers. That’s why a project proposal outlines your project’s core value proposition; it sells value to both internal and external project stakeholders. The intent of the proposal is to grab the attention of stakeholders and project sponsors. Then, the next step is getting them excited about the project summary.

Getting into the heads of the audience for which you’re writing the project proposal is vital: you need to think like the project’s stakeholders to deliver a proposal that meets their needs.

We’ve created a free project proposal template for Word to help structure documents, so you don’t have to remember the process each time.

Get your free

Project Proposal Template

Use this free Project Proposal Template for Word to manage your projects better.

In terms of types of project proposals, you can have one that’s formally solicited, informally solicited or a combination. There can also be renewal and supplemental proposals. Here’s a brief description of each of them.

• Solicited project proposal: This is sent as a response to a request for proposal (RFP) . Here, you’ll need to adhere to the RFP guidelines of the project owner.
• Unsolicited project proposal: You can send project proposals without having received a request for a proposal. This can happen in open bids for construction projects , where a project owner receives unsolicited project proposals from many contractors.
• Informal project proposal: This type of project proposal is created when a client asks for an informal proposal without an RFP.
• Renewal project proposal: You can use a renewal project proposal when you’re reaching out to past customers. The advantage is that you can highlight past positive results and future benefits.
• Continuation project proposal: A continuation project proposal is sent to investors and stakeholders to communicate project progress.
• Supplemental project proposal: This proposal is sent to investors to ask for additional resources during the project execution phase.

A project proposal is a detailed project document that’s used to convince the project sponsor that the project being proposed is worth the time, money and effort to deliver it. This is done by showing how the project will address a business problem or opportunity. It also outlines the work that will be done and how it will be done.

A project charter can seem like the same thing as a project proposal as it also defines the project in a document. It identifies the project objectives, scope, goals, stakeholders and team. But it’s done after the project has been agreed upon by all stakeholders and the project has been accepted. The project charter authorizes the project and documents its requirements to meet stakeholders’ needs.

A business case is used to explain why the proposed project is justified. It shows that the project is worth the investment of time and money. It’s more commonly used in larger companies in the decision-making process when prioritizing one project over another.

The business case answers the questions: what is the project, why should it be taken up, who will be involved and how much will it cost? It’s therefore related to a project proposal, but the project proposal comes before the business case and is usually part of the larger proposal.

Again, the project proposal and the project plan in this case are very similar documents. It’s understandable that there would be some confusion between these two project terms. They both show how the project will be run and what the results will be. However, they’re not the same.

The project proposal is a document that aims to get a project approved and funded. It’s used to convince stakeholders of the viability of the project and their investment. The project plan, on the other hand, is made during the planning phase of the project, once it’s been approved. It’s a detailed outline of how the project will be implemented, including schedule, budget, resources and more.

All the elements in the above project proposal outline are present in our template. This free project proposal template for Word will provide you with everything you need to write an excellent project proposal. It will help you with the executive summary, project process, deliverables, costs—even terms and conditions. Download your free template today.

There are several key operational and strategic questions to consider, including:

• Executive summary: This is the elevator pitch that outlines the project being proposed and why it makes business sense. While it also touches on the information that’ll follow in the project proposal, the executive summary should be brief and to the point.
• Project background: This is another short part of the proposal, usually only one page, which explains the problem you’ll solve or the opportunity you’re taking advantage of with the proposed project. Also, provide a short history of the business to put the company in context to the project and why it’s a good fit.
• Project vision & success criteria: State the goal of the project and how it aligns with the goals of the company. Be specific. Also, note the metrics used to measure the success of the project.
• Potential risks and mitigation strategies: There are always risks. Detail them here and what strategies you’ll employ to mitigate any negative impact as well as take advantage of any positive risk.
• Project scope & deliverables: Define the project scope, which is all the work that has to be done and how it will be done. Also, detail the various deliverables that the project will have.
• Set SMART goals: When setting goals, be SMART. That’s an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. All your goals would be defined by those five things.
• Project approach: Define the approach you’ll use for the contract. There are several different types of contracts used in construction , for example, such as lump sum, cost plus, time and materials, etc. This is also a good place to describe the delivery method you’ll use.
• Expected benefits: Outline the benefits that will come from the successful completion of the project.
• Project resource requirements: List the resources, such as labor, materials, equipment, etc., that you’ll need to execute the project if approved.
• Project costs & budget: Detail all the costs, including resources, that’ll be required to complete the project and set up a budget to show how those costs will be spent over the course of the project.
• Project timeline: Lay out the project timeline , which shows the project from start to finish, including the duration of each phase and the tasks within it, milestones, etc.

In addition to these elements, it’s advisable to use a cover letter, which is a one-page document that helps you introduce your project proposal and grab the attention of potential clients and stakeholders.

To make the best proposal possible, you’ll want to be thorough and hit on all the points we’ve listed above. Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing a persuasive priority proposal.

1. Write an Executive Summary

The executive summary provides a quick overview of the main elements of your project proposal, such as your project background, project objectives and project deliverables, among other things. The goal is to capture the attention of your audience and get them excited about the project you’re proposing. It’s essentially the “elevator pitch” for the project life cycle. It should be short and to the point.

The executive summary should be descriptive and paint a picture of what project success looks like for the client. Most importantly, it should motivate the project client; after all, the goal is getting them to sign on the dotted line to get the project moving!

2. Provide a Project Background

The project background is a one-page section of your project proposal that explains the problem that your project will solve. You should explain when this issue started, its current state and how your project will be the ideal solution.

• Historic data: The history section outlines previously successful projects and those that could have run more smoothly. By doing so, this section establishes precedents and how the next project can be more effective using information from previous projects.
• Solution: The solution section addresses how your project will solve the client’s problem. Accordingly, this section includes any project management techniques , skills and procedures your team will use to work efficiently.

3. Establish a Project Vision & Success Criteria

You’ll need to define your project vision. This is best done with a vision statement, which acts as the north star for your project. It’s not specific as much as it’s a way to describe the impact your company plans to make with the project.

It’s also important to set up success criteria to show that the project is in fact doing what it’s proposed to do. Three obvious project success criteria are the triple constraint of cost, scope and time. But you’ll need to set up a way to measure these metrics and respond to them if they’re not meeting your plan.

4. Identify Potential Risks and Mitigation Strategies

To reduce the impact of risk in your project, you need to identify what those risks might be and develop a plan to mitigate them . List all the risks, prioritize them, describe what you’ll do to mitigate or take advantage of them and who on the team is responsible for keeping an eye out for them and resolving them.

5. Define Your Project Scope and Project Deliverables

The project scope refers to all the work that’ll be executed. It defines the work items, work packages and deliverables that’ll be delivered during the execution phase of your project life cycle. It’s important to use a work breakdown structure (WBS) to define your tasks and subtasks and prioritize them.

6. Set SMART Goals for Your Project Proposal

The best mindset when developing goals and objectives for your project proposal is to use the SMART system :

• Specific – Make sure your goals and objectives are clear, concise and specific to the task at hand.
• Measurable – Ensure your goals and objectives are measurable so it’s obvious to see when things are on track and going well, and conversely, when things are off track and issues need to be addressed. Measurable goals make it easy to develop the milestones you’ll use to track the progress of the project and identify a reasonable date for completion and/or closure.
• Attainable – It’s important every project has a “reach” goal. Hitting this goal would mean an outstanding project that extends above and beyond expectations. However, it’s important that the project’s core goal is attainable, so morale stays high and the job gets done with time and resources to spare.
• Relevant – Make sure all of your goals are directly relevant to the project and address the scope within which you’re working.
• Time-Based – Timelines and specific dates should be at the core of all goals and objectives. This helps keep the project on track and ensures all project team members can manage the work that’s ahead of them.

7. Explain What’s Your Project Approach

Your project approach defines the project management methodology , tools and governance for your project. In simple terms, it allows project managers to explain to stakeholders how the project will be planned, executed and controlled successfully.

8. Outline The Expected Benefits of Your Project Proposal

If you want to convince internal stakeholders and external investors, you’ll need to show them the financial benefits that your project could bring to their organization. You can use cost-benefit analysis and projected financial statements to demonstrate why your project is profitable.

9. Identify Project Resource Requirements

Project resources are critical for the execution of your project. The project proposal briefly describes what resources are needed and how they’ll be used. Later, during the planning phase, you’ll need to create a resource management plan that’ll be an important element of your project plan. Project requirements are the items, materials and resources needed for the project. This section should cover both internal and external needs.

10. Estimate Project Costs and Project Budget

All the resources that you’ll need for your project have a price tag. That’s why you need to estimate those costs and create a project budget . The project budget needs to cover all your project expenses, and as a project manager, you’ll need to make sure that you adhere to the budget.

11. Define a Project Timeline

Once you’ve defined your project scope, you’ll need to estimate the duration of each task to create a project timeline. Later during the project planning phase , you’ll need to create a schedule baseline, which estimates the total length of your project. Once the project starts, you’ll compare your actual project schedule to the schedule baseline to monitor progress.

Now let’s explore some project proposal examples to get a better understanding of how a project proposal would work in the real world. For this example, let’s imagine a city that’s about to build a rapid transit system. The city government has the funds to invest but lacks the technical expertise and resources that are needed to build it, so it issues a request for proposal (RFP) document and sends it to potential builders.

Then, the construction companies that are interested in executing this rapid transit project will prepare a project proposal for the city government. Here are some of the key elements they should include.

• Project background: The construction firm will provide an explanation of the challenges that the project presents from a technical perspective, along with historical data from similar projects that have been completed successfully by the company.
• Project vision & success criteria: Write a vision statement and explain how you’ll track the triple constraint to ensure the successful delivery of the project.
• Potential risks and mitigation strategies: List all risks and how they’ll be mitigated, and be sure to prioritize them.
• Project scope & deliverables: The work that’ll be done is outlined in the scope, including all the deliverables that’ll be completed over the life cycle of the project.
• Set SMART goals: Use the SMART technique to define your project goals by whether they’re specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
• Project approach: Define the methodology that the project manager will employ to manage the project. Also, figure out what type of contract will be used to define the project.
• Expected benefits: Show how the project will deliver advantages to the company and define what these benefits are in a quantifiable way.
• Project resource requirements: List all the resources, such as labor, materials, equipment, etc., needed to execute the project.
• Project costs & budget: Estimate the cost of the project and lay that out in a project budget that covers everything from start to finish.
• Project timeline: Outline the project schedule, including phases, milestones and task duration on a visual timeline.

Whatever project proposal you’re working on, there are a few tips that apply as best practices for all. While above we suggested a project proposal template that would have a table of contents, meaning it would be many pages long, the best-case scenario is keeping the proposal to one or two pages max. Remember, you’re trying to win over stakeholders, not bore them.

Speaking of project stakeholders , do the research. You want to address the right ones. There’s no point in doing all the work necessary to write a great proposal only to have it directed to the wrong target audience. Whoever is going to read it, though, should be able to comprehend the proposal. Keep the language simple and direct.

