Crumb & Co. loses an estimated 48% of mobile visitors before they complete an order. We propose a mobile-first website with built-in ordering, delivered in 12 weeks for a fixed £38,500, with an expected £180,000 in additional online sales in the first year.
The seven parts, with examples
One proposal runs through all seven parts: a design agency pitching a website rebuild to a regional bakery chain. Choose a part to read its excerpt.
A value proposition in four components
A value proposition is the single sentence that says why the client should choose you. It joins four components; when one is missing, the sentence turns into a slogan.
Who it is for Crumb & Co.’s 14 bakeries The specific client, never “businesses like yours”.
The problem a website that loses half its mobile orders In the client’s own terms and numbers.
The outcome an expected £180,000 in online sales in year one A concrete benefit, measured.
The proof as we did for Fieldhouse Coffee Evidence that you can deliver it.
Itemised pricing
Break the price into phases the client can recognise from the scope. Each line answers “what do I get for this?”, which makes the total easier to approve.
| Phase | Deliverables | Weeks | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Research and design | Customer interviews, site map, designs for 12 page types | 1 to 3 | £8,500 |
| 2. Build | Ordering system, favourites, click-and-collect | 4 to 8 | £19,000 |
| 3. Till integration | Live connection to Square at all 14 bakeries | 9 | £5,500 |
| 4. Testing, training, launch | Two-bakery pilot, staff training, launch support | 10 to 12 | £5,500 |
| Total | Fixed price, invoiced in three stages | 12 | £38,500 |
Business, project and grant proposals
Business proposal Selling a product or service to a client
Read byA client’s decision-maker and budget holderThey decide onValue for money and trust in youLead withTheir problem and the result you will deliver
Business proposal complete guide → Project proposal Getting a project approved, often internally
Read byManagers, a steering group or sponsorThey decide onFit with goals, resources and riskLead withThe objective, scope, budget and risks
Project proposal template guide → Grant proposal Asking a funder for money for a cause or research
Read byA review panel scoring against criteriaThey decide onNeed, impact and how well you meet their prioritiesLead withA needs statement (evidence of the problem) and measurable outcomes
Grant proposal writing guide → The cover letter that travels with it
The proposal cover letter (or cover email) is often the only part a senior decision-maker reads first. It names the client’s problem, gives the headline result and asks for a meeting.
Subject: Proposal: a mobile-first website for Crumb & Co.
Dear Ms Rahman,Nearly half of Crumb & Co.’s mobile customers leave before they finish ordering. The attached proposal sets out how we would fix that in 12 weeks, before the Christmas season.For Fieldhouse Coffee, the same approach increased mobile orders by 62% within six months.Could we have 30 minutes next week to walk you through it? Best wishes, Tom Fielding, Director, Northlight Studio
- 1Open with their problemTheir situation in the first sentence, not your company history.
- 2Point to the proposalSay what it contains and the headline timeline.
- 3One proof pointA result for a similar client.
- 4A specific next stepA meeting, with a length and a time frame.
- How to write a proposal cover letter that wins →
From brief to submission in six steps
Most of the work in a winning proposal happens before the first sentence. These six steps take the Crumb & Co. proposal from the first phone call to the email that sends it.
- 1Day 1 Ask before you write On the first call, ask what success looks like in numbers, who signs off, and what budget range they have in mind. Write their exact words down.
- 2Day 2 Gather their data Request analytics, current costs or complaint logs. The problem section is only as strong as the client’s own figures.
- 3Day 3 Confirm the scope Send a short email listing what you will and won’t include, and get a reply before pricing anything.
- 4Days 4 to 5 Draft in section order Write the problem, solution, timeline and pricing first; write the executive summary last, once every number is fixed.
- 5Day 6 Read it as the client Check every “we” sentence has a matching “you” benefit, and that each price line maps to a scope item.
- 6Day 7 Send with a cover email Attach one PDF, name the headline result in the email, and propose a call date.
Step 3 is where most proposals are won: if the scope you agree on the call matches the scope on the page, the client reads the document as confirmation rather than a pitch. The fill-in business proposal template follows the same order, with a note under each heading on what that section must prove.
