Little Helper: Proposal Writing Checklist

This list does not aspire to be comprehensive; every funder and funding opportunity will have different requirements. It may also vary depending on whether you are responding to a solicitation or are invited to apply.

Instead, these are some general questions and considerations which we hope you find useful.

1. Aligning the funding opportunity with your organisation’s status, aims, and needs

• Are the subject-matter and approach aligned with your organisation’s strategy, values, and capabilities?
• Is your organisation eligible to bid on this opportunity, either directly or as a partner in a consortium led by another organisation? (in terms of your geographic location, registration-status, type of entity, size/budget, types of services provided, types of groups served, external affiliations, etc.)
• Does your organisation have the capacity to bid on this opportunity, either directly or as a partner in a consortium led by another organisation? (ability to provide all the required detail and documentation, in appropriate format and timely fashion)
• If funding is awarded, would your organisation be able to fully comply with the donor’s rules, regulations, and administrative requirements?
• Would the resources provided, and timeframe offered, be sufficient to enable your
  organisation to deliver on its programmatic and financial commitments under the award? (coverage of direct and indirect costs, whether advances will be provided, time allowed for start-up and delivery of activities, etc.)
• Does your organisation, and/or the consortium you are part of, have some kind of
  comparative advantage in applying for this opportunity?
• Is there sufficient time, and are the necessary people available, to be able prepare a high-quality application package (and submit it at least two days ahead of the posted deadline)?

2. Developing an application package

• Have you carefully read all the funder’s guidance and instructions? (if anything is unclear, seek clarification)
• Is there an opportunity to ask questions, formally or informally, ahead of the submission deadline? (this can be an opportunity to gain insight into the funder’s aims and mindset?
• Has the funder provided forms or templates? (if so, follow these closely and complete these fully, as relevant)?

3. Project design

• Are the project’s aims realistic and achievable?
• Are the links between the project’s goal, objectives, expected results, and activities clear and easy to understand – and are these logical responses to a defined set of problems?
• Is the project’s design “responsive” to the funder’s intent, priorities, and preferences?
• Does the design fully factor in past or ongoing activities, whether carried out by your organisation or by other parties?
• Have you analysed the risks to being able to carry out your proposed activities as planned, and identified how you plan to mitigate these?
• Have you analysed the risks that could result from carrying out your proposed activities (including what could happen if/when those activities eventually stop) while bearing in mind the principle of “do no harm”? Have you identified how you plan to mitigate these?

4. The narrative

• Have you used active (rather than passive) voice, throughout?
• For each activity, is it clear What it will consist of, Who will conduct it, Where they will conduct it, When they will conduct it, and How they will conduct it?
• Is it clear Why the activity is important?
• Is it clear who the contractual partners will be, and what their specific roles will consist of?
• Have you provided sufficient context for a non-specialist generalist reader who is not familiar with your specific subject-matter or operating environment, to fully understand what you are proposing and why it is important?
• Have you clearly explained what your project’s unique contribution will be?
• Have you clearly shown your organisation’s and/or the consortium’s expertise, experience, and capacity, and why these are relevant?
• Have you clearly explained what will be new or different in your proposed activities and approach?
• Have you clearly explained which parts of the project will be continuation/extension/expansion of what has been done before?
• Have you shown how you plan to build on existing platforms and activities (rather that create new ones from scratch)?
• Have you explained why and how your proposed approach will be effective? (if possible, reference experience and quantitative or qualitative data).
• Have you explained how the activity will be sustained and/or will continue, after the project ends?
• Have you limited the use of specialist jargon, so that a generalist reader will be able to understand without difficulty?
• Have you spelled out all acronyms in full, the first time you use them?

5. Design of monitoring

• Are all of your proposed indicators Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART)?

6. Budgeting

• Are the proposed cost-items eligible, under the funder’s and the opportunity’s rules and guidance? (e.g., some funders may not cover construction, equipment purchases, or certain types of activities)
• Is the structure of the budget compliant with the funder’s guidance (if any) on the maximum proportions of funding that can be allocated to specific types or categories of expense? (some funders indicate maximums for salaries and M&E, for example)
• Have you included all costs, both direct and indirect, that you will need to be able to carry out the project?
• Are all cost-items detailed and easy to understand?
• Are the cost-items standardised? (if they are variable, for example in different geographic locations or with different population-groups, explain why)
• Are all cost-items justified – needed to carry out the project?
• Are all cost-items reasonable – aligned with the project’s scope, by scale and by type?
• For overhead or indirect costs, have you shown the percentage to be covered by the funder (vs the percentage to be covered from other sources)?
• If the funder will not be providing advances, have you explained how you be able to carry out the work at each stage of the project?
• Have you shown how the new funds will leverage existing resources and capacity?
• If relevant, have you shown how the organisation/consortium will contribute its own resources to the project?
• If relevant, have you explained how the organisation/consortium will provide matching funds?

7. Review of your application package

• Have you reviewed for completeness?
• Have you reviewed for consistency and coherence, both within sections and across all parts of the package?
• Have you proofread all parts of the package closely?
• Are all parts of your package clear, detailed, and easy to understand?
• Have you had the package reviewed by a subject-matter expert?
• Have you had the package reviewed by a non-specialist generalist?

We hope you have found these useful. The Checklist has been prepared by a team of consultants at Consult KM International, including senior Programme Design & Proposal Development Specialist and senior Proposal Writer.

View also Writing a Successful Project Proposal: Key Principles and Tips