Budget Proposal Sample (Complete Guide)

October 19, 2022

Budget Proposal Sample (Complete Guide)

There are many cases where you might be asked to provide a budget proposal. Maybe you’re looking for funding for a business idea. Or maybe you are applying for a research grant or government funding for a not for profit.

Whatever your reasons for needing a budget proposal example, there are a few things you will need to know about the process of creating a budget proposal.

How do you write a budget proposal? 

You might be looking for a budget proposal sample to start writing your own budget proposal, but the truth is, while there are budget proposal samples that you can use, there are so many specifics involved that you will probably have to adjust any budget proposal example you find quite a lot.

The best way to get started, whether you download a budgeting proposal sample is to list everything you need to complete the project you’re hoping to fund. Work on your list as long as it takes to think of all the costs involved, and to contact suppliers and service providers for pricing.

Even once you’ve thought of as many costs as you can, you will still need to add a percentage or amount for contingencies, which are things that you haven’t thought of yet, but that you will require for your project.

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How to write a budget for a business proposal? 

There are several kinds of budget proposals you might need to create for business purposes.

Some are used when you want to obtain funding or investment in a business idea. In this case, you will need to list all the costs related to the business or project you plan to start.

However, you would need a different sample of budget proposal if you were writing a business proposal for a client. In that case, instead of costs you would need to cover to complete the project, you would list all the costs that are associated with the client’s project.

Business proposal budgets are often created during the feasibility planning process of a project, and then a more accurate, comprehensive quote or bid is completed at a later stage.

How to write a capital budget proposal?

If you work for a business or organization, you might be asked to write a capital budget proposal. Again, if you’re looking for budget proposal samples, you might be able to find a template, but there are so many variables that you really need to tailor it to your specific business and requirements.

Capital budget proposals are created to request funding for vehicles, tools, equipment, property and other large expenses for fixed or movable assets. For instance, an earth moving company might create a capital budget proposal to purchase earth moving equipment and tools.

These kinds of budget proposals are usually for high dollar values, and they usually take lots of time and input to create.

Simple budget proposal sample 

The simplest budget proposal sample is simply a list of the things you want to spend money on and the cost of those items. This could be a short list with only a few lower-cost items or an extensive breakdown of everything you need to complete a project or start a business.

Many budgeting proposal samples are split into different sections, with subtotals for each different part of the budget.

In some cases, budget proposals will be accompanied by sales or profit projections, which help to justify the costs in the proposal by outlining how much money they can make for a company or organization.

Get QuickBooks Data Easily 

If you already use QuickBooks for your business accounting, there’s an easier way to automate data transfer with Google Sheets budget proposal samples, so you can build the budget proposal you need quickly.

LiveFlow is a platform that creates a live, real time link between your QuickBooks data and your custom Google Sheets reports. Simply map the data you want to watch, and it will automatically update on your sheets, budgets and proposals, whenever your accounting system is updated. Contact our team to find out more, or to book a live demo to see LiveFlow in action for yourself.

You can get budget samples and other useful accounting templates with liveflow:

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