Phrases for each section
Proposal language should sound confident and specific without sounding like advertising. These sentence openers fit the job of each section; replace the bracketed parts with the client’s own details.
Executive summary
“[Client] currently [problem with a number]. We propose [solution], delivered by [date] for [price].”Puts the whole decision in two sentences.“The expected result is [measurable outcome] within [time period].”Gives the reader a figure to hold you to.
The problem
“Your own figures show that [statistic].”Signals that the problem comes from their data, not your sales pitch.“Each month, this costs roughly [amount or volume].”Turns a situation into a cost the reader wants to stop.
Solution and scope
“To address this, we will [action] so that [benefit].”Links every task back to the problem.“The scope does not include [item], which we can quote separately.”States the boundary politely and offers more work.
Timeline
“The project runs in [number] phases over [number] weeks.”Gives the shape before the detail.“You will see [deliverable] at the end of week [number].”Tells the client when they can check progress.
Pricing
“The fixed price for the full scope is [amount], invoiced in [number] stages.”Leads with the total, then the payment plan.“This price is valid until [date].”Sets a natural deadline without pressure.
Next steps
“If you’d like to go ahead, [action] by [date] and we can start on [date].”One clear action, with dates.“I’d be glad to walk you through it on a 30-minute call this week.”A small, easy yes before the big one.
Notice that every phrase leaves room for a number or a name. A sentence with nothing to fill in, such as “we deliver innovative solutions”, gives the reader nothing to check, which is why the value proposition guide builds every claim around a measurable outcome.
How long a proposal should be
Length follows the decision, not the effort. A proposal should be as long as the reader needs to say yes with confidence, and no longer. These ranges cover the three types above; a funder’s or client’s own page limit always overrides them.
| Proposal | Typical length | What sets the length | Where to spend the pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short sales proposal | 2 to 5 pages | A single service at a modest price; the reader already trusts you. | Scope and pricing; one short proof point. |
| Full business proposal | 8 to 15 pages | Larger budgets and several readers, often a committee. | Problem and solution; a matched case study. |
| Internal project proposal | 3 to 10 pages | Your organisation’s approval template and the size of the investment. | Objectives, resources and risks. |
| Grant proposal | Set by the funder | The funder’s page or word limit and scoring criteria. | One section per criterion; budget justification. |
Grant proposals are the exception to “shorter is better”: panels score each criterion separately, so a section left thin loses points even when the rest is strong. The grant proposal writing guide shows how to map each funder criterion to its own heading, and the project proposal template does the same for internal approval boards.
Guides on business proposals
7 guides · newest first
How to Write a Value Proposition for a ProposalWrite a value proposition that wins proposals. Learn its four components, how to make benefits concrete, where to place it, and the mistakes that lose readers.Jul 9, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Write a Proposal Cover Letter That Wins the WorkWrite a proposal cover letter that earns attention: lead with the client's problem, use a proven structure, build trust, and end with a clear next step.Jul 6, 2026 · 4 min read
Business Proposal Writing Guide With TemplatesSeven-part structure for business proposals that win: executive summary, problem statement, scope, pricing, timeline, and proof templates.Apr 23, 2026 · 16 min read
Grant Proposal Writing Complete Guide With Funded ExamplesGrant proposal writing guide with the structure funders read first. Needs statement, logic models, budget narratives, and examples from NIH, NSF, and private foundations.Mar 30, 2026 · 16 min read
Writing a Business Proposal - Complete GuideComplete business proposal writing guide covering 8-section structure, 3 proposal types, pricing strategies, B2B vs B2G differences, and follow-up tactics.Mar 30, 2026 · 16 min read
Business Proposal Writing Template and GuideComplete business proposal template with step-by-step writing guide. Includes executive summary, pricing tables, and examples for consulting, IT, and marketing.Mar 30, 2026 · 22 min read
Comprehensive Project Proposal Template GuideProfessional project proposal template with examples for IT, construction, marketing, research, and nonprofit. Complete guide covering scope, budget, timeline, and risks.Mar 30, 2026 · 22 min read