When it comes to writing, get a professional. Even a business document like a project proposal, business case or executive summary will suffer if it’s poorly constructed or has typos. If you don’t want to hire a professional business writer, make sure you get someone on your project team to copy, edit and proof the document. The more eyes on it, the less likely mistakes will make it to the final edition.

While you want to keep the proposal short and sweet, it helps to sweeten the pot by adding customer testimonials to the attachments. Nothing sells a project plan better than a customer base looking for your product or service.

ProjectManager & Project Proposals

ProjectManager allows you to plan proposals within our software. You can update tasks for the project proposal to signify where things stand and what’s left to be done. The columns allow you to organize your proposal by section, creating a work breakdown structure (WBS) of sorts.

When building a project proposal, it’s vital to remember your target audience. Your audience includes those who are excited about the project, and see completion as a gain for their organization. Conversely, others in your audience will see the project as a pain and something to which they aren’t looking forward. To keep both parties satisfied, it’s essential to keep language factual and concise.

Our online kanban boards help you think through that language and collaborate on it effectively with other team members, if necessary. Each card shows the percentage completed so everyone in the project management team is aware of the work done and what’s left to be done.

As you can see from the kanban board above, work has begun on tasks such as product documentation and design. Tasks regarding stakeholder feedback, ideation, market research and more have been completed, and there’s a good start on the engineering drawings, 3D rendering, supply chain sourcing and translation services.

A PDF is then attached to the card, and everyone added to the task receives an email notifying them of the change. This same process can be used throughout the life-cycle of the project to keep the team updated, collaborating, and producing a first-class project proposal. In addition to kanban boards, you can also use other project management tools such as Gantt charts , project dashboards, task lists and project calendars to plan, schedule and track your projects.

Project proposals are just the first step in the project planning process. Once your project is approved, you’ll have to solidify the plan, allocate and manage resources, monitor the project, and finally hand in your deliverables. This process requires a flexible, dynamic and robust project management software package. ProjectManager is online project management software that helps all your team members collaborate and manage this process in real-time. Try our award-winning software with this free 30-day trial .

Deliver your projects on time and on budget

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• Writing Reports And Proposals
• Skills & Tools

Reports and proposals are documents written for a specific purpose and audience. A report, generally, consists of an analysis of a situation or problem at hand and recommends solution for it. Proposals, in the similar manner, explain a need that is identified and offers a course of action in response to it.

Reports and proposals may have varying lengths, structures, and writing styles. However, in essence, both are a means of written communication and the ability to do it effectively is known as one’s skills of writing reports and proposals.

Why are the skills of writing reports and proposals important

Although verbal communication is the fastest of all methods, organizations generally have a preference for written communication due to the permanency of record that it allows as well as their availability for reference whenever required.

The skills of writing reports and proposals, therefore, are extremely important to ensure that the information conveyed to the reader is exactly how you intended it to. After all, these written documents are what ultimately lead to action and make things really happen.

Now that we have begun to understand its importance, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that poor report or proposal writing skills can cause you to miss opportunities, lose sales, or lose even your credibility because the reader might fail to understand or misinterpret the document.

How to improve your skills of writing reports and proposals

Despite the fact that there is no rigid rule as to how your report or proposal should be structured, there are numerous useful guides available on the web that can provide help, if you need any. Following are some suggestions that will help you improve your overall skills of writing reports and proposals:

• Try to meet your readers’ expectations . Never let yourself take the reader for granted. Whether the reader is a friend, a relative, an acquaintance, or just someone who highly recommends your service, make sure of the clarity of your report because nobody like to struggle through a poorly written document. Place yourself in the readers’ shoes before you begin writing so that you are able to meet their expectations, without having them lose interest at the first glance or as they read further into it.
• Avoid writing like an amateur . If you wish to improve your skills of writing reports and proposals, you must develop and retain your credibility with the readers. Therefore, always check you facts and figures and never let your readers lose confidence in you for making an incorrect or confusing statement. You must write with clarity, showing your logical train of thoughts, and ensure the authenticity of your statements.

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Featured Reads

• Project planning |
• 6 steps for writing a persuasive projec ...

6 steps for writing a persuasive project proposal

A project proposal is a written document outlining everything stakeholders should know about a project, including the timeline, budget, objectives, and goals. Your project proposal should summarize your project details and sell your idea so stakeholders buy in to the initiative. In this guide, we’ll teach you how to write a project proposal so you can win approval and succeed at work.

All projects have creation stories, but they don’t start with someone declaring, “Let there be resources!” To move forward with a project, teams must submit a proposal to decision-makers within their organization or to external stakeholders. 

What is a project proposal?

A project proposal is a written document outlining everything stakeholders should know about a project, including the timeline, budget, objectives , and goals. Your project proposal should summarize your project details and sell your idea so stakeholders feel inclined to get involved in the initiative.

The goal of your project proposal is to:

Secure external funding

Allocate company resources to your project

Gain stakeholder buy-in

Build momentum and excitement

Project proposals vs. project charters vs. business cases

Project proposals and project charters serve different purposes in the project creation process, and it’s important to understand the difference between the two. While a project proposal takes place in the initiation phase of the project, the project charter takes place in the planning phase. 

As mentioned above, a project proposal is a persuasive document meant to convince stakeholders why the project should be carried out. A project charter is a reference document that defines project objectives, and it can’t be created until the project proposal is approved.

People also confuse the business case with the project proposal, but the business case also comes after the proposal. Once the project is approved through a proposal, a business case may be used to secure additional funding for the project.

Types of project proposals

There are six types of proposals you may encounter as a project manager, and understanding the different formats can be useful as you write yours. Each type has a different goal.

Solicited: You’ll send solicited proposals in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP). An RFP announces a project in detail and asks for bids from qualified teams. Because you’re competing against other companies for this type of proposal, you must do thorough research and write persuasively.

Unsolicited: You’ll send unsolicited proposals without an RFP, meaning no one asked for your proposal. In this case, you won’t be up against other companies or teams, but you’ll still need to be persuasive because you have no knowledge of whether the stakeholder you’re pitching to needs you.

Informal: You may have a client send you an informal request for a project proposal, in which case you can respond with your project pitch. Because this isn’t an official RFP, the rules are less concrete.

Renewal: You’ll send renewals to existing clients in hopes that they’ll extend their services with your organization. In this type of project proposal, the goal is to emphasize past results your team has produced for the client and persuade them you can produce future results.

Continuation: You’ll send continuations as a reminder to a stakeholder letting them know the project is beginning. In this project proposal, you’ll simply provide information about the project instead of persuading the stakeholder.

Supplemental: Similar to a continuation proposal, you’ll send a supplemental proposal to a stakeholder already involved in your project. In this type of proposal, you’re letting the stakeholder know the project is beginning, while also asking for additional resources. You should persuade the stakeholder to contribute more to the project in this proposal.

The tone of voice and content of your project proposal will differ based on the type of proposal you’re sending. When you know your project goals, you can write your proposal accordingly.

How to write a project proposal

These step-by-step instructions apply to most project proposals, regardless of type. You’ll need to customize your proposal for the intended audience, but this project proposal outline can serve as a reference to ensure you’re including the key components in your document. 

1. Write an executive summary

The executive summary serves as the introduction to your project proposal. Similar to a report abstract or an essay introduction, this section should summarize what’s coming and persuade the stakeholder to continue reading. Depending on the complexity of your project, your executive summary may be one paragraph or a few paragraphs. 

Your executive summary should include:

The problem your project plans to solve

The solution your project provides for that problem

The impact your project will have 

You should only address these items briefly in your executive summary because you’ll discuss these topics in more detail later in your proposal. 

2. Explain the project background

In this section, you’ll go into the background of the project. Use references and statistics to convince your reader that the problem you’re addressing is worthwhile.

Some questions to include are:

What is the problem your project addresses?

What is already known about this problem?

Who has addressed this problem before/what research is there?

Why is past research insufficient at addressing this problem?

You can also use this section to explain how the problem you hope to solve directly relates to your organization. 

3. Present a solution

You just presented a problem in the project background section, so the next logical step in proposal writing is to present a solution. This section is your opportunity to outline your project approach in greater detail. 

Some items to include are:

Your vision statement for the project

Your project schedule , including important milestones

Project team roles and responsibilities  

A risk register showing how you’ll mitigate risk

The project deliverables

Reporting tools you’ll use throughout the project

You may not have all these items in your proposal format, but you can decide what to include based on the project scope . This section will likely be the longest and most detailed section of your proposal, as you’ll discuss everything involved in achieving your proposed solution. 

4. Define project deliverables and goals

Defining your project deliverables is a crucial step in writing your project proposal. Stakeholders want to know what you’re going to produce at the end of your project, whether that’s a product, a program, an upgrade in technology, or something else. As the stakeholder reads through your vision, this will be the section where they say, “Aha, this is what they’ll use my resources for.”

When defining your deliverables, you should include:

The end product or final objective of your project 

A project timeline for when deliverables will be ready

SMART goals that align with the deliverables you’re producing

While it’s important to show the problem and solution to your project, it’s often easier for stakeholders to visualize the project when you can define the deliverables.

5. List what resources you need

Now that you’ve outlined your problem, approach, solution, and deliverables, you can go into detail about what resources you need to accomplish your initiative.

In this section, you’ll include:

Project budget : The project budget involves everything from the supplies you’ll need to create a product to ad pricing and team salaries. You should include any budget items you need to deliver the project here.

Breakdown of costs: This section should include research on why you need specific resources for your project; that way, stakeholders can understand what their buy-in is being used for. This breakdown can also help you mitigate unexpected costs.

Resource allocation plan : You should include an overview of your resource allocation plan outlining where you plan to use the specific resources you need. For example, if you determine you need $50,000 to complete the project, do you plan to allocate this money to salaries, technology, materials, etc.

Hopefully, by this point in the proposal, you’ve convinced the stakeholders to get on board with your proposed project, which is why saving the required resources for the end of the document is a smart strategic move.

6. State your conclusion

Finally, wrap up your project proposal with a persuasive and confident conclusion. Like the executive summary, the conclusion should briefly summarize the problem your project addresses and your solution for solving that problem. You can emphasize the impact of your project in the conclusion but keep this section relevant, just like you would in a traditional essay. 

Tips for writing an effective project proposal

Following the steps listed above will ensure your project proposal has all the right elements. But if you want to impress your readers and win their approval, your writing must shine. In addition to the above, a project proposal includes:

Know your audience

As you write your proposal, keep your audience (i.e. the stakeholders) in mind at all times. Remember that the goal of the proposal is to win your audience over, not just to present your project details. For example, if you’re creating a new editing tool for a children’s publishing house, can you determine whether your stakeholders are parents and appeal to their emotional side when persuading them to buy in to your product?

Be persuasive

Persuasion is important in a project proposal because you’re hoping your audience will read your proposal and do something for you in return. If your reader isn’t intrigued by your project, they won’t feel inclined to help you. If you describe your editing tool but don’t mention the many features it will offer, how it will benefit clients, and its positive impact in the industry, your audience will wonder, “Why should I care about this project?” 

