Sales Proposal
Standard new business opportunity
- Focus
- Problem → Solution → Value → Investment → Action
- Draft target
- About 2,500 words before team review and editing
Structure before styling
Choose the proposal job—not a generic fill-in template.
Arc organizes a draft around one of 21 current proposal kinds, then lets the team review the content and choose an export layout. The proposal kind shapes the expected sections; uploaded material supplies the opportunity context.
Arc does not promise to reproduce an uploaded proposal template. Source files provide context; the selected proposal kind provides the drafting structure.
21current proposal kinds
6decision-context categories
9current export layouts
Current proposal-kind catalog
Start with the decision and reader expectations.
Each type carries a distinct section focus. The labels below describe drafting guidance, not an assurance that every proposal will contain the same sections or length.
Sales, RFP responses, enterprise deals, quotes
4 typesSales & New Business
RFP Response
Formal Request for Proposal response
- Focus
- Point-by-point compliance with requirements
- Draft target
- About 4,000 words before team review and editing
Enterprise Proposal
Large enterprise deals with complex requirements
- Focus
- Governance, security, compliance, scalability
- Draft target
- About 5,500 words before team review and editing
Quote / Estimate
Quick quote for smaller engagements
- Focus
- Scope, price, timeline - minimal narrative
- Draft target
- About 600 words before team review and editing
Renewals, expansions, win-backs
3 typesRetention & Expansion
Renewal Proposal
Contract renewal for existing customers
- Focus
- Value delivered, partnership continuity, what's new
- Draft target
- About 1,800 words before team review and editing
Expansion Proposal
Upsell/expansion to existing customers
- Focus
- Current success → Additional value → Incremental investment
- Draft target
- About 1,500 words before team review and editing
Win-Back Proposal
Re-engagement of churned customers
- Focus
- Acknowledgment, improvements made, incentives
- Draft target
- About 1,200 words before team review and editing
Consulting, projects, retainers, staffing
4 typesProfessional Services
Consulting Proposal
Consulting engagement
- Focus
- Methodology, expertise, deliverables, outcomes
- Draft target
- About 2,200 words before team review and editing
Project Proposal
Project-based work
- Focus
- Scope, timeline, milestones, deliverables, pricing
- Draft target
- About 2,000 words before team review and editing
Retainer Proposal
Ongoing retainer or managed services
- Focus
- Service scope, SLAs, recurring value, governance
- Draft target
- About 1,800 words before team review and editing
Staffing Proposal
Staff augmentation or resource placement
- Focus
- Skills, experience, rates, availability
- Draft target
- About 1,200 words before team review and editing
Partnerships, joint ventures, sponsorships
3 typesPartnerships & Strategic
Partnership Proposal
Business partnership or alliance
- Focus
- Mutual value, synergies, structure, governance
- Draft target
- About 2,500 words before team review and editing
Joint Venture Proposal
Joint venture or co-investment
- Focus
- Opportunity, structure, contributions, returns
- Draft target
- About 3,000 words before team review and editing
Sponsorship Proposal
Sponsorship opportunity
- Focus
- Exposure, audience, packages, ROI
- Draft target
- About 1,800 words before team review and editing
Business cases, grants, investment pitches
3 typesInternal & Funding
Internal Business Case
Internal business case or budget request
- Focus
- Problem, solution, costs, benefits, ROI, risks
- Draft target
- About 2,000 words before team review and editing
Grant Proposal
Grant application or funding proposal
- Focus
- Need, approach, outcomes, budget justification
- Draft target
- About 3,500 words before team review and editing
Investment Proposal
Investment pitch or funding request
- Focus
- Opportunity, traction, team, financials, ask
- Draft target
- About 3,000 words before team review and editing
Government, research, creative, tech implementation
4 typesSpecialized
Government Proposal
Government or public sector
- Focus
- Compliance, certifications, past performance
- Draft target
- About 5,000 words before team review and editing
Research Proposal
Research or academic proposal
- Focus
- Hypothesis, methodology, timeline, resources
- Draft target
- About 4,000 words before team review and editing
Creative Proposal
Creative services (design, marketing, content)
- Focus
- Creative approach, portfolio, process, deliverables
- Draft target
- About 1,800 words before team review and editing
Tech Implementation Proposal
Technology implementation
- Focus
- Architecture, integration, migration, training
- Draft target
- About 3,500 words before team review and editing
Current proposal export layouts
Apply presentation after the draft has substance.
Arc currently exposes the layouts below for proposal exports. Layout choice changes presentation; it does not verify the proposal's facts, requirements, or commitments.
Business
Clean business layout for general-purpose proposal exports.
Technical
Dense technical format for implementation-heavy proposal documents.
Legal
Formal structured layout for rigid, compliance-heavy submissions.
