FrontPageLawyer: Copyright every proposal you send out. On the document’s title page, place the phrase Copyright (Date) by (Your Name.) On the next line, add All rights reserved. That’s all you need to do to establish copyright. contact any intellectual property lawyer

How do you copyright a proposal that is already in existence in other countries? is that possible?

@ op am so sorry
Nlanders, me need of help and advice too cos I hv a well written proposal that I want to submit to a telecom company.
Can I submit it to all the telecoms company, who do I meet,how do I submit it I do I follow it up and finally how do I protect it.
Thanks in advance.

Sounds like an idea of mine i dropped with a fastfood coy that starts with T. Dropped a proposal with them, very detailed (my mistake) and they promised to call back. Weeks after i called and thhey stopped picking after our initial agreement, saw an initiative that looked like my idea when i went there just smh.

Went to another coy a telcom one now and dd that a "non disclosure agreement" be filled before the proposal is dropped they refused and insisted a drop the proposal, i did.dropped a dud. Cont'd discussing with them and before i knew it, they stopped picking my calls too. Laffed @ them if only they knew they had a dud.

@ sheyma get a non disclosure agreement. Had sth with a telecom coy too. Good luck and be careful

okunboy: OP
There's no way you wont do business with Govt, if u are talking of Nigeria. Govt is the biggest spender in this economy, and I dont really see how you can do without advancing to do business with the Govt. I have found myself severally in your shoe and honestly it can be frustrating. However, I got this idea from a friend and that is what i use these days.....I write: EXPRESSION OF INTREST (EOI). Just give introduction, definition, objectives and the expectation of what my proposed project will achieve. At the end, I will get their interests, worked on their psyche....... and i wld request their invitation to come and do need analysis FREE. I tell you, in most cases I av been called...usually I win some, and I loose some. Thats how it works sometimes.

thumb up okunboy! I can have u as a friend.lets exchange contacts to build viable business relationship.
Check my signature for my contacts.lemme know its okunboy of nairaland.cheers!

i find a post on a similar thread really helpful...something to protect you and your proposal
Here...
https://www.nairaland.com/929071/this-what-big-it-firms

Am not into projecting,can you involve a lawyer at the presentation,in order to make it legal,or do a better version of it that includes more features,when presenting it,remove the salient points,so you must be present in the implementation...

sheyma: @ op am so sorry
Nlanders, me need of help and advice too cos I hv a well written proposal that I want to submit to a telecom company.
Can I submit it to all the telecoms company, who do I meet,how do I submit it I do I follow it up and finally how do I protect it.
Thanks in advance.

First of all, dont make the mistake which many Nigerians make when submitting proposal.

The best approach is to introduce the project, describe the problem and simply highlight the solutions that will emerge. NEVER (and I repeat) NEVER ever describe the methods, technique, process or the actual approach to reaching the solution. This will be done ONLY after trust and guarantees have been established. Let me explain.

For example:

1). You have identified how Company A will increase profit at half the cost of providing a popular service (lets call it Service X).
2). In your initial proposal, just simply overview (i.e. give an introduction) of who you are and how your expertise matches their business model, then;
3). Discuss why/how they are losing money through their current procedures (this is the part where you catch their attention by exposing their weakness or inefficiency) and then;
4). Explain in the proposal that profits can be increased by reducing costs of providing Service X; by following a new approach called Solution Y, which you developed originally.

Then you can now submit the draft proposal which is just a skeleton without flesh. But also have another version of the proposal which contains details of HOW they can arrive at Solution Y by following your brilliant concept. But keep the detailed proposal secret until the time is ripe (See STEP 9 below). If they ask why you are withholding details, be honest: Tell them you are protecting your idea.

5). At this stage, (assuming that the company truly wants/needs to cut down cost of Service X) your phone will be ringing off the hook with calls from their representatives. Agree to meet them, and prepare a PPT presentation of the same material in your original/skeletal proposal, just in case. They may/would want you to make an oral presentation (besides, its a professional to always be ready).

6). Before you go get legal representative (lawyer) to prepare a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and have the idea/proposal copyrighted as well. This is much more than putting letter C in a circle. There are official ways of copyrighting and it is cheap. For effizy, you can even get a dark suited lawyer to accompany you. There are samples of NDAs online that you can modify by yourself, but having a legal firm prepare one with their letter head and/or having a lawyer accompany you is more effective in Nigeria. They wont want to mess with you.

7). If they are honest and truly require your service, they will sign the NDA. Just make sure you have audio and video recording of the signing process, especially IF a lawyer is not present. Dont let them know you are recording the process. Pssst: ask Otedola for handout on how to capture crooks digitally. Audiovisual recorders in the form of spy pens, ties, fez caps and wristwatches abound everywhere even in Nigeria of today.

