A Proposal Cover Built Around Sweeping Curves
A project proposal asks for money, time or approval, so it helps to look organised from the first page. This cover frames the title with a large navy arc, a narrow red ring and a pale grey sweep, which gives a sense of movement without clutter. It suits internal project requests, grant bids, client proposals and consultancy offers.
Navy Arc, Red Ring and Grey Sweep
The page is 8.5 x 11 inches, portrait, one page. A dark navy arc runs from the top right down to the lower left. A thin crimson ring crosses it near the foot, and a light grey fade fills the upper left. At the very top, a navy tab with rounded corners holds a logo. The shapes are graphics and remain unchanged while you edit text.
The Two Line Title
The title has two parts. PROJECT NAME HERE sits between two red bars, and below it the word PROPOSAL appears in much larger navy type. Type the name of your project in the first line, such as Community Garden Upgrade or Data Platform Migration. Keep it under about thirty characters so it fits between the red bars.
The Date Under the Title
The sample date is March 21, 2022. Replace it with the date you submit the proposal. Proposals often carry a validity period, so consider adding Valid for 30 days in a small line below the date.
Prepared For and Prepared By Placement
PREPARED BY sits at the lower left on the dark arc, with a name and a job title. PREPARED FOR sits at the lower right, with a name, a job title in red, a company, an address, a phone number and an email. This order puts the client’s details in the larger, more prominent block, which is polite and practical.
Using the Logo Tab
The SAMPLE LOGO tab is a picture. Replace it with your company logo using Replace Image, ideally a white version, since the tab is dark. If you have no logo, delete the picture and type your company name in white.
A Short Proposal Outline for Any Project
- Background and the problem to be solved.
- Objectives you can measure.
- Approach, tasks and a timeline.
- Team and roles.
- Budget and conditions.
Printing and Saving for the Navy Arc Cover
Use a colour printer on 120 gsm paper for an office copy, and export a PDF for email. Name the file with the project and the client, for example Garden Upgrade Proposal City Council, so that it is easy to find in a crowded inbox.
Keeping the Proposal Short Enough to Read
Decision makers rarely read every page. Put a half page summary right after the cover with the request, the cost and the date you need an answer. Move technical detail to an appendix. A short front section and a deep back section serve both the busy executive and the careful analyst.
A related layout is the project proposal cover template. Also worth a look: business project proposal cover. Next to try is the website development proposal cover. Looking beyond the navy arc cover? See all business and report cover pages.
