There are two main types of proposals - solicited and unsolicited. Solicited proposals include responses to requests for proposals, quotations, and bids. They directly address the customer's requirements in order to win the business. Unsolicited proposals are generic marketing materials used to introduce a product without addressing specific customer needs. Proposals can also be formal or informal, with formal proposals being longer and addressing large projects through detailed descriptions, and informal proposals briefly outlining small, introductory projects.

1. Types of Proposal

2. Solicited Proposal
Unsolicited Proposal

3. Solicited Proposal
are written response to a request. They are a
response to a request for proposal (RFP),
request for a quotation (RFQ), or invitation to
bid (IFB). The seller who wins the bid is the one
who fulfills all the requirements and has the
lowest price. If you wind up on the short list of
several vendors, you will be granted an
interview.

4. RFPs generally provide directions for the
proposal and the customer specifies exactly
what he wants to buy. Customers can issue RFPs
if their needs are not met by the products you
have available or if they are making a large
purchase and want to secure several bids for
that buy. These proposals can be short or can be
thousands of pages long.

5. A customer issues a RFQ when they want
to buy a large amount of a product. Pricing,
availability and delivery are all
considerations in an RFQ. RFQs are often
very long, so a proposal in response to one
should be as well. Your RFQ response
should include information on cost,
handling of customer issues, and quality
control.

6. An IFB is issued when a customer is
purchasing a service, such as construction
services. Bids must be very detailed and
price is often paramount, as the lowest bid
that will provide the best quality service
usually wins. A proposal for an IFB is
lengthy and usually consists of information
on the overall cost and precise schedules
for completion.

7. Unsolicited Proposal
are marketing brochures. They are always
generic, with no direct connection
between customer needs or specified
requirements. Vendors use them to
introduce a product or service to a
prospective customer. They are not
designed to close a sale, just introduce the
possibility of a sale.

8. Formal Proposal
Informal Proposal

9. Formal Proposal
Longer than the informal proposal. They
are usually written to initiate big projects and
require elaborate descriptionand discussion. It
may consist of several sections and sub-section
and can vary from a few pages to hundred of
pages

10. Informal Proposal
Is a brief description of suggestion or
recommendation that are introductory in
nature. It is usually written to initiate small
projects that do not require elaborate
description and discussion