How to prepare a good proposal: overall

Before the publication

Writing a good proposal in response to an ESA Invitation to Tender (ITT) is a demanding task that should be carried out only if it is in compliance with defined prerequisites of your Company. You will, for example, have to:

• Be sure that the work in subject of the ITT matches the long-term strategy/ roadmap of your company, and that appropriate managerial support will be provided to achieve the work
   
• Be sure that the outcome of the work, and the know-how that will be developed during the carrying out of the work, are an asset for your company, and that the necessary resources will be allocated in the long term to exploit such outcome

As such, writing a good proposal is a process that must be initiated well ahead of the ITT publication, in order to define the roadmap for your company, identify potential competitors, contact possible partners etc.

If you are not certain whether your company should write a proposal for a specific ITT, keeping the above prerequisties in mind, it is possible for you to contact the technical responsible of a given activity and discuss the scope and the aim of the work without obtaining any advantage over possible competitors. This, however, can only be done during the “Intended ITT” phase.

Once the ITT is “published”, contact with ESA, other than with the Contracts Officer mentioned on EMITS, is no longer allowed.