8'). If they are dishonest (and 75% of your potential Nigerian clients fall into this category) they will not agree to sign the NDA. In that case, walk away. It is better to "die" with your original idea than have id1ots steal it, while you gnash your teeth each time you watch it being executed. Walk away and approach their competitors or find a willing investor, in which case, repeat STEPS 1 to 7 above.

9). For the honest 25%, after the NDA is signed, you can now bring out the second detailed PPT slides (or detailed documentation) which contains the HOW aspect of your proposal. Dont expect this NDA thing to happen overnight. They will likely consult their own lawyer and re-invite you for the signing after some days/weeks.

10). If they breach the terms of the NDA i.e. execute it without you or disclose it to some third party without your permission, (explicit or otherwise), you can confidently approach Mohammed Fawehimi and similar legal folks who like to take on (i.e. sue) such crooked Nigerians head-on...sometimes for free, or sometimes for a fixed percentage of the spoils of war! But you can also reach a journalist who is looking for a story like this to make a name for him/herself. Trust me, big companies and big men dont like being rubbished in the media, especially if their is audio or video evidence.

11). Did I mention that you should dress VERY well each time you visit your clients? Once your potential clients (especially the crooked 75%) perceive you to be a hustler or 'hungry man', they will be tempted to out-muscle you out of your ideas. First impression matters. Borrow your friend's decent car for the trip if you have to. Sounds funny, but it is true. Even in developed countries: a successful looking consultant has bigger chance of tying up a deal than a tattered-looking, job-seeking, desperate-sounding hustler. Sad, but true. Ask yourself, if you were the CEO of a Telecoms or Fast Food company, will you not be more comfortable parting with 10 Million Naira to a well-dressed consultant, rather than to a ragged-looking fellow?

12). Also bring along a colleague or two each time you visit them. Even if they are not your employees or business partners, the presence of two or three of you in a room will inspire confidence in your consultancy. A one-man show is not usually well-respected and does not always look professional. Think about it: you are the minister of Railways and you want to do a deal with a German company to deliver High Speed Urban Trains to each Nigerian City. Will you be happy if only ONE German showed up all the way from Munich? Or will you be more impressed if he came with a team?

Well, thats my two cents based on experience. Enjoy your success. Remember, there is no such thing as luck. What people call luck is simply a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. Be prepared and know your worth. I am also assuming that you have a registered business, if you dont, you are essentially wasting your time trying to do consulting work with private or public entities.

cheers
Suggested Reading: Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss

soldprop: What actions can you take when you submit a proposal to a government agency, after which you have done presentations to the relevant management team, then you do the normal follow up(s) on your file, going with the pace (slow workflow in government offices) of the agency and months after you hear your proposal is implemented without consulting you verbally or an official letter?

the first thing is to go in with your lawyer...who will ensure all your legal angles are covered and act as a witness. also, intellectual property protection ensures you can sue them anytime you like if they implement even something slightly similar to your idea

I once contacted a female so-called Nollywood movies director/producer (wit d initials M.O) with regard to an African epic script I wanted to partner her on, supposedly for her technical know-how, inside knowledge &access to funds 4rm executive producers. Afta submitting d synopsis 2her, she appeared interested but asked 4a more detailed synopsis. I obliged her &she said it was a promising script, but dat her finaciers were not presently interested in an epic. WHAT?! Yet she knew all along it was an epic. Anoda insider had warned dat wat most of dem do; steal ideas &claim d glory. But dis generatn wit their ills will soon pass away for d Nigeria of our dreams...

binger: Hijacked? U mean like an airplane? Well i advise you fall off using a parachute,whch in ur case implies u shud damn d proposal and look for anoda opportunity,buh dis time,work smarter not harder

Thanks for the comic relief.

PS: Wow , just saw this on frontpage, thanks mod.

Mr brother, I thought I was alone in this predicament. I've been cheated this way at least three times. Contrary to what you might think, it is not limited to government agencies; even private companies/corporations are as bad, if not worse. As far back as 2006, I submitted a proposal for a programme to be sponsored by MTN - with prospects of meaningful profits for MTN and all other parties involved. You wouldn't believe that after months of working tooth and nail, of sleepless nights, I was told by an MTN representative (in the marketing department) that the project wouldn't fly. It was with utter shock and disbelief that I later saw the same programme on television about six months later! I tried to seek legal redress but my lawyer friends advised me that I was wasting my time and limited resources if I thought I could win a case against corporate behemoths like MTN and the rest who have the courts in their pockets.

