GUIDE 2024

What Does a Government Proposal Writer Do?

A government proposal writer is a document specialist who gathers the required documentation to write the full federal proposal, which serves as a “sales pitch.”

But proposal writing isn’t merely convincing a state or federal government to provide funding. The services include deep research, development, writing, and editing. Sometimes, an organization will hire an agency to collect documents and create the proposal. But if you can’t cover the cost, it’s better to go with contractors specializing in government proposals.

Since an organization can only present its arguments in written form, the proposal must be coherent, to the point, and easy to read. A generic proposal will rarely work; instead, every proposal should be personal.

Before writers start writing, they must develop a complete understanding of their clients, industry, and the overall project.

In grant writing, a 30 to 40% success rate is considered good. Still, to get to that level, you need a deep understanding of how organizations and governments work and expertise in convincing writing. Let’s explore the qualifications and responsibilities of proposal writers.

proposal writing certification

Government Proposal Writers: Qualifications

To offer proposal writing services, a typical writer needs the following qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in English, Journalism, or Marketing.
  • A certificate in grant, proposal writing, technical writing, technical proposals, and/or nonprofit management.
  • Excellent research skills.
  • Excellent communication skills.

Keep in mind that you’ll need additional knowledge specific to the entity you’re proposal writing for. Writing for a social nonprofit isn’t the same as developing a proposal for a healthcare organization. Working with a proposal management company can provide valuable experience and insights.

Although you can follow a grant template, remember that each proposal needs to be personal. Proposals are similar to marketing. If you don’t understand your audience, you’ll have a hard time with proposal development. Understanding federal acquisition regulations is crucial for government proposal writers.

Proposal Writer Responsibilities

What does a government proposal writer do

Since the job is grant writer, you’d expect that the contractor spends most of their time writing. Creating government proposals usually takes more than 100 hours to finish.

In that period, the writer has the following responsibilities:

  • Research – Research takes most of the time. You may spend half of the time preparing. Grant writers are good at writing, so the more significant challenge is developing a proposal strategy for proposal development that will result in a robust proposal and meet the deadline. Without preparation, you’ll run circles, and grant procurement becomes next to impossible.
  • Writing – Depending on the complexity of a project, you’ll take about a quarter of that time writing. Since a grant has several sections, including executive summary, budget assessment, and project explanation, you need to approach every section separately. When writing a contract proposal, especially for government contracts, it is crucial to address key components such as requirements, project goals, and benefits of the proposed solution, ensuring professionalism and compliance with regulations.
  • Review – Finally, after finishing a proposal, you need to review your government proposals. You need to ensure that everything is coherent and, even more importantly, consistent. The last thing you want in government proposals is to mention one piece of data on page three and contradict yourself a few pages later.

If you don’t have a grant writing resume, be sure to highlight these three key points.

What is a Government Grant?

Now that we understand what the writer does let’s explore what are government grants, federal proposals and government contracts. Government grants are funds that projects receive for various public projects.

The federal government issues about $500 billion worth of grants annually to local government agencies, small businesses and potential government contractors.

Once a government announces a request for government proposals (RFP), you only have so much time to write RFP responses.

First, grant contractors (applying organizations or companies) ask for a specific funding amount. Then, the government responsible for issuing the grant needs to review and ensure that the project complies with the grant’s terms. Grant compliance is crucial in this process to ensure that all requirements and regulations are met.

A well-formulated bid proposal is crucial in adhering to submission guidelines and ensuring compliance with project requirements.

If a federal space entity approves the solicitation, the contractor signs a government contract and gets the funding. On that note, government contracts are formal agreements between a company or business and government agencies that list the details and general agreement between the two parties.

Although signing a government contract is predominantly suitable for a proposal management company, there are benefits and drawbacks. If you’re in the proposal writing business, it’s good to know so you can advise businesses that are looking for your services.

Government Grant Benefits

After a company or a nonprofit signs a government contract, they get the funding. For companies, it’s a great way to kickstart their efforts for first or latest projects.

Some of the key benefits are:

  • Government grants award significant amounts of money, usually enough for a small business to meet its goals, providing excellent funding opportunities.
  • Government contracts provide a stable funding supply that lasts several years.
  • Getting a government grant helps with the company’s reputation. It’s much easier to get future grants after landing a government business contract.
  • If the business meets its goals, they don’t need to pay anything back.

Government Grant Disadvantages

While government contracting is appealing, a business should know the following things before applying.

  • It isn’t easy to create convincing grant proposals. That’s why businesses hire a proposal writing agency or a freelancer who offers proposal writing services.
  • Even after a company gets the grant, it needs to track the funding, gather spending data, submit reports, and prepare for possible audits.
  • Besides having a stellar project, organizations also need to comply with internal grant terms and grant compliance. Often, it takes time to assess if an organization or a company is eligible for a grant.