Keep it simple

While you should go into detail on your problem, approach, and solution, you shouldn’t make your project proposal overly complex. This means you can discuss the project plan for your proposed editing tool without discussing what codes the engineers will use to make each feature work. 

Do your research

A successful project proposal includes thorough research. Be prepared to back up your problem—and solution—with reputable sources, case studies, statistics, or charts so you don’t leave your audience with questions. When writing your proposal, put yourself in the reader’s shoes and ask:

Why is this a problem?

How is this a solution to the problem?

Has anyone addressed this problem before?

What are the project costs?

If you can answer these questions, then you’ve likely done enough research to support your proposed initiative.

Use project management tools to strengthen your project proposal

Good project proposals require team collaboration . With the right management tools, your team can communicate, share information, and work together on one shared document. 

When you store all your project information in one place, it’s easy to access that data when you need it. Project proposals stem from well-organized and properly planned projects, which is why project management software is a key resource to effectively write a project proposal. Ready to get started? Try Asana .

Related resources

How to use a feasibility study in project management

How to track utilization rate and drive team profitability

How to accomplish big things with long-term goals

Smooth product launches are simpler than you think

How to Write Reports and Proposals: Create Attention-Grabbing Documents that Achieve Your Goals

• Patrick Forsyth

How to Write Reports and Proposals is essential reading for achieving effective writing techniques. Getting a message across on paper and presenting a proposal in a clear and persuasive form are vital skills for anyone in business, and this book provides practical advice on how to impress, convince and persuade your colleagues or clients.

Fully updated for 2019, this 5th edition now features even more practical exercises, useful templates, and top tips that will help you to write succinctly and with impact across different media. How to Write Reports and Proposals will give you the tools to put over a good case with style.

About the Author

Patrick Forsyth runs Touchstone Training & Consultancy and specializes in marketing, sales and communications skills. He is the author of more than fifty successful business books (with translations into 23 languages), including Successful Time Management also published in the Kogan Page Creating Success series. He writes regularly for a number of business journals, and for Writing Magazine, and devises and writes training materials.

In this Book

• What Makes Good Business Writing?
• Creating a Good Report
• Preparing to Write
• The Power of Language
• Making Numbers Clear
• Making Proposals Persuasive
• The Contribution of Layout and Presentation

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Getting a message across on paper and presenting a proposal in a clear and persuasive form are vital skills for anyone in business. This book provides practical advice on how to impress, convince and persuade. This fully updated 6th edition now features even more practical exercises, useful templates and top tips that will help you to write succinctly and with impact across different media. How to Write Reports and Proposals will give you the tools to put over a good case with style. The Creating Success series of books... Unlock vital skills, power up your performance and get ahead with the bestselling Creating Success series. Written by experts for new and aspiring managers and leaders, this million-selling collection of accessible and empowering guides will get you up to speed in no time. Packed with clever thinking, smart advice and the kind of winning techniques that really get results, you'll make fast progress, quickly reach your goals and create lasting success in your career.

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How to Write Reports and Proposals Paperback – June 1, 1998

* Use concise, precise, active, accurate language that communicates clearly to specific readers

• Print length 171 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Advanced Communication Designs
• Publication date June 1, 1998
• ISBN-10 0963745557
• ISBN-13 978-0963745552
• See all details

Editorial Reviews

About the author.

DIANE LUTOVICH, M.A., co-author of four self-study workbooks, "Professional Writing Skills," "Grammar for Grownups," "Writing Performance Documentation," and "How to Write Reports and Proposals," is a professional writer and educator who has been a consultant to schools and businesses for over 20 years. A specialist in needs assessment and instructional design, she has developed a wide range of learning programs and instructional materials on technical and nontechnical subjects. In 1980, she co-founded Advanced Communication Designs, Inc., a training company that specializes in developing and conducting customized courses in business and technical writing, performance management, and other subjects. She is an instructor for the University of California Business Extension. In addition to her work in training and business publishing, Diane Lutovich is a poet, most recently published in the "Barnaby Mountain Review," "Lilith Magazine," and "The Atlanta Review." She is currently writing a book on grown children and parental loss.

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Advanced Communication Designs; First Edition (June 1, 1998)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 171 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0963745557
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0963745552
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• How to write a C1 Advanced Report/Proposal

• Posted on 16/11/2022
• Categories: Blog
• Tags: CAE , Cambridge Exams

Are you preparing for the Cambridge C1 Advanced exam and need a hand with writing your report/proposal for Part 2 of the Writing paper? Perfect! You’re in the right place.

By the end of this blog post, you’ll know exactly what the C1 reports and proposals are, how to structure them perfectly and what you need to do to get top marks in your exam.

Before we get started, if you’re looking for some help with Part 1 of the C1 Writing paper, check out our blog post here on how to write the perfect essay.

What is a Cambridge C1 Advanced report?

The objective of a report is to present factual information (you can invent the facts, but they must be presented as factual) and evaluate to what extent a particular aim has been achieved or make suggestions to improve something that has already happened.

Your reader may be a superior (such as a boss or school headmaster) or a peer group (such as club members or colleagues).

What is a Cambridge C1 Advanced proposal?

The objective of a proposal is to persuade your reader to take a particular course of action by making suggestions , supported by factual information (again, you can invent this).

Your reader may be a supervisor (such as a boss or school headmaster) or for a peer group (such as colleagues or club members).

So far, the report and proposal both sound pretty similar, don’t they? They are! However, there’s just one key difference between the two.

What is the difference between a report and a proposal?

Your report will always be written about something that has already happened . You will need to reflect and give your opinions and suggestions on how something from the past can be improved.

However, your proposal will always be written about the future and normally you will need to persuade your reader to take a particular course of action .

Three steps to write the perfect Cambridge C1 Advanced report/proposal

Reports and proposals follow exactly the same structure. To keep things simple, let’s just focus on an exam question for a report. You can practise analysing and writing a proposal later!

Step 1: Plan it

Let’s take a look at the exam question below.

Source: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org

First things first , you need to identify the topic of the report (this is underlined in blue below) as this will tell you exactly what you need to write. At this point, start thinking of the vocabulary and expressions you can use.

Next, you need to identify who your reader is. In this case, it’s the programme organiser, so you need to write in a formal style.

Lastly, you need to identify exactly what you need to include in your report. There are usually two or three points/questions to answer (these are underlined in orange below).

Now you know the topic, the questions you need to include, and who the reader is, it’s time to start writing!

Step 2: Write it

Your report/proposal must include a title, an introduction, topic paragraphs with subheadings and a conclusion.

Take a look at the example answer below.

This student has given their report a clear title.

In their introduction, they have stated the purpose of their report, which prepares the reader for what they are going to read in the following topic paragraphs.

The topic paragraphs all have subheadings and address each of the three key points from the exam question.

Finally, the conclusion gives suggestions to the reader on the improvements they can make on the programme.

Step 3: Check it

Now that you’ve written your text, it’s time to check it! A lot of students often skip this step, but make sure to give yourself at least 10 minutes to check your writing.

Here’s a quick checklist of things to look out for :

• Have you done what the task asked you to do and kept everything relevant?
• Is your tone, register, style and vocabulary appropriate?
• Is your writing clearly connected, logical and ordered?
• Have you accurately used a good range of spelling and vocabulary?
• Have you checked your spelling, grammar and punctuation?

Top tips and advice

• You have 90 minutes in total for the writing exam.
• For Part 2, use 10 minutes to plan , 25 minutes to write and 10 minutes to check .
• Your word count is between 220 and 260 . Don’t go too much over or under this as you’ll get penalised .
• Remember to plan! Plan the structure as well as the grammar and vocabulary you can use. Think ‘where can I use inversion?’, ‘what connectors can I use?’, ‘what C1 vocabulary can I use for this topic?’ and so on.

Time to practise your writing

Now it’s time for you to have a go at practising your writing skills!

Take a look at the exam question below for a proposal. Follow the same steps above. Just remember to write it for the future .

Here’s an example answer for you.

Looking for further help with your C1 Advanced exam preparation?

If you’re looking for feedback on your writing and further guidance, why not check out our exam preparation courses ? Our classes are dynamic and practical and our friendly professional teachers will help you get the score you need.

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Need a hand with (id): to need help with something.

Course of action (ph): a way of proceeding.

First things first (idiom): to tell someone that there are more important things to be done first.

Skip (v): to pass something without mentioning.

Look out for (pv: to try to notice.

Penalise (v): to punish someone for breaking a rule.

Have a go at (pv): make an attempt.

ph = phrase

pv = phrasal verb

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How to Write Winning Grant Proposals: Tips and Techniques

1. understand the funder’s objectives.

Before you start writing, it’s crucial to thoroughly understand what the funder is looking for. Review the funder’s mission and past funded projects to gauge their priorities and interests.

This knowledge will help you tailor your proposal to clearly align with their goals, increasing your chances of success. Delve into the specific criteria that the funder uses to evaluate grant proposals and look for any strategic themes or focus areas emphasized in their recent grant cycles .

Engaging with the funder’s published materials, such as annual reports or strategic plans, can also provide deeper insights into their long-term objectives and how they measure impact.

By aligning your proposal with these insights, you not only demonstrate your project’s relevance but also show your commitment to contributing to the funder’s overarching goals, significantly strengthening your grant proposals.

2. Structure Your Proposal Clearly

A well-structured proposal makes a strong first impression. Most grant proposals include the following sections:

• Executive Summary: A concise overview of your project that includes the need for the project, the expected outcomes, and the amount of funding requested.
• Statement of Need: Why the project is necessary and what issues it seeks to address.
• Project Description: Detailed outline of the project including goals, timeline, and activities.
• Budget: An itemized list of how funds will be used.
• Organization Information: Background information that establishes credibility and capacity to complete the project.
• Conclusion: Briefly recap the proposal’s key points, reinforcing the project’s importance and your organization’s capacity to successfully implement it.

3. Focus on the Need

Your proposal should clearly articulate the problem or need your project addresses. Use data and research to back up your statements and show the funder why this issue is important.

This section should evoke a sense of urgency and demonstrate that your project can effectively address this need. Be sure to present a compelling narrative that connects the need to real-world impacts, illustrating the consequences of inaction and the benefits of timely intervention.

Detailing the specific populations or ecosystems affected and citing recent studies or statistics not only validates the significance of the need but also positions your organization as well-informed and capable of handling the challenge.

Furthermore, by articulating a clear, direct connection between the funder’s objectives and your project’s aims, you enhance the relevance of your grant proposals, making it more compelling to the decision-makers.

4. Define Clear Goals and Objectives

Clearly state what your project intends to achieve. Goals should be broad, long-term aims, and objectives should be narrow, specific, and measurable. This clarity helps the funder understand your project’s scope and the specific outcomes you aim to achieve, which makes your grant proposals more compelling.

5. Develop a Detailed Project Plan

This is where you outline how you intend to achieve your objectives. Include a timeline, the specific activities to be completed, and who will be responsible for each activity. This section should convey a realistic and well-thought-out plan that instills confidence in your ability to manage the project .