I have also been dealt with in a similar way by some greedy and wicked folks fronting for the Speaker of a House of Assembly in one of the states in the North Central region. After designing a capacity-building programme that would involve US based experts for a legislative-drafting and ideation training for members of the House, I was tricked and deceived into presenting a draft of the proposal along with the resource persons' contacts. After several meetings and discussions on the issue, I was shoved aside - only for me to later find out that they went ahead with the plan that involved a three-week working visit to the United states by all the principal officers of the house. I did not receive even 1 kobo from these deals in spite of being the sole initiator. The guy that linked me with a principal officer of the House ended up cornering more than N8m for himself and stopped picking my calls. These were very depressing experiences, but then bitter lessons have been learnt.

The truth is that Nigeria is a lawless place; a jungle where no rules apply. I've since learnt that NOTHING is more important than connections here - both in government circles and in the private sector. I have stopped wasting my time conceiving ideas that would enrich other vultures at my expense. Instead I concentrate on trying to find the right water-tight connections that would ensure I get my due before I even begin to prepare any proposal. So far it has been very hard I must say.

The worst thing you can do is to do business with government if you are not connected. Stealing of ideas and proposals is a constant thing. Sadly, even private institutions such as banks and Telcos and those that work there also steal people's ideas.

pro01: Mr brother, I thought I was alone in this predicament. I've been cheated this way at least three times. Contrary to what you might think, it is not limited to government agencies; even private companies/corporations are as bad, if not worse. As far back as 2006, I submitted a proposal for a programme to be sponsored by MTN - with prospects of meaningful profits for MTN and all other parties involved. You wouldn't believe that after months of working tooth and nail, of sleepless nights, I was told by an MTN representative (in the marketing department) that the project wouldn't fly. It was with utter shock and disbelief that I later saw the same programme on television about six months later! I tried to seek legal redress but my lawyer friends advised me that I was wasting my time and limited resources if I thought I could win a case against corporate behemoths like MTN and the rest who have the courts in their pockets.

I have also been dealt with in a similar way by some greedy and wicked folks fronting for the Speaker of a House of Assembly in one of the states in the North Central region. After designing a capacity-building programme that would involve US based experts for a legislative-drafting and ideation training for members of the House, I was tricked and deceived into presenting a draft of the proposal along with the resource persons' contacts. After several meetings and discussions on the issue, I was shoved aside - only for me to later find out that they went ahead with the plan that involved a three-week working visit to the United states by all the principal officers of the house. I did not receive even 1 kobo from these deals in spite of being the sole initiator. The guy that linked me with a principal officer of the House ended up cornering more than N8m for himself and stopped picking my calls. These were very depressing experiences, but then bitter lessons have been learnt.

The truth is that Nigeria is a lawless place; a jungle where no rules apply. I've since learnt that NOTHING is more important than connections here - both in government circles and in the private sector. I have stopped wasting my time conceiving ideas that would enrich other vultures at my expense. Instead I concentrate on trying to find the right water-tight connections that would ensure I get my due before I even begin to prepare any proposal. So far it has been very hard I must say.

Yes, Nigeria is technically a 'lawless' place. But that is why you need to adopt guerilla tactics when submitting proposals.

Read my suggested approach above (STEPS 1 to 12). If you had worked with a lawyer (hey, I am NOT one) before you submitted any proposal; and you had copyright and non-disclosure agreements, then you would have a chance. A company like MTN may be big and may have cornered the courts and judges, but hey, trust me, the minute you and your lawyer threaten to expose their shaddy ways in the media, they will back track. Worse case, they will settle out of court and hand something to you as compensation even if they dont want to involve you. But a carefully crafted NDA and copyright will ensure that without you, they cant do shishi.

Most people 'dash' out their ideas and cry later when they could have done more to protect their intellectual property.

I feel for you. But next time, be smarter, and dont hide the fact that you are wary of them doubling crossing you. Bring a lawyer with you ALWAYS and let all agreements be drafted by him/her.

Very insightful thread.

It's threads like this that make NL tick, not those ones that contain verbal/tribal/religious abuse and people asking "How does this affect the price of ....?". Great thread.

drzed, your steps are fantastic. But in our society, as some1 earlier said, 75%(even though I think 99%) won't sign a NDA, at least until they know most of the offering. Secondly, the copyright text u add at the bottom of each page does not stop the coy/MDA from using your work.

Eye opening thread . . . .Thread bookmarked . . . .

