Issue link: https://htpgraphics.uberflip.com/i/392125
n Market your Proposition Having identified your target(s) from your active profiling, and before sending any formal proposal, it is best to call or visit your target(s) and discuss your proposal in order to tailor it for the purpose. Meetings/phone calls with Grant Programme Managers for Research Council applications or Research Managers and Directors for industrial funders are essential if the proposal is to get funded. The proposal will probably get amended and refined many times before it is in a state ready for formal submission. n Some considerations when marketing There will be a number of different things to bear in mind when approaching companies, especially their size. For example, in a small company all of the key decision making individuals are likely to work in the same building and so decisions can be shared/made quickly. The chances that the messages sent back to you are as if there is "one corporate voice" will be good. In a large company, it is probably the case that the people who need to be interested in and convinced about commissioning external contracts are geographically distant from each other and that the decision making and communication systems, are in any event, rather compartmentalised. In assessing and approving most external contract research there will be various processes involved, particularly in large companies. For example, there will be Development, Committees, Marketing Committees and Regulatory Committees, all of whom may be consulted. (This often depends upon the nature and size of the proposed contract). In-house Legal Counsel will also be players if dealing with medium or large companies. Therefore it is very important to find an "internal champion" (ideally a number of champions) for your proposal within the target/partner company, since it will face many hurdles/challenges. Therefore think carefully about the issues that are present in the company and adapt your approach and communication to fit. Develop a headline agreement (sometimes called a Term Sheet or Letter of Intent) with the company as soon as possible to capture the essence of the relationship. Remember though that any such Headline Agreement should be specified as not being legally binding if it is not intended to be. Your proposal may be an extra claim on an internal budget or challenging a company R&D specialist or department. So the importance of being seen as a complement or partner is very important, rather then competing or raising the Not Funding Section 3 12