Finding Funding - Preparing a project proposal

Nicola Bradbear

Success in finding funding depends not just on the value of your idea, but also on the quality of your proposal.

A clear proposal, which displays well thought-out and realistic plans, can be your key to success. Differentprojects require different approaches but the format given here provides a good starting point, although some funding organisations will ask you to complete their own forms. This outline will not guarantee you success in locating funding; however it will help to ensure that your proposal has as good a chance as any other. Good luck!

Proposal title

The title should provide a clear statement of your aim and should not be too long.

Other details

State for whom the proposal is intended, and by whom it is submitted. Give your name and your address or that of your organisation. It is a good idea to provide separately some additional information about your organisation and its activities.

State the date of application. If-you are applying for funding as an individual attach a brief CV* and the names and addresses. of referees - make sure they are aware of your proposal and agree to their name being used.

* CV or Curriculum vitae is Latin meaning ‘the course of one's life’. A CV clearly and systematically states your personal details, your education and employment history and other relevant information. All details should be itemised with suitable headings and dates in chronological order.

Abstract

If your proposal is several pages in length, it is good to summarise it at the beginning - not more than four or five sentences.

Introduction

Give the background to your proposal and summarise the current situation. For example, is this a continuation of previous work, or is it intended to address a new problem facing beekeepers?

Project goal

This is the overall aim of the Project. one or two sentences. Try to state the goal in just

Objectives

The objectives are the matters that must be achieved to arrive at your aim stated in the title. You are likely to have several objectives, but each one must be stated in a single sentence.

Be specific. List your objectives one after another - do not present them strung together in a paragraph. If you need to explain more about the objectives and why they are important then list them again, adding a few sentences of explanation for each one.

Activities

Accurately and carefully describe the activities and methods you will use to achieve each objective.

You must give details here: a statement such as ‘increase number of bee colonies' does not provide enough detail.

Work plan

Show a timetable of events for the project activities. Remember that beekeeping is a seasonal activity. Be realistic about how long it will take to complete activities and achieve the project objectives.

Inputs required

Summarise here all the resources you will need. For example, number of persons and the skills needed, transport, workshop facilities and the time required.

Administration

You must explain the system that you will use to ensure smooth administration of the project, and who will be accountable for any funding.

Outputs

This is a concluding paragraph. You can mention likely 'spin-offs' in addition to your main objectives, and any documentation that will arise from the project.

If you are successful in obtaining funding then it is important that you prepare reports as required by the donors and acknowledge their support.

Budget

For each resource list the costs involved. If your project extends over more than one year, provide an annual total in addition to the total project budget. Your budget can be shown in local currency but provide a current (and dated) exchange rate to a widely known currency, preferably that used by the organisation for whom you are preparing the proposal.

More hints

- Find out about the organisation that you are contacting. What are their criteria for funding projects? Before you spend a lot of time and effort, ensure that the intended donor organisation is at least willing to consider the type of

- Number the various sections of your proposal.

- None of the statements in your proposal should be repeated in different sections.

- Make sure that you clearly separate objectives from activities. For example:

(1) Improve honey marketing.

(2) Making labels for selling honey.

(3) Increase consumer awareness of honey.

(4) Teaching how to process honey and beeswax.

(1) and (3) are objectives while (2) and (4} are activities by which the objectives will be attained.

- Unless it is absolutely impossible, present a typed proposal. Use standard size office paper and print only on one side of the paper.

- Check the final document very carefully for spelling or other typographical errors.

- Be ready to prepare several drafts of your proposal until you arrive at a version with no errors.

- If you are preparing a proposal for an organisation where - many employees use a language different from your own, try to present a translation of your proposal, or at least a translation of the summary.

-If you are preparing a proposal in a language that is difficult for you, try to have it checked by someone who knows the language well.

In any project proposal it is good to state what inputs you, your organisation or another donor are also providing towards the project. These need not always be financial inputs; they could be in terms of labour, access to facilities or the provision of suitable apiary sites.

And lastly...

Try to keep your proposal as concise as possible. is the more chance it has of being read! The shorter it

Explaining beekeeping

No grant-providing organisation can be familiar with every activity for which they provide funding and beekeeping is a subject that is often unfamiliar to people in offices!

You will need to emphasise the importance and value of beekeeping. However do not just copy information from a standard text

- try to give local facts for example:

- Which people in your community practise beekeeping?

- What are the local products of beekeeping or honey hunting?

- Which local crops or habitats require honeybee pollination?

- How will your project benefit your community?

Too often beekeeping project proposals list all the benefits of beekeeping, some of which may not be appropriate to the local situation. For example, do not suggest royal jelly production if your beekeeping methods and markets are not appropriate for thisproduct.