Elaborate on the resources you will need, including any tools, technologies, or support services that are essential to project execution. Additionally, delineate the milestones you expect to reach throughout the project duration, providing clear markers of progress that align with your goals.

This level of detail not only demonstrates your thorough preparation but also reassures the funder that your organization has the competence and foresight to navigate any challenges that may arise.

By presenting a robust, actionable plan, you effectively communicate your commitment to making the project a success and your accountability in using the funder’s resources responsibly.

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6. include a comprehensive budget.

The budget should be detailed, realistic, and justified. It should clearly align with your project activities and reflect a prudent use of funds. Be sure to include a narrative that explains each budget item. This transparency helps build trust with the funder.

7. Make Your Case Compelling

Use persuasive language to make your case. While your grant proposals should be based on facts and evidence, remember that conveying a compelling story can also capture the funder’s interest.

Show how your project will change lives, improve systems, or transform communities. Incorporate testimonials or case studies from past initiatives that demonstrate your organization’s impact and expertise.

These narratives can humanize your data, giving a face and a story to the numbers and making the outcomes of your proposed work more relatable and tangible.

Moreover, explain the broader implications of your project: discuss how the changes you propose will lead to significant societal, environmental, or economic benefits.

This approach helps the funder visualize the ripple effects of their investment, further solidifying the value and urgency of your proposal.

By intertwining factual data with emotive storytelling, you can engage the funder on both intellectual and emotional levels, making a memorable and persuasive case for your project.

8. Revise and Proofread

Grant proposals that are well-written and error-free reflect your organization’s professionalism and attention to detail. Before submitting, revise your proposal several times and have it proofread by someone who can provide a fresh perspective.

9. Follow Submission Guidelines

Carefully review the submission guidelines provided by the funder. Adhering to these guidelines is crucial as failure to do so can lead to your proposal being disqualified before it is even reviewed.

Crafting winning grant proposals is a crucial skill that can significantly impact your organization’s ability to fund and execute projects. By aligning your proposal with funder priorities, articulating a clear need, and detailing a sound project plan and budget, you increase your chances of success.

Remember, the key to effective grant writing is not just in following a template but in understanding how to tell your project’s story in a way that engages funders and clearly shows the value of your work.

As you apply these tips and refine your approach, each proposal becomes an opportunity to learn and improve, enhancing your ability to secure funding and make a meaningful difference in your community and beyond.

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What Is an Appendix In Research and How You Create the One?

Table of contents

• 1 What Is Appendix in Research Papers, Reports, and Proposals?
• 2 What Detailed Information Should Refer to in the Appendix Section?
• 3 How to Write an Appendix?
• 4 Format an Appendix: Detailed Explanation
• 5.1 Citing Sources in Your Appendix
• 5.2 Common Mistakes You Better Avoid When Writing an Appendix
• 5.3 Conclusion

The appendix is an important part of the academic writing research process since it provides additional material for research papers, reports, and proposals. Thus, this critical component enhances understanding of your work without cluttering the essential material.

Today, the writing service PapersOwl wants to explore the nuances of appendix writing so that your reader enjoys some detailed information at the end of your paper. We will cover:

• Why should you include an appendix to your research paper?
• What and How: The Essential Structure;
• How to format and where to place it:
• The significance of properly citing your sources (appendix in APA or MLA) and keeping your text consistent throughout.

Let’s not wait and get into the details of how to make an appendix effective right away.

What Is Appendix in Research Papers, Reports, and Proposals?

The first question you may ask is: What is an appendix in writing, and why might your reader need it?

Shortly, it serves as supplementary material in any type of academic writing, including an appendix in research, a report, or a proposal . Accordingly, it provides in-depth details to support the main content, enhancing understanding without cluttering the main text.

Basically, appendices provide a complete picture for the audience interested in further in-depth investigation while keeping the main text’s flow and readability.

What Detailed Information Should Refer to in the Appendix Section?

Looking at the appendix in paper definition, one can swiftly understand its importance. Therefore, you should think about the data you would like to include in your appendix for research paper or appendix in report to make it 10/10.

Appropriate appendix in literature content include:

• Raw data sets used for analysis;
• Detailed descriptions of research methodologies and data collection methods;
• Supplementary figures or charts that provide further context;
• Lengthy quotations or excerpts;
• Additional analyses or calculations that support the conclusions.

Moreover, resources such as questionnaires, transcripts of interviews, survey findings, or any other supplementary materials mentioned but not thoroughly covered in the main body of the work can be included in successful appendices example in research paper.

How to Write an Appendix?

Now, we understand what to include in your future work, but how does one write an appendix in a research paper to achieve the best outcome?

Follow a structured approach to ensure clarity and coherence. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to create an appendix you should refer to:

• Determine Supplementary Material. The first step is to decide which materials need to be added, as we did before. This might be any comprehensive material supporting your work’s primary points:
• Long tables.
• Extensive methodology.
• Supplemental figures.
• Interview transcripts.
• Other research explanations.
• Organize Your Content. Organize the contents into a logical appendix section. Create separate appendices if you have many elements, such as distinct data sets or analyses. It prevents overloading any of your readers. It is also vital to consider the type of paper you are writing. Dissertation parts may be considerably longer than research appendices, and the word count may change.
• Label and Title Each Appendix. Clearly label and title each appendix sample to make navigating your appendix section easy for the reader.
• Reference Appendices in the Main Part. Throughout the main body of your appendix section of research paper, reference relevant appendices to direct your reader to supplementary information.

This step-by-step plan will help you produce an appendix in scientific paper that will both give readers access to material supporting your conclusions and improve the overall clarity of your research paper , report, or proposal.

Format an Appendix: Detailed Explanation

There is also one more vital step in the research process ─ formatting .

Indeed, you ensure crucial consistency and readability when you structure an appendix. Guidelines for formatting often depend on the style manual format you follow, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. Generally, appendices in research paper should follow the same formatting rules as the rest of your document. It includes font style and size, margins, and spacing.

Additionally, remember to use precise phrasing. It points readers to the appropriate appendices in research paper. Specific types of appended materials must include:

• Tables, Graphs, and Figures.
• Questionnaires or Surveys.

Any other material included in the appendix in article should be clearly labeled and organized for easy reference.

PapersOwl team promises that adhering to these formatting recommendations will ensure that your research paper appendix:

• Is neatly structured and aesthetically pleasing.
• Improves the overall quality of your work.

Where to Add an Appendix to a Research Paper?

“ Okay, but where should I set up an appendix in my research? ”. PapersOwls hears this question almost every day, but no worries, we found an answer long ago!

The appendix at the end of a paper is the most typical placement on a separate page after your research paper’s reference list or bibliography. Accordingly, this placement ensures that readers can easily access additional material without interrupting the flow of the main text. If you have more than one appendix, you should distinguish them. Use:

→ a multiple pages numbering system (e.g., Appendix 1, Appendix 2);

→ a lettering system (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B).

Citing Sources in Your Appendix

Citing is one of the most important aspects of research and any academic work. Apparently, you should include citations in your research paper appendix!

Therefore, cite credible sources using the same citation style used in the main body of the paper (e.g., APA style, MLA). What is the easiest way to help readers easily locate and verify the sources used in the text citations? Maintain the same citation style as in the main text, whether it is a research proposal appendix or an appendix in a report!

Common Mistakes You Better Avoid When Writing an Appendix

Obviously, we understand that nothing can be perfect, and you are allowed to make mistakes while studying. Nevertheless, we recommend analyzing common errors in writing appendix pieces to avoid doing them! Don’t worry; we did it for you so you could correct everything before submitting your work!

• Overloading With Irrelevant Information. Unneeded material that does not complement the document’s core substance might overwhelm readers.
• Poor Organization. Failing to organize the appendix in a paper can confuse readers. Ensure that materials are grouped and labeled clearly.
• Inconsistent Formatting. Deviating from the formatting guidelines used in the main text can create inconsistency. To avoid this, organize an appendix uniformly in font style, size, margins, and citations.
• Lack of Clarity. Presenting supplementary information in a confusing or unclear manner can hinder understanding. For this reason, be concise and ensure that each item in the appendix of research paper serves a clear purpose.

In a nutshell, the art of an appendix in writing is necessary for creating detailed and organized papers. PapersOwl gave you this small guide so you could:

• Quickly identify relevant extra information.
• Organize content logically.
• Maintain formatting and consistent in-text citations.

In fact, a well-written appendix page improves the primary text’s clarity and adds to the research’s overall credibility. Thus, the appendix for a paper is an important tool for scholars who want to give clear, comprehensive documentation of their work. It may also be proof of your hard work.

With the PapersOwl’s guide, your research paper appendix example will promote deeper comprehension of the study issue!

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Do grant proposal texts matter for funding decisions? A field experiment

• Open access
• Published: 19 May 2024

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• Müge Simsek   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3559-6874 1   na1 ,
• Mathijs de Vaan 2   na1 &
• Arnout van de Rijt 3 , 4   na1  

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Scientists and funding agencies invest considerable resources in writing and evaluating grant proposals. But do grant proposal texts noticeably change panel decisions in single blind review? We report on a field experiment conducted by The Dutch Research Council (NWO) in collaboration with the authors in an early-career competition for awards of 800,000 euros of research funding. A random half of panelists were shown a CV and only a one-paragraph summary of the proposed research, while the other half were shown a CV and a full proposal. We find that withholding proposal texts from panelists did not detectibly impact their proposal rankings. This result suggests that the resources devoted to writing and evaluating grant proposals may not have their intended effect of facilitating the selection of the most promising science.

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The Participation and Motivations of Grant Peer Reviewers: A Comprehensive Survey

An efficient system to fund science: from proposal review to peer-to-peer distributions.

Anatomy of a Successful Grant Proposal

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

Science funding is predominantly issued by national governments, science agencies, and philanthropic institutes. Seeking to fund the best science and achieve the highest marginal return on investment, funding organizations often organize competitions to allocate a limited number of grants. In many of these competitions, scientists are invited to write and submit a proposal describing a future research endeavor along with a CV or summary of academic accomplishments. The funding organization then reviews these submissions and selects those deemed most worthy of funding (Wahls, 2019 ).

Participation in funding competitions comes with some benefits to the individual researcher. Writing a detailed research proposal forces one to critically reflect on one’s ideas and develop rigorous research plans that may be of value also if no funding is obtained (Barnett et al., 2017 ). In addition, the applicant receives valuable peer feedback that may lead to an improved research design. Science funding based on research proposals may also reduce organizations’ reliance on prior accomplishments in their selection of awardees, and thus dampen Matthew effects in scientific careers (Bol et al., 2018 ; Merton, 1968 ).

