Rfp Cover Letter Example: Fill & Download for Free

What is the point of a cover letter? To summarize the most important points.Example - Proposal: You prepare a proposal in response to a formal RFP. The proposal is encyclopedic in addressing every point in the RFP. But you know the client, and you know they care most about a few key issues. Address these head-on in a cover letter of a half page max.Example - Resume: You are applying for a job. Your resume is a masterpiece at covering your career. You’ve also reworked it for the specific job. But because you’re a good networker, you also know the key things the hiring manager is looking for. Cover the most important points and how you fulfil the need in a cover letter.

A properly written cover letter will stimulate the recipient's interest in the enclosure (resume, proposal, or whatever) and be written in a conversational way, and must appear NOT to be a "form" letter (even if it is).Assuming the spelling, grammar, syntax, etc. are in order, then the next step is to insert an element of mystery and properly phrase a soft call for action. Here are some examples.Covering a resume for employment:>>>Dear Mr. Throttlebot,Here is my resume, submitted in accordance with your request, and offered in support of my application for employment as (title of position) with (name of company).In particular, may I call your attention to (thing in resume) which I think might be especially relevant to this position and your mission to (state the mission). For the sake of brevity, I have not expounded on this in the resume. However, the details may be helpful in your evaluation and I would be very happy to tell you more at interview.With every hope of an invitation to talk with you, let me promise my prompt response when you contact me by post, phone or email. Regardless of your decision to invite me for more discussion, or decline my application, I do hope to hear from you at your early convenience.Thank you for considering me.Very truly...<<<Covering a Proposal:>>>Dear Ms. Glockenspiel,In accordance with your request for a proposal for (state the RFP informally), and the specifications bearing on the same, I am pleased to enclose our proposal for your review.So as to conform exactly to the specifications as you issued them, I have not included in the RFP my thoughts about (section of specs). Even so, this specification has called to mind some alternative approaches which may be especially important to you. Given the significant possible improvement in cost/benefit, I would like to discuss my thoughts on this in greater detail.May I be favored by an appointment to speak with you in person about this, or otherwise with your call to discuss the matter? I have instructed our staff to summon me promptly if you call to follow up.I am most appreciative of your attention, and we look forward to every opportunity of service to (name of issuing entity).Very truly...<<<You will note that the resume or proposal should be written to anticipate the referral to them in the cover letter. Set it up, that way.That should get you started.Hope it helps.

The information presented below on the suggested contents of a consulting proposal was extracted from a presentation I gave to the Institute of Management Consultants - “Expert Proposal Writing.” The information applies to both sole source and competitive proposals submitted in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP). It applies to letter proposals (usually 3-12 pages) as well as full scale proposals.Although the proposal sections and contents apply to most proposals, where there is an RFP, proposal writers should always follow the RFP instructions and evaluation criteria regarding the required format and areas to emphasize. The information presented here is generally consistent with the fine response by Steve Shu on the question “What do project proposals and the project sales process at management consulting firms look like?”, but with more details.1. Executive Summary/Introduction· Can be useful in certain larger proposals.· Include brief discussion of project requirements, technical approach, corporate qualifications, and staff qualifications, and the major strengths of the proposal.· Sometimes presented in cover letter, in lieu of chapter. Cover letter should be bound in proposal.2. Background and Understanding· Discuss background, objectives, major products and/or desired results.· Show client understanding, but ensure accuracy.· On research projects, demonstrate knowledge of literature.· Don’t criticize client; acknowledge improvements.3. Technical Approach/Work Plan· Usually (but not always) the most important section.· Present task by task description of what you will do and how you will do it.· Introduce with statement on overall project length.· Write tasks in terms of purpose, relationship to other tasks, method, and product or result.· Be precise and client/subject specific.· Weave in mention of firm’s experience. Sell throughout proposal.· Provide relevant examples through text or exhibits.· State all assumptions.· Sometimes useful to provide schedule of deliverables or state when each task will be completed.4. Management and Staffing· Discuss:- Required staff skills (brief statement)- Project organization and staff responsibilities- Role of any subcontractor(s)- Project control procedures (brief)- Brief description of key staff qualifications- If required, est. staff person-loading chart.· Refer to appendix or other chapter for staff resumes.5. Corporate Qualifications· Contents- Brief statement of firm background, e.g., major services, time in business, location.- Brief mention of required experience.- Examples of relevant experience (brief project descriptions).· Order projects by importance.6. Staff Qualifications (Resumes)· May be separate chapter or appendix.· Tailor and focus resumes to specific project.· Avoid long description of irrelevant experience.· Pay special attention to resumes of project manager and key staff.7. Costing/Pricing· Usually separately bound in Fed. Gov’t proposals.· Treat as important or nearly so as tech. sections.· Consider type of billing arrangement.- Time and materials (T&M)- Firm fixed price- Cost reimbursement. If required by RFP.· Start pricing early in proposal process.· Person-loading chart (staff hours by task) is often valuable to properly estimate costs.· Include all ODCs, e.g., travel, communications.· Include assumptions and terms and conditions.· Minimize amount of info. included, but follow any RFP instructions.8. Appendices· Usually optional.· Include resumes if not in separate chapter.· Include other information on technical approach, if applicable.