How do you Write a Good Government Proposal Writing?

Proposal management company and proposal strategy take time and patience. Since the company can’t present its case verbally, you must showcase why it should get the grant via the written proposal. Crafting a winning proposal significantly increases the likelihood of securing government contracts.

1. Prepare the Field

Before you start writing, you should encourage your clients to introduce themselves to the government contracting agency. The best introduction is if the organization has somebody familiar with somebody inside the government agency who can facilitate the proposal submission.

Alternatively, a simple phone call can establish a solid foundation for future interactions, including proposal review. If you don’t get a response, the next step is to wait and make contact again.

  1. Ensure the Program is a Good Fit

Since everybody wants to send the RFP response as quickly as possible, many organizations don’t spend the time to find out if their program fits the grant. For example, just because you might be working with a health organization doesn’t mean they can get a health project grant.

The 2nd step ties perfectly to the first step. Informing yourself about the grant eligibility gets you the answers you need and helps create a tailored proposal and connect with the grant provider.

2. Doublecheck Application Instructions

When preparing, use all the tools at your disposal (that includes the organization’s team members) to check instructions. Until you get a complete understanding of the grant application basics and proposal guidelines, you shouldn’t start proposal writing.

Failing to do so creates a mess. The deeper you go into proposal writing, the harder it gets to fix previous errors in proposals. Although it can seem as if preparation is eating at your time, it saves the time you’d waste fixing avoidable mistakes.

3. Check the Funding Period

Even if you create perfect proposals every time, you’re still bound to fail if the project doesn’t fit the issued funding period.

Always check and discuss the project’s timeline, funding cycle, and sync with the federal government proposal’s timeline.

4. Create a Clear Budget

Although the federal government is more than happy to fund great projects, it’s still money at the end of the day. Meaning, your budget section should be easy to understand and 100% accurate.

Not only must the numbers match, but the budget must match the project’s narrative and include a clear budget justification. Finally, if you can distill every penny and where it goes, you’re much more likely to win the grant.

Now that you have the basic idea of preparing for proposal development, let’s discuss how much proposal writers earn.

What is a Government Grant Proposal Writer Salary?

According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for grant proposal writers is $81,248, and it can range from $11,000 to $93,500 per year.

Considering that the average is on the higher end of the spectrum, creating proposals for government contracting can be a lucrative career, making it an attractive proposal writing career.

Conclusion

Although your services will differ based on your client, these are the essential things you should know as a grant writer. Offering proposal writing services and understanding the proposal writing process is an active job, but you can expect a successful career if you keep your attention to detail and avoid the generic government proposal writing trap.

A great way to start is taking a grant writing course to master the required skills if you’re new. Not only will you be more ready, but getting a valid certification will help you land new jobs and offer better pricing. Good luck.

FAQs

Here are frequently asked questions and answers, along with grant writing tips about developing proposals.

What Are the Key Qualifications for a Government Proposal Writer?

A government proposal writer typically needs a bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field. Additional certifications in grant writing, proposal writing, or technical writing can also be beneficial.

Strong research skills, excellent communication abilities, and a deep understanding of the specific industry or government sector you are writing for are crucial to creating compelling and effective proposals.

How Does a Government Proposal Writer Prepare for Writing a Proposal?

Preparation involves thorough research on the client’s needs, the industry, and the specific government agency issuing the grant. This includes understanding the eligibility criteria, reading and re-reading the request for proposals (RFP), and ensuring that all application instructions are fully understood.

Writers also need to prepare a clear budget and ensure that the proposed project aligns with the funding period and the grant’s objectives.

What Are the Main Responsibilities of a Government Proposal Writer?

A government proposal writer is responsible for researching, developing, writing, and editing proposals to secure government funding for projects. This involves creating a coherent and persuasive narrative, drafting various sections like the executive summary and budget assessment, and ensuring that the final proposal is consistent and free of errors.

Reviewing and revising the proposal to meet the specific requirements of the government agency is also a critical part of the job.

What Challenges Do Government Proposal Writers Face?

Government proposal writers face several challenges, including tight deadlines, complex application requirements, and the need to create a persuasive argument within a rigid structure.

They must also navigate the often complex and bureaucratic nature of government grants, ensuring that every detail of the proposal complies with the specific guidelines and criteria set by the funding agency.

How Can a Government Proposal Writer Increase Their Success Rate?

To increase their success rate, government proposal writers should focus on thorough preparation, ensuring that they understand the grant requirements and the project’s alignment with the funding agency’s goals.

Tailoring each proposal to the specific needs and criteria of the grant, maintaining clear and consistent communication with clients, and continuously refining their writing and research skills are also crucial strategies for success.

Networking with other professionals in the field and staying updated on government funding trends can also provide valuable insights and opportunities.

If you are new to proposal writing and are looking to break-in, we recommend taking our Proposal Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of being a proposal writer and how to write winning proposals.