These potential benefits notwithstanding, competing for funding through grant proposal writing is time-consuming (Ioannidis, 2011 ). A survey among scientists at top U.S. universities found that faculty spend about 8% of their total time on writing grant proposals and about 19% of the time available for research (Gross & Bergstrom, 2019 ). These percentages are likely to be higher at universities with lower endowments and in disciplines that require investments in expensive equipment or complex data collection efforts. Moreover, the costs of writing grant proposals are exacerbated by the low average funding rates in science funding competitions worldwide (Herbert et al., 2013 ). As budgets of funding agencies fail to keep up with the growth of science, the rate at which applications are funded keeps dropping (Lauer & Nakamura, 2015 ). The effort that goes into unfunded research proposals has been estimated to equal the total scientific value of funded research (Gross & Bergstrom, 2019 ). Proposal-based grant competitions are not only taxing on the applicant, but also on reviewers. A submitted proposal is typically reviewed by several panelists as well as multiple external reviewers (Bol et al., 2018 ), each sacrificing many hours of research time.

The high cost of proposal-based funding practices naturally raises the question of whether under this status quo, funding agencies make better decisions than under a less demanding alternative regime that does not require detailed research proposals. A number of funding agencies are currently experimenting with less taxing decision systems, including lotteries (Adam, 2019 ; Avin, 2015 ; Fang et al., 2016 ; Ioannidis, 2011 ). Yet evidence on the returns of the use of detailed proposals is lacking. Some research has examined agreement among reviewers of science and finds only moderate to low levels of agreement among reviewers in their assessments of grant applications (Cicchetti, 1991 ; Cole et al., 1981 ; Jayasinghe et al., 2003 ; Marsh & Ball, 1991 ; Mutz et al., 2012 ; Pier et al., 2018 ). While this suggests that proposal quality is not something academics readily agree upon, the funding decisions reached by diverse crowds may nonetheless be wise (Becker et al., 2017 ; Hong & Page, 2004 ; Lorenz et al., 2011 ). Another strand of research correlates aggregate evaluation scores with measures of scientific impact, netting out the impact of funding. Results are not unequivocal: Some find sizable correlations (Li & Agha, 2015 ), while others find them to be moderate to weak (Bol et al., 2018 ; Fang et al., 2016 ; Jacob & Lefgren, 2011 ; Wang et al., 2019 ). Moreover, the impact measures used in these studies may themselves be questioned on validity grounds (Bollen et al., 2009 ; Bornmann & Leydesdorff, 2013 ; Radicchi et al., 2008 ; Wang et al., 2013 ) and exclude forms of non-academic, societal impact (Eysenbach, 2011 ).

We circumvent the problem of measuring the quality of realized funding allocations by avoiding the direct assessment of decisions reached through proposal review. Instead, we ask whether the use of proposals makes reviewers evaluate grant applications differently compared to the scenario in which reviewers have no access to the research proposal. A necessary condition for proposals to lead to superior funding decisions that could not have been reached without them is that these decisions are at least different from the decisions that would have been made in their absence. We refer to such a difference as a proposal effect .

It is not obvious that proposals should have substantial impact on how an application is evaluated. First, applicants with stronger CVs may write stronger proposals causing the variation in proposal quality to become redundant if reviewers have access to CVs. Second, research suggests that when quality is ambiguous or difficult to observe, evaluators will base their judgments on status markers (Manzo & Baldassarri, 2015 ; Merton, 1968 ; Simcoe & Waguespack, 2011 ). Some controlled studies indeed confirm that in merit review evaluators rely on applicant seniority status, past citations, and publication record (Waguespack & Sorenson, 2011 ). If the quality of grant proposals is ambiguous and reviewers fall back on quality signals from the CV, then again funding decisions with and without proposal should be similar.

The procedures of many funding agencies nonetheless continue to heavily rely on proposal writing and review, under the implicit assumption of a substantial proposal effect. To evaluate the presence of a proposal effect, we first develop a model to derive the prediction of a proposal effect from explicit assumptions. We then discuss our empirical setting and the field experiment that we designed. The field experiment builds on the idea that we introduced earlier: if a proposal effect is present, there should be a difference in how an application, with and without a full proposal, is evaluated. Then, with the data from the field experiment we proceed to test the hypothesis that two panelists will disagree more on the merit of an application if only one has access to the proposal compared to when both have access. Footnote 1

We investigate this question drawing on novel data from a field experiment conducted by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), the premier science funding organization in the Netherlands. Footnote 2 The experiment involves the first round of NWO’s 2018 Vidi competition for investigator awards of 800,000 euros in which panelists make a preselection of promising applications. For the purpose of the experiment NWO recruited duplicate “shadow” panelists from its Scientific Advisory Board ( https://www.nwo.nl/en/scientific-advisory-board ). Proposal texts were withheld from a random subset of shadow panelists who rated applications only on the basis of the applicant’s CV and a one-paragraph proposal summary. This created two treatment groups: a proposal group and a no proposal group. We compare the extent to which evaluations of the applications in these conditions were aligned with the evaluations of the regular panelists.

In a series of tests, we find that withholding proposal texts from panelists did not substantially impact the evaluation of a proposal as measured by comparing rankings and scores from the experimental conditions to those of the regular panelists. These results suggests that the resources devoted to writing and evaluating grant proposals may not have their intended effect of facilitating the selection of the most promising science.

Consider a sample of applications that are reviewed by panelists who either have access to a full proposal and CV (i.e. the proposal ( P ) condition) or who only have access to a CV (i.e. the no-proposal ( N ) condition). Comparing these applications to the same set of applications reviewed by regular panelists creates two groups: (1) those where both panelists can read the proposal text ( P–P ) and those where the proposal text is accessible to one panelist but not the other ( P–N ). We argue that when both panelists have access to the proposal text ( P–P ) there should be more agreement on the quality of the application than when only one has access ( P–N ).

The theoretical basis for our argument that agreement should be higher for an application evaluated in the P–P group versus a proposal evaluated in the P–N group can be articulated in terms of two panelists j  = 1,2 who evaluate applications i  = 1…. I . Each application consists of a CV and a proposal text, which have a quality C i and T i respectively, each with a normal distribution with zero mean. Footnote 3 CV quality and proposal quality are measured on the same scale and therefore have the same variance. The quality of the CV and the proposal may be correlated but not perfectly, as otherwise, trivially, the CV is a perfect substitute for the proposal and the omission of the proposal cannot be consequential.

In the P condition, a panelist j provides an evaluation X ij P of application i that equally weighs the quality of the CV and that of the proposal, plus a normally distributed error E ij P with zero mean:

In the N condition, a panelist j achieves an evaluation X ij N the same way, except that they use the quality of the CV as their best guess of the quality of the proposal, again with a normally distributed error E ij N with zero mean:

The Pearson correlation in panelists’ evaluations of applications from the P–P and P–N groups respectively then equals:

The correlation for applications in the P–P group (3) will exceed that for applications in the P–N group (4) if Footnote 4 :

Inequality (5) will be met under the assumption that proposal evaluation is reasonably informative, which is the implicit rationale for the continued use of proposal writing and evaluation in many leading funding competitions. Proposal evaluation is informative if it measures something distinct from CV quality (lower Cov( C i , T i ) which increases the left side of inequality (5)) and if proposal quality is not in the eye of the beholder (lower E i 1 P which decreases the right side of inequality (5)). Panelist agreement on application evaluation will then be greater when both panelists evaluate applications in the P condition ( P–P ) than when only one does ( P–N ):

Panelists’ evaluations of grant applications agree more when both have access to the proposal text than when only one has access.

In our statistical analysis we use two related measures of panelist agreement. Our first measure of agreement is the probability that two applications evaluated by two panelists have concordant rankings, which amounts to a Kendall’s Tau statistic. Given that the correlations in question pertain to bivariate normally distributed quantities, we can use the fact that Kendall’s Tau monotonically increases in the correlation following 2arcsin(Corr())/π to derive that any two applications are more likely to be ranked concordantly by two P panelists when both panelists have access to both proposals ( P–P ) than when only one panelist has access ( P–N ).

The second measure of agreement is the absolute difference in the evaluation, | X i 1 P — X i 2 P | or | X i 1 P — X i 2 N |. For normally distributed variables, the mean absolute deviation is √(2/π) times the standard deviation, which in turn monotonically decreases in Corr( X i 1 P , X i 2 P ) respectively Corr( X i 1 P , X i 2 N ), so must be smaller when both panelists have access to the same proposal than when only one has access.

Experimental design

The experiment was conducted in the Social Science & Humanities domain of NWO’s 2018 Vidi competition which consists of eight panels representing different disciplines (see Supplementary Information for further details). NWO duplicated these eight panels for the experiment. Each submitted application (N  =  182) was assigned to two out of 58 regular panelists as part of the regular evaluation process as well as to two out of 41 shadow panelists from the corresponding shadow panel. Funding decisions were based only on regular panelist evaluations.

NWO matched both regular and shadow panelists to applications based on the similarity between proposal content and panelist expertise, panelist preferences, and conflicts of interest. NWO gave regular and shadow panelists guidelines and standard evaluation sheets and asked them to provide three scores on a scale of 1 (excellent) to 9 (bad) — one for the quality of the researcher (the CV score), one for the quality, innovative character, and academic impact of the proposed research (the proposal score), and one for the potential for utilization of knowledge for society and for the economy (the knowledge utilization score). The overall score NWO calculates is a weighted sum of the CV score (weighted 0.4), the proposal score (weighted 0.4), and the knowledge utilization score (weighted 0.2).

After shadow panelists were assigned to proposals, they were randomly assigned to an experimental condition using a randomized block design: within each shadow panel half of the panelists were assigned to a proposal condition (P) and the other half to a no-proposal condition (N) . The randomized block design ensures that there are balanced numbers of applications in both conditions within each panel, ensuring the treatment is orthogonal to panels. In line with our hypothesis, our analysis considers applications belonging to one of two groups : (a) applications assessed only in the proposal condition (“proposal group” or P–P group) and (b) applications assessed once in the proposal and once in the no-proposal condition ( P–N group). To ensure perfect balance in the composition of these two groups, for each application one evaluation always comes from a regular panelist, and one from a shadow panelist. Table 1 provides a breakdown of applications and panelists by panel and condition. For example, the table shows there are 6 regular panelists in the CW panel who all naturally reviewed in the P condition, and there were 4 shadow panelists, of which 2 were assigned to the P and 2 to the N condition. There are exactly 21 cases where an application in the CW panel was reviewed by at least one regular panelist in the P condition and at least one shadow panelist in the P condition. There are exactly 19 cases where an application in the CW panel was reviewed by at least one regular panelist in the P condition and at least one shadow panelist in the N condition.

Analytical strategy

Our analytical strategy is to take two approaches to test our hypothesis. First, we evaluate panelist agreement on rankings. To this end, for each pair of applications in the P–N group reviewed by the same shadow panelist in the no-proposal condition we determined which of the two applications received a better score Footnote 5 and then took two evaluations of the same two applications by a panelist from the regular panel and determined if the order of the scores was the same. Analogously, for each pair of applications in the P–P group evaluated by the same shadow panelist in the proposal condition we determined which was evaluated better and computed how often panelists in the regular panel agreed with this ranking. Together there were 722 such comparisons. Ties were broken randomly. We measure agreement on rankings as the percentage of cases where the rank orders in the shadow and regular panel agree. Our estimand for this approach is the difference in this agreement percentage between applications in the P–N group and applications in the P–P group. The rationale for conducting this analysis is that in the presence of a proposal effect and in line with our hypothesis, rankings of applications in the proposal condition compared to rankings of applications in the no proposal condition should be more in line with rankings in the regular panel.

