[Author’s Note: While this article offers a template for companies to use for their Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) applications, the true spirit of providing this free online is to encourage more companies to explore and take up the grant support. I also hope this article can provide ideas for companies on how they can enhance their capabilities.]
Some readers had requested for a proposal relating to a marketing capability enhancement project. I am sharing one today! :)
This project was implemented during the height of the omnichannel buzz when every retailer was trying to go online. One of the key success factors of a good sales organization is its marketing capabilities - the ability to reach out, communicate, and engage the right audience. An organization aiming to be a true omnichannel retailer needs to build the right digital marketing team, supported by a digital-ready organization. This project entailed the engagement of a consultant to build these capabilities with the support of the government grant. This project was successfully funded partially by the government.
For non-disclosure and in respect of company confidentiality, I will be masking certain words and images.
The Cover Page
This is the cover page of the document. It provided the name of the project and the purpose of this document. I should have included the date of submission as well. The Capability Development Grant (CDG) was the preceding name for the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) that we have today. You can read more about the EDG here.
Page 1 is skipped as it provides the standard background of the company. Such texts can be easily sourced from your PR or marketing department.
Page 2 - The Content Page
This is the content page providing the reader with a summary of the various sections describing this project. As you will note, it was a simple and straight forward project proposal. You can read about my more elaborate project proposals in my sharing section.
Page 3 - Background & Impetus
As this project was a follow-on from another project (also funded partially by the government), I provided a brief background here. The company embarked on a rebranding and design-thinking consultancy project previously and the consultant made several recommendations for the company to be an omnichannel organization. The impetus provided the driving force (key capabilities needed and why) to embark on this project.
Page 4 & 5 - Elaboration on the Impetus
Further elaborations of each capability was provided in the subsequent pages. To reinforce the message, the key deliverables expected from the appointed consultant were highlighted. It is also essential to provide numbers to demonstrate the need to enhance the capability further to bring about better performance. In this particular case, the e-store (online store) showed encouraging results as the best growing sales channel as compared to the other channels.
Page 6 - About the Appointed Consultant
This section provided the details of who was the appointed consultant to implement this project. It gave brief details of their credentials and also key information about the project. Further details are provided in the consultant proposal, which is part of the submission. Hence there was no need to copy everything and repeat here.
Page 7 - Cost & Conclusion
The cost summary of this project is included in this section. This was provided by the consultant. The conclusion followed. The annexes are in the subsequent pages.
Page 8 - Scope Calendar
The broad timeline is provided in this section, with details on the key capabilities or competencies gained as well as the output that we can expect from the consultant.
Page 9 - Annex (Project Team)
The last page rounded off the document with the annex containing details of the project team. Each member has an essential role to play to ensure the consultant receive the right inputs as well as ensuring the project is implemented on time and within budget. This is important as EDG has a salary support component for the relevant project members.
Concluding Note
I hope this short article provides some ideas on how to craft your project proposal for marketing related EDG submissions. If you are unsure, you can always write to me for help.
If you are an SME, and if there is any area you may want some help, or an opinion, or just simply a chat, do drop me a message!