We are pleased to see so much interest in our RFP. So many people have come to us with great ideas, and we hope to have been able to help all of you in the preproposal process. However, as we are getting close to the Monday, April 23rd, 8am CT deadline, we may not be able to get to all the conversations requested. A good problem to have, I say, as that means many good ideas are coming. To alleviate any stress, a few reminders:

• Review the RFP PDF, especially the Criteria and Preproposal Content sections, starting on page 3
• Focus on telling us what the idea is, what is the impact your project will have on the ecological health of the Great Lakes, what you plan to do to achieve the impact, and who you will (or would like to) have as part of your team. Preproposals are a way for us to gather good project ideas and skilled/knowledgeable people.
• Remember that we are looking for action-oriented projects. The results of our projects are actions to address an issue in the Great Lakes region, not just a data set, not just a plan, not just a convening.

We really look forward to digging into the preproposals, with reviews and invitations of full proposals in mid-May.

–Simon Bélisle, Project Development Manager