Second, we compare panelist disagreement on scores – which we measure as the absolute difference in scores between two panelists reviewing the same application – between applications in the P–N group and applications in the P–P group. Our estimand for this second approach is the difference in mean disagreement between applications in the P–N group and applications in the P–P group. In line with our hypothesis, we predict that average disagreement among panelists regarding the quality of an application will be more pronounced when only one of the two panelists has read the proposal compared to when both have read the proposal. The existence of such a difference in disagreement across the two groups would indicate a proposal effect in panelist judgment.

In evaluating panelist agreement on rankings and panelist disagreement on scores, we used nonparametric randomization tests. Panelists evaluated multiple applications, so we cannot assume independence of observations in any test for group differences across applications. Accordingly, we generated the sampling distribution of each of our estimands under the null hypothesis, i.e. the permutation distribution, by way of randomly reassigning the condition labels to panelists 1000 times. Specifically, we took the P and N labels in the shadow panels and randomly reassigned those labels to panelists. We only reshuffled the condition labels within panels, so that the block design was preserved. At each permutation we recalculated the estimand. We then calculated the two-sided p-value as the fraction of 1000 permuted panelist assignments for which the estimand exceeded its value in the non-permuted data.

First, we examined whether not being able to access the full proposal text altered the way a panelist ranked those applications. A concordance percentage of 50% is achievable with random scoring and 100% is perfect agreement. We find that the percentage of concordant pairs in the P–N group (55.2%) is 3.7 points lower than that in the P–P group (58.9%) (see Table  2 ). The results of the randomization test, shown in Fig.  1 , indicate no significant difference at the 5% level in disagreement between applications evaluated in the P–N and those in P–P groups (two-sided p -value = 0.43). Table 2 shows that the rankings calculated separately for CV, proposal, and knowledge utilization scores also yield only small differences, none of which are significant (see Supplementary Fig. 1). Noteworthy is that when both panelists can read both proposals ( P–P ), they agree on which is better only 53.4% of the time. This provides an explanation for the rejection of the hypothesis: It was derived under the assumption of informative proposal evaluations, and this assumption is not supported in the data.

The vertical line represents the observed difference (− 3.7%) between the percentage of concordant pairs in the P – N group (only regular panelists can read the proposal) and the percentage of concordant pairs in the P–P group (both shadow and regular panelists can read the proposal). White bars display the distribution of the differences obtained from hypothetical re-randomized assignments of panelists to conditions. With the difference in agreement in the unpermuted data being closer to zero than in the 5% most extreme cases of the permutations, the analysis finds no statistically significant difference at the 95% level in agreement between groups

In the subsequent analysis, we examined the average disagreement levels in overall scores between the P–P and P–N groups. Table 3 shows disagreement among pairs of panelists in the evaluation of different elements of an application (rows) by proposal group (columns). Overall, panelist disagreement varied little between groups. As seen in column 1 of Table  3 , the mean level of disagreement on the overall scores was 0.04 lower in the P–N group than in the P–P group. This difference is small compared to the standard deviations of the two groups (0.67 and 0.63, respectively). Comparing the actual group difference with the distribution of differences generated from reshuffled samples showed no significant difference between the two groups at the 5% level (two-sided p -value = 0.36) (Fig.  2 ). We conducted similar tests for disagreement on CV scores, proposal scores, and knowledge utilization scores, all of which yielded consistent results (see Supplementary Fig.  2 ).

Overall, we conclude from these results in combination with the results of the ranking analysis that one panelist not being able to read a proposal does not lead that panelist to disagree more with the other panelist on the application’s merit. The main hypothesis is rejected.

The vertical line represents the observed difference (− 0.04) in mean disagreement between the P–N group (only regular panelists can read the proposal) and the P–P group (both shadow and regular panelists can read the proposal). Disagreement is measured as the absolute difference in standardized overall scores between two panelists reviewing the same application. White bars display the permutation distribution of the difference in mean disagreement between the two groups, obtained from hypothetical re-randomized assignment of panelists to conditions. With the difference in mean disagreement being closer to zero than in the 5% most extreme cases of the permutations, the analysis finds no statistically significant difference at the 95% level in disagreement between groups

We conclude that panelist assessment of an application changes little when the proposal text is omitted from it. Writing and evaluating proposals comprises the lion’s share of the costs of grant peer review (Graves et al., 2011 ). Our findings suggest that funding agencies using single-blind panel review, at least in a pre-selection stage prior to external review, can expect to achieve similar candidate selections by screening on the basis of CV and proposal abstract only. We hasten to reiterate that the writing of proposals may have intrinsic value to applicants also when not funded, and may together with reviewer input improve the quality of the work ultimately done once funded.

Studies of Matthew effects in science funding suggest that an emphasis on CV in merit assessment will strengthen the self-reinforcing character of winning grants (Bol et al., 2018 ; Wang et al., 2019 ). However, our results indicate that the presence of a full proposal text may not substantially alter evaluative outcomes. In a system that preselects on CV and proposal abstract only, then, the Matthew effect would likely not be much stronger despite there being little to go on besides applicant reputation.

Several limitations to the present investigation deserve consideration. First, limited statistical power renders it possible that writing a strong proposal does mildly increase an applicant’s chances for advancement to the next round. Our best estimate is that being able to read two proposals raises the chances a panelist will agree with another panelist who read both proposals on which of the two applications is the stronger one by about four percent points. This effect is small when compared to the dominant role of chance associated with one’s application being assigned to two favorable panelists (Cole et al., 1981 ).

Second, one may wonder whether shadow panelists assessed applications less meticulously or were less committed to the appraisal process. While our analysis revealed no systematic differences along any scoring dimensions between regular and shadow panelists evaluating the same proposals, we cannot rule out that there are differences we were not able to detect.

Third, our investigation was limited to peer review in an individual funding competition. In such competitions the CV of the applicant may play a more dominant role than otherwise. One may speculate that in competitions with collaborative proposals the proposal effect may be stronger so that the omission of the full proposal text would have a larger impact.

Finally, the experiment was limited to the initial scoring of candidates by panelists, preventing us from assessing a proposal effect in later stages of evaluation that involve expert reviewers. Nonetheless, even if a strong proposal effect exists in later rounds, most applications are already discarded in the preselection stage before the detailed description of the proposed research on which so much time was spent gets a chance to make a difference.

Data availability

All data are available in the supplementary information files. We conducted all data preparation and analysis using R. The code used for this purpose can be found at  https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/TRMEB

We preregistered additional hypotheses that do not directly speak to the main question asked here. The tests of these hypotheses can be found in the Supplementary Information file. The preregistration can be found here: https://aspredicted.org/md45e.pdf .

As executive researchers, we assisted with the random assignment of panelists to conditions and shared our opinion with NWO on the comparability of the information presented to the panelists in different conditions. Aside from this assistance, we were not involved with the design and execution of the experiment. Our study design concerning the use of data from this experiment was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences of Utrecht University.

The score variables in our data are indeed approximately normally distributed (see Supplementary Figs. 5 and 6).

We thank an anonymous reviewer for suggesting this theoretical possibility.

We standardized the scores within panelists, because the funding agency makes preselection decisions based on standardized scores. To this end we first computed the mean and standard deviation over all scores given by a panelist and then subtracted the mean from each individual score and divided it by the standard deviation.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Dutch Research Council for their support in implementing the research design, Alexandros Gelastopoulos for helpful comments on the theoretical model, and  an anonymous reviewer and the organizers and participants of the Field Experiments Conference at Duke University, the Yale Conference on Computational Social Science, and the Social and Political Sciences Department Colloquium at Bocconi University for general feedback we received on earlier versions of our paper.

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Müge Simsek, Mathijs de Vaan, and Arnout van de Rijt have contributed equally to this work.

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Müge Simsek

Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, USA

Mathijs de Vaan

European University Institute, Fiesole, Italy

Arnout van de Rijt

Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

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Simsek, M., de Vaan, M. & van de Rijt, A. Do grant proposal texts matter for funding decisions? A field experiment. Scientometrics (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-024-04968-7

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Blog The Education Hub

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/05/16/new-rshe-guidance-what-it-means-for-sex-education-lessons-in-schools/

New RSHE guidance: What it means for sex education lessons in schools

R elationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) is a subject taught at both primary and secondary school.  

In 2020, Relationships and Sex Education was made compulsory for all secondary school pupils in England and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools.  

Last year, the Prime Minister and Education Secretary brought forward the first review of the curriculum following reports of pupils being taught inappropriate content in RSHE in some schools.  

The review was informed by the advice of an independent panel of experts. The results of the review and updated guidance for consultation has now been published.   

We are now asking for views from parents, schools and others before the guidance is finalised. You can find the consultation here .   

What is new in the updated curriculum?  

Following the panel’s advice, w e’re introducing age limits, to ensure children aren’t being taught about sensitive and complex subjects before they are ready to fully understand them.    

We are also making clear that the concept of gender identity – the sense a person may have of their own gender, whether male, female or a number of other categories   – is highly contested and should not be taught. This is in line with the cautious approach taken in our gu idance on gender questioning children.  

Along with other factors, teaching this theory in the classroom could prompt some children to start to question their gender when they may not have done so otherwise, and is a complex theory for children to understand.   

The facts about biological sex and gender reassignment will still be taught.  

The guidance for schools also contains a new section on transparency with parents, making it absolutely clear that parents have a legal right to know what their children are being taught in RSHE and can request to see teaching materials.   

In addition, we’re seeking views on adding several new subjects to the curriculum, and more detail on others. These include:   

• Suicide prevention  
• Sexual harassment and sexual violence  
• L oneliness  
• The prevalence of 'deepfakes’  
• Healthy behaviours during pregnancy, as well as miscarriage  
• Illegal online behaviours including drug and knife supply  
• The dangers of vaping   
• Menstrual and gynaecological health including endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and heavy menstrual bleeding.  

What are the age limits?   

In primary school, we’ve set out that subjects such as the risks about online gaming, social media and scams should not be taught before year 3.   

Puberty shouldn’t be taught before year 4, whilst sex education shouldn’t be taught before year 5, in line with what pupils learn about conception and birth as part of the national curriculum for science.  

In secondary school, issues regarding sexual harassment shouldn’t be taught before year 7, direct references to suicide before year 8 and any explicit discussion of sexual activity before year 9.  

Do schools have to follow the guidance?  

Following the consultation, the guidance will be statutory, which means schools must follow it unless there are exceptional circumstances.   

There is some flexibility w ithin the age ratings, as schools will sometimes need to respond to questions from pupils about age-restricted content, if they come up earlier within their school community.   

In these circumstances, schools are instructed to make sure that teaching is limited to the essential facts without going into unnecessary details, and parents should be informed.  

When will schools start teaching this?  

School s will be able to use the guidance as soon as we publish the final version later this year.   

