How do I submit proposals on projects, and what are the proposal amount minimums?

More than 100,000 potential clients visit Elance each week to hire specialized talent from Elance's professional network.

To join our network as a service provider and submit proposals, you need to choose a membership program that best fits your skill set (Click here for more details). When you choose a membership program, you will be asked to choose an individual plan or a business plan, as well as a payment method that will be renewed monthly.  The plans include a specific number of Connects, which you will need in order to submit proposals, review invitations to submit proposals and have potential buyers contact you through your provider profile.  You will then be asked to create a provider profile in order to submit proposals. If you choose a free Basic plan, you will only be able to choose one category into which your skills fit.

You will be able to edit your provider profile, or your membership package(s), after you subscribe as a member.

Buyers can request proposals from all members in a category or from invited members only. In the latter case, only the invited members will be able to submit a proposal.

All membership plans allow service providers to submit bids, as long as the Connect balance is sufficient.  The new Basic plan has a limited number of Connects so providers can bid, but it is recommended to upgrade to a paid plan to add more Connects.  

To submit a proposal on a project:

1. Log in to the MyElance Main Menu.

If you are not logged in, enter your Elance username and password.

2.  On the Main Menu page, click the 'View All Projects' link.

3.  Click on your category in the left column.

4.  Review the projects that are posted, by selecting the project name to see the full project description.

5.  If you want to submit a proposal, enter your price and comments into the blue proposal box to the right of the project description.  You will also have a checkbox giving you the option to submit a bid with sponsored placement, which will cost a greater number of Connects.  If you are not yet ready to submit a proposal on that project, click on the 'Back to Search Results' link in the upper right to return to your previous search.  You can save that project description by clicking on the ‘Add to Watchlist’ link at the top. 

NOTE:  Your proposals must comply with Elance policies (see the Site Policies link below).  If you do not follow the policies, your proposal will be delisted, and your membership may be suspended or terminated.

You will find useful information about how to submit successful proposals by clicking on the ‘Water Cooler’ tab, then the ‘Elance University’ link in the upper right.  In general, it may take you several attempts to perfect the art of submitting compelling proposals that win business for you.  Our experience shows that fewer, higher quality, customized proposals submitted by service providers who have a good understanding of the requirements, and the experience to do the work, have a much higher success rate.  Also, submitting a bid with sponsored placement will also help increase the chances of your proposal being reviewed by the buyer.  You can also increase your credibility by being a Premier provider in the category of the project.

When submitting a proposal, do not forget to include:

   * Your estimated cost for the project (if your proposal is chosen, you will always be able to finalize the cost estimate during the Business Term negotiation)
   * Your understanding of the requirements
   * Your proposed approach to the project (deliverables and timeframes)
   * Your relevant experience and skills
   * Any references you may have from customers prior to joining Elance

You may attach files to your proposal.

NOTE:  For Sealed projects, proposals will always be visible to the service provider who submitted the proposal, but no other providers will be able to view that sealed proposal.

There is a minimum proposal amount of $50 on Elance, regardless of the project category.

 6. Use the Private Message Board (PMB), Elance Chat, or Elance Call to communicate with the buyer, answer any of their questions, and ask clarifying questions regarding the scope and terms of the project.