Proposal writing and consortium forming

Flikkema Innovation Management & Consultancy

Proposal writing and consortium forming

In order to receive funding for research a convincing proposal needs to be written. A proposal is a balance between technical content and a well written text that is also understandable for non-experts. Where some funding schemes are open for individual applicants, many others require a consortium to submit a proposal. Forming of the consortium and finding complementary partners is a key to success of the proposal and the following project.

Easy to read writing style

Proposal writing

FIMC is experienced in writing (research) project proposals to which multiple partners are contributing. The thought behind the FIMC approach is that the person evaluating the proposal is not a specialist on the topic of the proposal, otherwise he of she will most probably be involved in a competing proposal. The proposal should therefore be written in such a way that a non-specialist is able to understand the concept. Specialists often write texts assuming a higher level of knowledge of the reader than may be the case with the reviewer. FIMC will ask the stupid questions to clarify some unknowns and will write these general texts for the proposal. With the wide experience in coordinating and managing collaborative projects, FIMC will also be able to contribute to writing the project structure and management approach.

FIMC has an easy to read writing style, simplifying where possible and going into detail where necessary. The writing style sets out to grasp the reviewer in the first 1 or 2 pages as in these pages he or she will have made an opinion about the proposal. Getting the reviewer into an easy reading setting and using pictures and graphs for explanation will result in a better evaluation of the proposal.

Wide experience

Coalition and Consortium Forming

Many projects are not performed by individual companies but in a coalition / consortium of partners with often complementary skills and experience. FIMC brings along wide experience in bringing together partners, optimising the collaboration and balancing the requirements and demands of all partners. The objective is to build to a project team which is complementary and who together can achieve the objectives of the project.

“FBS is here to ask the questions all experts will find common knowledge, rather ask stupid questions than leaving them unanswered for the reviewer.”

– Maarten Flikkema, Owner FIMC