Writing a proposal Boards can actually compare
Boards do not reject the most expensive proposal. They reject the one they cannot evaluate.
Answer every scope line
An unanswered line renders as "not answered" in the Board's comparison and counts against your completeness. Three states: included, extra with a price, not offered. Blanks read as evasion.
Name the manager
The single most-read row in the matrix is the assigned manager and their portfolio load. Naming a person with a reasonable load beats a lower rate more often than firms expect.
Put the fee schedule in
Boards have been surprised after signing enough times that a complete, dated ancillary schedule now reads as a trust signal rather than a liability.
Answer the priorities
Every bid states what the Board wants the new company to focus on. Proposals that address those three things specifically win disproportionately.
Visit the property
Where a Board offers a walkthrough, attend. Proposals that reference what the bidder actually saw are visibly different from proposals that do not.