However, schools will need time to make changes to their curriculum, so we will allow an implementation period before the guidance comes into force.     

What can parents do with these resources once they have been shared?

This guidance has openness with parents at its heart. Parents are not able to veto curriculum content, but they should be able to see what their children are being taught, which gives them the opportunity to raise issues or concerns through the school’s own processes, if they want to.

Parents can also share copyrighted materials they have received from their school more widely under certain circumstances.

If they are not able to understand materials without assistance, parents can share the materials with translators to help them understand the content, on the basis that the material is not shared further.

Copyrighted material can also be shared under the law for so-called ‘fair dealing’ - for the purposes of quotation, criticism or review, which could include sharing for the purpose of making a complaint about the material.

This could consist of sharing with friends, families, faith leaders, lawyers, school organisations, governing bodies and trustees, local authorities, Ofsted and the media.  In each case, the sharing of the material must be proportionate and accompanied by an acknowledgment of the author and its ownership.

Under the same principle, parents can also share relevant extracts of materials with the general public, but except in cases where the material is very small, it is unlikely that it would be lawful to share the entirety of the material.

These principles would apply to any material which is being made available for teaching in schools, even if that material was provided subject to confidentiality restrictions.

Do all children have to learn RSHE?  

Parents still have the right to withdraw their child from sex education, but not from the essential content covered in relationships educatio n.  

You may also be interested in:

• Education Secretary's letter to parents: You have the right to see RSHE lesson material
• Sex education: What is RSHE and can parents access curriculum materials?
• What do children and young people learn in relationship, sex and health education

Tags: age ratings , Gender , Relationships and Sex Education , RSHE , sex ed , Sex education

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What Trump promised oil CEOs as he asked them to steer $1 billion to his campaign

Donald Trump has pledged to scrap President Biden’s policies on electric vehicles and wind energy, as well as other initiatives opposed by the fossil fuel industry.

As Donald Trump sat with some of the country’s top oil executives at his Mar-a-Lago Club last month, one executive complained about how they continued to face burdensome environmental regulations despite spending $400 million to lobby the Biden administration in the last year.

Trump’s response stunned several of the executives in the room overlooking the ocean: You all are wealthy enough, he said, that you should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House. At the dinner, he vowed to immediately reverse dozens of President Biden ’s environmental rules and policies and stop new ones from being enacted, according to people with knowledge of the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation.

Giving $1 billion would be a “deal,” Trump said, because of the taxation and regulation they would avoid thanks to him, according to the people.

Trump’s remarkably blunt and transactional pitch reveals how the former president is targeting the oil industry to finance his reelection bid. At the same time, he has turned to the industry to help shape his environmental agenda for a second term, including rollbacks of some of Biden’s signature achievements on clean energy and electric vehicles.

The contrast between the two candidates on climate policy could not be more stark. Biden has called global warming an “existential threat,” and over the last three years, his administration has finalized more than 100 new environmental regulations aimed at cutting air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, restricting toxic chemicals, and conserving public lands and waters. In comparison, Trump has called climate change a “hoax,” and his administration weakened or wiped out more than 125 environmental rules and policies over four years.

In recent months, the Biden administration has raced to overturn Trump’s environmental actions and issue new ones before the November election. So far, Biden officials have overturned 27 Trump actions affecting the fossil fuel industry and completed at least 24 new actions affecting the sector, according to a Washington Post analysis . The Interior Department, for instance, recently blocked future oil drilling across 13 million acres of the Alaskan Arctic .

Despite the oil industry’s complaints about Biden’s policies, the United States is now producing more oil than any country ever has , pumping nearly 13 million barrels per day on average last year. ExxonMobil and Chevron, the largest U.S. energy companies, reported their biggest annual profits in a decade last year.

Yet oil giants will see an even greater windfall — helped by new offshore drilling, speedier permits and other relaxed regulations — in a second Trump administration, the former president told the executives over the dinner of chopped steak at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump vowed at the dinner to immediately end the Biden administration’s freeze on permits for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports — a top priority for the executives, according to three people present. “You’ll get it on the first day,” Trump said, according to the recollection of an attendee.

The roughly two dozen executives invited included Mike Sabel, the CEO and founder of Venture Global, and Jack Fusco, the CEO of Cheniere Energy, whose proposed projects would directly benefit from lifting the pause on new LNG exports. Other attendees came from companies including Chevron, Continental Resources, Exxon and Occidental Petroleum, according to an attendance list obtained by The Post.

Trump told the executives that he would start auctioning off more leases for oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, a priority that several of the executives raised. He railed against wind power, as The Post previously reported. And he said he would reverse the restrictions on drilling in the Alaskan Arctic.

“You’ve been waiting on a permit for five years; you’ll get it on Day 1,” Trump told the executives, according to the recollection of the attendee.

At the dinner, Trump also promised that he would scrap Biden’s “mandate” on electric vehicles — mischaracterizing ambitious rules that the Environmental Protection Agency recently finalized , according to people who attended. The rules require automakers to reduce emissions from car tailpipes, but they don’t mandate a particular technology such as EVs. Trump called the rules “ridiculous” in the meeting with donors.

The fossil fuel industry has aggressively lobbied against the EPA’s tailpipe rules, which could eat into demand for its petroleum products. The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, an industry trade group, has launched a seven-figure campaign against what it calls a de facto “gas car ban.” The campaign includes ads in battleground states warning that the rule will restrict consumer choice.

“Clearly, if you are producing gasoline and diesel, you want to make sure that there’s enough market there,” said Stephen Brown, an energy consultant and a former lobbyist for Tesoro, an oil refining company. “I don’t know that the oil industry would walk in united with a set of asks for the Trump administration, but I think it’s important for this issue to get raised.”

Although the repeal of the EPA rule would benefit the fossil fuel industry, it would probably anger the auto industry, which has invested billions of dollars in the transition away from gasoline-powered cars. Many automakers are under increasing pressure to sell more EVs in Europe, which has tightened its own tailpipe emissions rules, and they are eager to avoid a patchwork of regulations around the globe.

“Automakers need some degree of regulatory certainty from government,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, Toyota and other car companies.

“What has emerged instead is a wholesale repeal … and then reinstatement … and then repeal again of regulations every four or eight years,” Bozzella said in an email.

Biden’s EV policies have also sparked opposition in Republican-led rural states such as North Dakota, where there are far more oil pump jacks than charging stations. A key figure leading the Trump campaign’s development of its energy policy is North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), who has been talking extensively to oil donors and CEOs.

At a fundraiser on Saturday in Palm Beach, Fla., Burgum told donors that Trump would halt Biden’s “attack” on fossil fuels, according to a recording of his remarks obtained by The Post.

“What would be the No. 1 thing that President Trump could do on Day 1? It’s stop the hostile attack against all American energy, and I mean all,” Burgum said. “Whether it’s baseload electricity, whether it’s oil, whether it’s gas, whether it’s ethanol, there is an attack on liquid fuels.”

Burgum also criticized the Biden administration’s policies on gas stoves and vehicles with internal combustion engines, claiming that they would prevent consumers from buying both technologies. While the Energy Department recently set new efficiency standards for gas stoves, they would not affect the stoves in people’s kitchens or those currently on the market.

“They’ve got some liberal idea about what products we need,” Burgum said. “You all need EV cars. You don’t need internal combustion. We’ll decide what kind of car you’re going to drive, and we’re going to regulate the other ones out of business. I mean, it’s just in every industry, not just in cars, not just in energy. They’re telling people what stoves you can buy. This is not America.”

The Biden campaign initially declined to comment for this article. After it was published, however, Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa said in a statement that “Donald Trump is selling out working families to Big Oil for campaign checks. It’s that simple.”

“It doesn’t matter to Trump that oil and gas companies charge working families and middle-class Americans whatever they want while raking in record profits — if Donald can cash a check, he’ll do what they say,” Moussa added.

Burgum — a possible contender to lead the Energy Department in a second Trump term — has pushed harder to address climate change than many other Republicans. He set a goal in 2021 for North Dakota — the third-largest oil-producing state — to become carbon-neutral by 2030. He has stressed, however, that the goal won’t be achieved via government mandates or the elimination of fossil fuels, and he has cultivated deep support among oil donors.

Despite Trump’s huge fundraising ask, oil donors and their allies have yet to donate hundreds of millions to his campaign. They have contributed more than $6.4 million to Trump’s joint fundraising committee in the first three months of this year, according to an analysis by the advocacy group Climate Power. Oil billionaire Harold Hamm and others are scheduling a fundraiser for Trump later this year, advisers said, where they expect large checks to flow to his bid to return to office.

One person involved in the industry said many oil executives wanted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or another Republican to challenge Biden. But now that Trump is the nominee, this person said, they are going to embrace his policies and give.

Dan Eberhart, chief executive of the oil-field services company Canary and a Trump donor, said the Republican onslaught of donations was not surprising.

“Biden constantly throws a wet blanket to the oil and gas industry,” Eberhart said. “Trump’s ‘drill, baby, drill’ philosophy aligns much better with the oil patch than Biden’s green-energy approach. It’s a no-brainer.”

Alex Witt, a senior adviser for oil and gas with Climate Power, said Trump’s promise is he will do whatever the oil industry wants if they support him. With Trump, Witt said, “everything has a price.”

“They got a great return on their investment during Trump’s first term, and Trump is making it crystal clear that they’re in for an even bigger payout if he’s reelected,” she said.

John Muyskens contributed to this report .

Election 2024

Get the latest news on the 2024 election from our reporters on the campaign trail and in Washington.

Who is running? President Biden and Donald Trump secured their parties’ nominations for the presidency . Here’s how we ended up with a Trump-Biden rematch again.

Key dates and events: From January to June, voters in all states and U.S. territories will pick their party’s nominee for president ahead of the summer conventions. Here are key dates and events on the 2024 election calendar .

Abortion and the election: Voters in about a dozen states could decide the fate of abortion rights with constitutional amendments on the ballot in a pivotal election year. Biden supports legal access to abortion , and he has encouraged Congress to pass a law that would codify abortion rights nationwide. After months of mixed signals about his position, Trump said the issue should be left to states . Here’s how Biden’s and Trump’s abortion stances have shifted over the years.

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Trump Leads in 5 Key States, as Young and Nonwhite Voters Express Discontent With Biden

A new set of Times/Siena polls, including one with The Philadelphia Inquirer, reveal an erosion of support for the president among young and nonwhite voters upset about the economy and Gaza.

• Share full article

THE NEW YORK TIMES

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

SIENA COLLEGE POLL

April 28 to May 9

If the 2024 presidential election

were held today , who would you

vote for if the candidates were

Joe Biden and Donald Trump ?

Pennsylvania

Margin of error

If the 2024 presidential election were held today, who would you vote for if the candidates were Joe Biden and Donald Trump ?

By Nate Cohn

Donald J. Trump leads President Biden in five crucial battleground states, a new set of polls shows , as a yearning for change and discontent over the economy and the war in Gaza among young, Black and Hispanic voters threaten to unravel the president’s Democratic coalition.

