• Title Page
• Introduction
• High-Level Solution
• Technical Approach
• Cost Analysis
• Terms
• Requirements of the Client
• Delivery Schedule
• Staffing
• Training
• Authorization Request and Deadline
• Conclusion
• Appendix
• Resumes of key people
• Copies of Client created requirements and SOW (statement of work)/RFP

This format works well for software development projects and we'll go over each section.

Write up the Cost Analysis first - this is the requiments spreadsheet I alluded to in the last blog. Cost out the project for time and materials and understand what you have to price this project at.

Then determine staffing and training requirements. Who will do what. Next formulat a High-Level Solution which is usually a single cartoon of the system/project or a UML diagram typically composed mainly of packages. If this is gibberish to you, you need Google or Bing a little to get a handle on these terms, it's beyond the scope of this blog entry. This diagram/picture is followed by a page of text explaining the thinking behind the solution.

Next is the Delivery Schedule and is either called out by the client in their SOW or one that you propose staged to sets of functionality. In this project where an application and an installer is required as deliverables, the first deliverable is a fully functioning installer for the app which is an executable with all the panes and controls in place using just mock data and does no real processing. This way you show the client something valuble from the start and you have a working installer. With each successive delivery you retest the installer and keep it up to date. Don't wait to the end of the project!

Next, the Introduction and Conclusion pages/paragraphs that open the document persuading the client that your solution deserves consideration and the conclusion that you've proven it. Add a title page starting with the project name, the client, the date and your names. To wrap this up the Authorization Request and Deadline is at least one sentence "This proposal remains in effect until XYZ date", the resumes of the key people in the appendix (no more than 2 pages each) and only the few key people. To wrap this up, Technical Approach is a bullet list possibly with short explanation of the step you take to approach this project.In this case it look like:

• Create static architecture
• Build test harness and code
• Deliver increments
• ... and so on

The technical approach should be limited to one page and mention the most important parts of the approach to keep it fast and readable.

Finally, the Requirements of the Client where you say what you need from the client for resources like test plans and the like and the Terms where you articulate how and when you get paid and how much. Typically you get an upfront committment fee, staged deliverable payments and a final payment after you've delivered the last of it and they are satisfied.

There you have it, a soup-to-nuts view of a process to bid on a fixed price reimplementation project.