Applying for Small Business Grants: The Importance of Executive Summary
August 16th, 2009It is required to submit a formal project proposal if you want your application for Canada government grants to be entertained. In fact, you can not expect to get small business grants if you do not have a project proposal. But if you want your application to stand out among the rest, then you have to ensure that the Executive Summary of your proposal will be compelling enough. The executive summary is the cover page of the proposal so this is the first item that grant officers will read.
The executive summary should be a one page document only. You will seldom see a project proposal with a summary extending to 2 – 3 pages. Reviewers who accept proposals and applications for Canada government grants do not have time to read overly long executive summaries. Your application for small business grants can be easily bypassed and rejected if your project summary is longer than the body of the proposal. You also have to make sure that the executive summary will be composed only of 5 paragraphs. Make sure also that the page is clean and has lots of white space and the typeface is clear. You must avoid placing any logo or colored graphics on the summary page because these can be very distracting to the readers.
The executive summary should contain four specific information pieces. The problem that you want to solve should occupy the first paragraph. The solution to your identified business problems should occupy the second and third paragraph. Your request for Canada government grants should have a specific paragraph of its own. The last paragraph should be devoted to corporate or organizational information. This is the optimum flow of information that should be reflected on your executive summary. You also have to take note that there are only 5 paragraphs in this kind of composition. You can modify the content of each paragraph section but the information flow should always remain the same. Your application for small business grants will be more effective if you follow this standard summary formatting.
The statement of the problem should be brief and must only include the major concerns that you have uncovered. It is not good to make litany of all your business problems there. You should only identify the primary issue that hampers the growth of your business. The solution should include a concise description of the entire project. You should specify the objective of the project, the expected outcomes, and identify the beneficiaries of the project. It is also best if you can give a short overview of the implementation strategies that you will adopt. The funding request should be as specific as possible. You must provide specific amounts and state your plans for funding in the future. The last component should briefly highlight the strengths and capabilities of your business.
Writing a compelling executive summary will increase your chance of getting Canada government grants. You have learn how to write a powerful executive summary to make sure that your small business grants application will get favorable attention from program reviewers.
Do you want to know how to get Canada government grants? Visit our website today and learn how you can effectively apply for loans and small business grants from the Canadian government.

