In the event that a Preproposal is approved by the Tailored Collaboration Committee, the candidate will be instructed to submit a formal proposal. The format and content of the formal proposal is detailed below.
Structure: Proposals should be structured as follows —
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Understanding of the Problem
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Technical Approach (including a description or proposal for the design of experiments)
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Management, Communication, and Quality Assurance Plans
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Schedule and Deliverables
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Budget
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Qualifications, Résumés, Organizational Charts, and Technical Resources
Page Length Restriction: The technical portions of the formal proposal (bullets 1-5 listed above) are limited to no more than 20 pages in length. The technical portions do not include resumes, organizational charts, or statements of qualifications.
Period of Performance: The Period of Performance will be determined by each candidate in the formal proposal.
Budget: Respondents should provide a realistic budget showing separate cost estimates for salaries, fringe benefits, supplies, services, travel, subcontracts, and other direct costs. The budget should be specific and complete. TC project proposals should not request more than $200,000. Proposals requiring funds in excess of $200,000 will not be considered. The Foundation will match only cash contributions to the TC project and the scope of work must be based upon the requested Foundation funds and in-kind contributions.
TC projects will require matching cash funds of at least 50% of the total project costs. In-kind services (e.g., personnel costs, analytical and support services, facilities, consulting services) are also encouraged as long as the 50% cash match requirement is met.
Refer to the Foundation's Budget Template for more information.
Specific budget requirements include:
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Direct Labor. Identify the name and title of each project participant, the number of hours to be spent on the project, and total cost (including overhead) of project.
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Subcontractor Effort. The estimated subcontractor costs must be supported in a manner similar to the required detail for the primary contractor.
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Travel Expense. The Foundation will accept as a direct charge only that travel which is required to perform the project scope of work.
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Equipment Rental. Provide a description of the item and cost for each proposed item with a rental cost of more than $1,000.
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Purchased Special Equipment. The Foundation assumes that the researcher has the capability to perform work with existing facilities and equipment. It is the Foundation's policy not to purchase equipment. If some special purpose items are needed solely for this project and are not available by other means, provide a description of the use or application and a detailed justification.
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Other Direct Material. For line items in excess of $1,000, provide information necessary to evaluate the need for such items, and provide a justification.
A breakdown of in-kind contributions is also required as part of the budget. In-kind support information must also be included with the budget. In-kind contributions require either: (1) a letter of commitment with dollar value; or (2) the signature of a representative for the contributing organization on the proposal transmittal letter. Under the terms of the Foundation's standard funding agreement, the proposing organization is contractually responsible for providing the specified in-kind support during the project. A description of in-kind services must be included in the proposal.
Schedule: Identify a proposed start date and estimate the duration of the project's research and report preparation phases. In general, the project start date should be about three months after submission of the proposal. The schedule should include dates for a draft report, revised draft, and a final report.
Proposal Evaluation: Refer to the Foundation's Proposal Evaluation Criteria Form for more information regarding proposal evaluation. Please do not include this form with your proposal.
Address: Five hard copies of the formal proposal should be sent to —
Proposals
WateReuse Foundation
1199 North Fairfax Street, Suite 410
Alexandria, VA 22314