The surveys by The New York Times, Siena College and The Philadelphia Inquirer found that Mr. Trump was ahead among registered voters in a head-to-head matchup against Mr. Biden in five of six key states: Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Mr. Biden led among registered voters in only one battleground state, Wisconsin.

[You can find the full results of the polls, including the exact questions that were asked, here . You can see answers to common questions about our polling process here .]

The race was closer among likely voters. Mr. Trump led in five states as well, but Mr. Biden edged ahead in Michigan while trailing only narrowly in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. While Mr. Biden won all six of those states in 2020, victories in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin would be enough for him to win re-election, provided he won everywhere else he did four years ago.

The results were similar in a hypothetical matchup that included minor-party candidates and the independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who won an average of 10 percent of the vote across the six states and drew roughly equally from the two major-party candidates.

The findings are mostly unchanged since the last series of Times/Siena polls in battleground states in November. Since then, the stock market has gained 25 percent, Mr. Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan has started, and the Biden campaign has unleashed tens of millions of dollars in advertisements across the battleground states.

The polls offer little indication that any of these developments have helped Mr. Biden, hurt Mr. Trump or quelled the electorate’s discontent. Instead, the surveys show that the cost of living, immigration, Israel’s war in Gaza and a desire for change continue to be a drag on the president’s standing. While Mr. Biden benefited from a burst of momentum in the wake of his State of the Union address in March, he continues to trail in the average of national and battleground state polls.

How support for the candidates differ

between registered and likely voters

The findings reveal widespread dissatisfaction with the state of the country and serious doubts about Mr. Biden’s ability to deliver major improvements to American life. A majority of voters still desire the return to normalcy promised by Mr. Biden in the last campaign, but voters in battleground states remain particularly anxious, unsettled and itching for change. Nearly 70 percent of voters say that the country’s political and economic systems need major changes — or even to be torn down entirely.

Only a sliver of Mr. Biden’s supporters — just 13 percent — believe that the president would bring major changes in his second term, while even many of those who dislike Mr. Trump grudgingly acknowledge that he would shake up an unsatisfying status quo.

The sense that Mr. Biden would do little to improve the nation’s fortunes has helped erode his standing among young, Black and Hispanic voters, who usually represent the foundation of any Democratic path to the presidency. The Times/Siena polls found that the three groups wanted fundamental changes to American society, not just a return to normalcy, and few believed that Mr. Biden would make even minor changes that would be good for the country.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden are essentially tied among 18-to-29-year-olds and Hispanic voters, even though each group gave Mr. Biden more than 60 percent of their vote in 2020. Mr. Trump also wins more than 20 percent of Black voters — a tally that would be the highest level of Black support for any Republican presidential candidate since the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The polls suggest that Mr. Trump’s strength among young and nonwhite voters has at least temporarily upended the electoral map, with Mr. Trump surging to a significant lead in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada — relatively diverse Sun Belt states where Black and Hispanic voters propelled Mr. Biden to signature victories in the 2020 election.

Mr. Biden nonetheless remains within striking distance. He has maintained most of his support among older and white voters, who are much less likely to demand fundamental changes to the system and far likelier to say that democracy is the most important issue for their vote. As a result, Mr. Biden is more competitive in the three relatively white Northern swing states: Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The economy and the cost of living, however, remain the most important issues for one-quarter of voters — and a significant drag on Mr. Biden’s prospects. More than half of voters still believe that the economy is “poor,” down merely a single percentage point since November despite cooling inflation, an end to rate hikes and significant stock market gains.

Nearly 40 percent of Mr. Trump’s supporters said that the economy or the cost of living was the most important issue in the election, among them Jennifer Wright, a registered nurse in Sterling Heights, Mich. She supported Mr. Trump in 2016 and 2020, and to her the election comes down to one question: “Who is the best candidate who is going to help me be in a financial situation to retire?”

“Even me, as a registered nurse, I’m buying Kroger brand or store brand. I’m not buying Jif. We’ve all had to cut back,” she said.

The Biden administration’s insistence that the economy is faring well has fallen flat for many voters, including Jacob Sprague, 32, who works as a systems engineer in Reno, Nev. He says that he voted for Mr. Biden in 2020 but will not be doing so this time.

“It is concerning to me when I keep seeing press come out of the White House where they keep saying the economy is good,” Mr. Sprague said. “That’s really weird because I’m paying more on taxes and more on groceries and more on housing and more on fuel. So that doesn’t feel good.”

With less than six months to go until the election, there is still time for an improving economy to lift Mr. Biden’s standing. Historically, polls at this early stage have not been necessarily indicative of the outcome, and Mr. Trump’s breakthrough among traditionally Democratic young, Black and Hispanic voters may not rest on a solid foundation. His strength is concentrated among irregular, disengaged voters who do not pay close attention to politics and may not yet be tuned into the race. They may be prone to shift their views as the race gets underway.

In a finding that will frustrate Democrats, even as it presents opportunity for Mr. Biden, nearly 20 percent of voters blame him more than they do Mr. Trump for the Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade. They may be the kind of voters that the Biden campaign hopes to persuade as the campaign heats up.

The polls showed that abortion loomed as one of Mr. Trump’s biggest vulnerabilities. On average, 64 percent of voters in battleground states said that abortion should be always or mostly legal, including 44 percent of Mr. Trump’s own supporters.

In recent weeks, the Biden campaign has sought to emphasize Mr. Trump’s support for the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade. For now, though, voters preferred Mr. Biden over Mr. Trump to handle the issue of abortion by 11 points, 49 to 38 percent.

A bigger challenge for Mr. Biden than disengaged voters may ultimately be the disaffected and the disillusioned — those who desire fundamental changes to American society, or who believe that the political and economic systems need to be torn down altogether. Not long ago, these anti-system voters might have been reliably Democratic, but Mr. Trump’s anti-establishment populist brand of conservatism has flipped the usual political dynamic.

Seventy percent of voters believe that Mr. Trump will either bring major changes to the political or economic system or tear down the systems altogether, compared with 24 percent who expect the same from Mr. Biden. And while many voters express deep reservations about Mr. Trump personally, 43 percent of voters believe that he will bring good changes to the country, compared with 35 percent who think the changes will be bad.

Most Americans think the system

needs to change …

Which comes closest to your view about

the political and economic system in America,

even if none are exactly right?

The system needs ...

... no changes 2%

Don’t know/

declined to say 2%

… and they think that Donald Trump

would bring more change …

If [this candidate] won the election, do you think

nothing would change, there would be minor

changes to how things work, there would be

major changes to how things work, or he would

tear down the system completely?

would change

Minor changes

declined to say 4%

… but they are split on whether that

change would be good or bad.

Do you think the changes that [this candidate]

would make would be good for the country

or bad for the country, or neither good nor bad?

or very good

or very bad

declined to say 5%

Most Americans think the system needs to change …

Which comes closest to your view about the political and economic

system in America, even if none are exactly right?

... major changes

... minor changes

… and they think that Donald Trump would bring more change …

If [this candidate] won the election, do you think nothing would change,

there would be minor changes to how things work, there would be major

changes to how things work, or he would tear down the system completely?

… but they are split on whether that change would be good or bad.

Do you think the changes that [this candidate] would make would be good

for the country or bad for the country, or neither good nor bad?

Mr. Trump fares especially well among those who believe that the political and economic systems ought to be torn down, a group that represents about 15 percent of registered voters. He leads among these anti-system voters by 32 points, and the tear-it-down voters are especially likely to have defected from the president. In contrast, Mr. Biden retains nearly all of his 2020 supporters who believe only minor changes are necessary.

These change voters are not necessarily demanding a more ideologically progressive agenda. In the last Times/Siena poll of the same states, 11 percent of registered voters thought that Mr. Biden was not progressive or liberal enough. And while many liberal or progressive voters want major changes, relatively few of those voters are defecting from Mr. Biden.

Instead, Mr. Biden’s losses are concentrated among moderate and conservative Democratic-leaning voters, who nonetheless think that the system needs major changes or to be torn down altogether. Mr. Trump wins just 2 percent of Mr. Biden’s “very liberal” 2020 voters who think the system at least needs major changes, compared with 16 percent of those who are moderate or conservative.

One exception is Israel’s war in Gaza, an issue on which most of Mr. Biden’s challenge appears to come from his left. Around 13 percent of the voters who say they voted for Mr. Biden last time, but do not plan to do so again, said that his foreign policy or the war in Gaza was the most important issue to their vote. Just 17 percent of those voters reported sympathizing with Israel over the Palestinians.

Gerard Willingham, 30, works as a web administrator and lives in Riverdale, Ga. He voted for Mr. Biden in 2020, but he plans to vote for a third-party candidate in November because of the president’s response to the conflict in Gaza, the issue about which he cares most right now.

“I think it’s made quite a bit of difference in that it made me more heavily than in the past push toward voting for a third party, even if I feel that the candidates almost 100 percent won’t win,” Mr. Willingham said. “It’s starting to reach into my moral conscience, I guess.”

Mr. Trump’s trial in Manhattan, on charges that he falsified business records related to a hush-money payment to cover up an affair with the adult film star Stormy Daniels, was already underway when the polls began in late April. However, the survey offered little indication that the trial had damaged the former president’s political fortunes, at least so far. Just 29 percent of voters in battleground states said that they were paying “a lot” of attention to Mr. Trump’s legal woes, and 35 percent thought that the trial was likely to end in a conviction.

Alyce McFadden contributed reporting.

Here are the key things to know about how these polls were conducted:

We spoke with 4,097 registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin from April 28 to May 9, 2024.

Our polls are conducted by telephone, using live interviewers, in both English and Spanish. Nearly 95 percent of respondents were contacted on a cellphone for this poll. You can see the exact questions that were asked and the order in which they were asked here .

Voters are selected for the survey from a list of registered voters. The list contains information on the demographic characteristics of every registered voter, allowing us to make sure we reach the right number of voters of each party, race and region. For this set of polls, we placed nearly 500,000 calls to about 410,000 voters.

To further ensure that the results reflect the entire voting population, not just those willing to take a poll, we give more weight to respondents from demographic groups underrepresented among survey respondents, like people without a college degree. You can see more information about the characteristics of our respondents and the weighted sample on the methodology page , under “Composition of the Sample.”

When the states are joined together, the margin of sampling error among registered voters is plus or minus 1.8 percentage points. Each state poll has a margin of error ranging from plus or minus 3.6 points in Pennsylvania to plus or minus 4.6 points in Georgia. In theory, this means that the results should reflect the views of the overall population most of the time, though many other challenges create additional sources of error. When computing the difference between two values — such as a candidate’s lead in a race — the margin of error is twice as large.

You can see full results and a detailed methodology here . If you want to read more about how and why we conduct our polls, you can see answers to frequently asked questions and submit your own questions here .

The New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll of Pennsylvania was funded by a grant from The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. The poll was designed and conducted independently from the institute.

Nate Cohn is The Times’s chief political analyst. He covers elections, public opinion, demographics and polling. More about Nate Cohn