Executive Sales
Commercial proposal styling for sales proposals, renewals, and expansions.
Consulting Engagement
Phase-driven consulting format with deliverables and methodology.
RFP Response
Evaluator-oriented response format for RFP, RFI, and RFQ submissions.
Grant / Public Sector
Formal institutional layout for grants and public-sector proposals.
Partnership / Strategic
Narrative format for alliances, partnerships, and strategic deals.
Tech Implementation
Implementation format organized around architecture, dependencies, and phases.
The Arc product page currently documents PDF, DOCX, and HTML delivery, plus Markdown, JSON, and plain-text export. Review the live plan and export surface before committing a format to a buyer or procurement team.
Proposal templates by type: business, project, sales and 7 more
A business proposal template and a project proposal template are not interchangeable, because the reader is deciding different things. A buyer reading a business proposal is deciding whether to spend; a sponsor reading a project proposal is deciding whether the plan is sound. Each type below opens on the question its reader actually has, and each has a starting point in Arc.
- Business proposal template — opens on the buyer's problem and the evidence you understood it, then scope, pricing and terms. Draft a business proposal.
- Project proposal template — leads with scope, milestones, dependencies and acceptance, because the reader is assessing feasibility. See a worked project proposal.
- Sales proposal template — discovery findings first, then the recommendation and commercial terms. Draft a sales proposal.
- Bid proposal template — requirement-by-requirement response against the issued criteria. Respond to an RFP or bid.
- Consulting proposal template — the diagnosis, the approach, and what the engagement deliberately excludes. Draft a consulting proposal.
- Grant proposal template — structured against the funder's stated criteria rather than your own narrative. Draft a grant proposal.
- Budget proposal template — the ask, the line items behind it, and what the money buys that the current budget does not. A budget proposal is judged on justification, not presentation.
- Event proposal template — objective, audience, format, run-of-show and the commercial terms, in that order.
- Proposal letter — the short cover form of a proposal: one page stating the opportunity, the recommendation and the next step, used when a full document would be premature.
- Sponsorship proposal template — audience, value exchange and measurable return. Draft a sponsorship proposal.
What a proposal format should contain
Most proposal formats carry the same seven parts: an executive summary of the opportunity, the findings or brief that shows you understood it, your approach, the scope and deliverables, the timeline, the pricing and terms, and a single clear next step. The order matters more than the section names — lead with the reader's problem and the evidence you understood it, not with your company background.
A proposal sample and a proposal template are different things, and both are useful at different moments. A sample is a filled-out proposal you read to see how the sections behave in a real engagement; a template is the empty structure you complete. Read worked proposal examples and samples, or start from how to write a business proposal if you want the format explained section by section.
What should an RFP response template contain?
Use an RFP response template as a starting outline for the buyer's evaluation, then fill it with opportunity-specific facts and evidence. Arc's current RFP Response type uses the nine sections below as its starting structure. The issued format, numbering, forms and submission limits take priority; review the generated draft rather than assuming it reproduces every instruction.
| Starting section | What to supply and check |
|---|---|
| Cover Letter | Name the issuing buyer, RFP number and submission purpose; check who may sign and the permitted length. |
| Executive Summary | Explain the proposed response and supported differentiators in the evaluator's terms; check each claim against the supplied proof. |
| Company Overview & Qualifications | Supply relevant company facts, credentials and team capability; verify dates, scope and permission to disclose. |
| Technical Approach | Respond using the buyer's requirement numbering, proposed approach and evidence; identify gaps and assumptions. |
| Management Approach | Explain responsibilities, delivery governance, dependencies and escalation; confirm the people and commitments. |
| Past Performance / References | Provide relevant, permitted references and case studies; distinguish illustrative examples from verified delivery history. |
| Pricing Volume | Use the buyer's requested schedule with all cost elements, assumptions and exclusions; check calculations and commercial approval. |
| Required Forms & Certifications | Complete the issued forms and declarations with authorized, evidenced statements; a drafted sentence is not a certificate. |
| Appendices | Attach only permitted supporting material, with the right labels, versions and links; check submission and page limits. |
Read the fictional Marlow RFP worked response in Word to inspect how the sections connect. It is a completed example, not an empty template or verified supplier credentials. Review the RFP drafting workflow and sample context.
Template boundary
A proposal type is a drafting grammar, not a substitute for discovery.
Bring the actual RFP, brief, notes, prior work, pricing assumptions, and approved proof. Then review the resulting structure against the opportunity instead of forcing every deal through the same document.
Your material, your review, your decision
Move from source files to a proposal draft your team can inspect.
Arc prepares a structured first draft from the material you provide. Your reviewers still own the facts, scope, pricing, commitments, and final approval.
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