The template
Ten sections that make proposals comparable
Use it as it is, or let the builder walk you through it and format the result. Either way the structure is the same — and it's the structure that makes six proposals readable side by side.
- 01
About your organization
Agencies decide whether to bid partly on who you are. Say enough that they can picture the working relationship.
- Organization name, sector and size
- Who is issuing this brief, and who makes the final decision
- Contact for questions, with email and phone
- 02
Background
The single most-skipped section, and the one that most changes the quality of what comes back. Explain what prompted this now.
- Where things stand today
- What triggered this project
- What you've already tried, and how it went
- Any internal constraints agencies should know about
- 03
Objectives and success measures
Separate what you want to achieve from what you want to buy. Numbers sharpen proposals, even rough ones.
- Two to four objectives, in priority order
- How each will be measured, and against what baseline
- The time horizon you'll judge results over
- 04
Scope and deliverables
List the concrete artifacts. Then list what is explicitly not included — it prevents a round of guessing.
- Deliverables, one per line
- Quantities where they matter (pages, videos, languages, markets)
- What is explicitly out of scope
- Who owns the final files and source assets
- 05
Audiences
Who the work has to reach, and what you already know about them.
- Primary and secondary audiences
- Existing research or data you can share
- Languages and regions in play
- 06
Requirements
In the National Capital Region these are usually the fastest way for an agency to self-select in or out. Be explicit.
- Official languages: are deliverables required in English and French?
- Accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA, AODA, or the Accessible Canada Act
- Security clearance level, if any
- Procurement vehicle: open call, standing offer, supply arrangement
- Whether an Ottawa–Gatineau presence is expected for in-person sessions
- 07
Budget
Withholding the budget doesn't get you a better price — it gets you proposals you can't compare. A range is enough.
- Budget range, or a ceiling
- Whether it includes media spend, production, licences and taxes
- Payment schedule and invoicing terms
- 08
Timeline
Every date that binds someone. Agencies plan capacity against these.
- Questions due
- Proposals due
- Shortlist and presentation dates, if any
- Decision communicated
- Work starts and target completion
- 09
Evaluation criteria
Publish the weighting. Agencies write to what you score, so telling them produces better proposals and a defensible decision.
- Each criterion with its weight, totalling 100%
- Who sits on the evaluation panel
- Whether price is scored or used as a threshold
- 10
Submission instructions
Cap the length. Long proposals cost agencies money and cost you reading time.
- Format: written, deck, or answers to set questions
- Page or slide limit
- File format and where to send it
- References and conflict-of-interest declarations
- Whether unsuccessful bidders will receive a debrief
Have the builder do the formatting
It asks the same questions, checks your evaluation weights add to 100, flags a decision date that falls before proposals are due, and produces a clean document you can send yourself or route to a shortlist here.