The Proposal Cover Letter of Submittal

The RFP Proposal Cover Letter or Letter of Submittal is very important paper in bidding documents.

The Proposal Cover Letter should accompany your response to the RFP questionnaire you received from the organization requesting proposals from prospective providers.

Why and how to write an RFP proposal cover letter?

Beyond being polite and presenting what you have to offer, the RFP proposal cover letter gives you a unique opportunity to emphasize (1) how your offering matches the RFP issuer’s needs, and (2) what are the benefits they may thus reap from identifying your solution as the best match for their requirements. These two ensure you that your reader will seize your unique qualifications that no one else can offer, what exactly makes your organization stand out of competitors. At the same time, the proposal cover letter represents the official authorization of your proposal by your organization.

Have you ever realized that your RFP Proposal Cover Letter plays exactly the same role as the Cover Letterfor a résumé? So, take a particular attention on how you write your RFP Proposal Cover letter.

It is highly recommended that you to read the suggestions below in order to properly and successfully use the RFP proposal cover letter.

1. Use a formal letterhead and do not handwrite the RFP proposal cover letter. Use templates and samples provided in your FREE RFP Letters Toolkit to create your own proposal cover letter. Some studies have demonstrated that the serif feature (the horizontal, rounded part of the character) of some fonts, namelyGaramond, Georgia and Times New Roman, make printed documents more readable by easing the reading movement of the eye.

2. First, indicate your interest in the RFP you received. The RFP proposal cover letter should highlight the content of ancillary documents, namely your proposal, and specify the time for validity of your offering, which, depending of organizations, may range from 30 to 90 days from the proposal due date.

3. List the most important qualifications and benefits of both your product and organization. Indeed, you are not offering a mere product, but a partnership between two organizations. So, as a complement to selling your product, do not forget to sell yourself.

4. Offer a brief summary of your client references. It is important to select not only the most impressive but the most pertinent ones. Indeed, you will find that relevancy is much more efficient than accuracy.

5. Do not be too bureaucratic in your approach. The RFP issuer has to feel your passion, or at least your enthusiasm, not only for your product but also for their project. It’s important for your cover letter to be personalized, relevant, and passionate. When well done, the RFP Proposal Cover Letter can show that you listened to them and thus demonstrate your dedication towards your customers.

6. Be sure to provide correct, complete contact and reference information (name, title, address, phone, fax, email, level of authority, etc.) for future correspondence.

7. Finally, close the letter formally with “sincerely” or a similar polite expression. Sign your name and title.

8. Do not forget to send the proposal cover letter, with your response to the RFP document, via certified mail.

9. Since things sometimes get a little more complicated than usual, remember to consult a lawyer for further information before doing anything.

The Proposal Letter is Also known as: Request for Proposal cover letter, Request for Proposal cover, letter of transmittal, letter of submittal, proposal transmittal letter, proposal/bid cover letter