Reminds me of a friend who discussed a very brilliant business idea with me and i was innocently trying to review it's viability by picking holes and asking him how he hopes to address the flaws i mentioned.

Consistently, i was picking salient flaws and i did all this with a good intention of ensuring his proposal was very sound technically devoid of any grave pit fall.

Then the bomb exploded, he went mad that i wanted to steal his ideas and even quipped that i did that already, since i was able to improve on it immensely in a short while by inputing potent suggestions to make it really thick . .I simply had to reassure him that he was wrong and seeked to end our discussion, since he was upset with my innocent candid review of his proposal . .

He later apologized for his outburst citing previous sad experiences he had from folks who stole his ideas hitting mega millions with them . . .

Shyte does really happen to folks with intelligent ideas . . . .

Drzed,

You did well. We need to test the judiciary more. That is the problem we have. We have since lost our trust in the judiciary and we need to gain it back. If I tell anybody (even my wife or girlfriend) that I plan to take somebody or a company to court, I will likely hear something like "Please let it go; I don't want wahala." That is the mindset that has allowed the empty headed execs and government officials get away with plagiarism and outright theft almost all the time.

first thanks to the first poster. this thread could not be more timely for me.
i am about to submit a proposal to the federal government and i have done a lot of research and was preparing to wow them
when i stumbled on this thread. it's with a shaking hand and pounding heart that i thank all the contributors to this thread.


ps: truly more informative and sensible threads like this ought to be encouraged not stuff like "WOMAN GIVES BIRTH TO A THREE HEADED GOAT IN A SHRINE"

soldprop: drzed, your steps are fantastic. But in our society, as some1 earlier said, 75%(even though I think 99%) won't sign a NDA, at least until they know most of the offering. Secondly, the copyright text u add at the bottom of each page does not stop the coy/MDA from using your work.

Read my post again. First of all, anyone who wont sign an NDA is a crook not worth dealing with. It doesnt matter if it is 99% of the population. At least with NDA, you are not cheated of all your sweat. Besides, you can have a legal copyright even without signing an NDA and you are still covered - just make sure they KNOW it is copyrighted. Also, I stated that copyright is much more than an encircled C at the bottom of a page. There are ways of legally lodging your idea as a copyrighted material within the laws of a land. Also copyright is valid internationally. In this case, what you are copyrighting is NOT a solution to a given problem (because anyone can also come up with their own solution) - but rather, you are protecting YOUR approach (i.e. method, process) of reaching that solution using specific text (language) and concepts (idea). Once you are the first to lodge a copyright of a specific idea, i.e. approach to a problem, then you are covered as of the date of lodgement.

Let me explain using an example of a Nollywood script: You cannot copyright the story of MKO Abiola, but you can copyright a script based on story and key players of June 12 election, i.e. how Abiola campaigned, reacted to the cancellation, the demonstrations, how he was betrayed, went on exile, came back, jailed and died - all these using YOUR OWN WORDS and choice of fictitious and supporting characters. This is called a Novel. Anyone can write a novel on June 12 or Abiola, but if the presentation of the story (the plot, theme, characters, etc) are similar to yours, you can sue the living daylight out of the copycats. Read about Da Vinci's Code and the controversy to understand this issue.

In essence, copyright covers your unique approach to an issue (problem). In the UK for example, it cost about £40 (N10,000) to submit a material to the Copyright authority online. They will keep a copy of your work (including date and time) and allocate stickers for you to slap on all your proposals. It is equally cheap to get it done in Nigeria, but I dont have details.

logica: Drzed,
You did well. We need to test the judiciary more. That is the problem we have. We have since lost our trust in the judiciary and we need to gain it back. If I tell anybody (even my wife or girlfriend) that I plan to take somebody or a company to court, I will likely hear something like "Please let it go; I don't want wahala." That is the mindset that has allowed the empty headed execs and government officials get away with plagiarism and outright theft almost all the time.

I agree with you 200%. We need to test the law to its limits. Once unscrupulous companies and greedy individuals know that some people are willing to go the whole 9 yards, then things will start to change for the better. Mindsets will start to change. People who ask you not to follow-up with legal action are weak and regressive because, as usual, many of us Nigerians like to reap but few are willing to carry hoe and cutlass to sow under the sun.

Another challenge is that many of us will think of the intial N20,000 - N50,000 legal/NDA/copyright fees and balk. They think its not worth it, even though it will potentially cover their multi-million naira idea. They will refuse to invest in such legal protection, and then they'll come back to Nairaland and lament. You must sow, if you want to reap.

Let me also clarify that there is no harm in making a deal with someone to get your proposal to fly. Just make sure it is documented (officially using signed papers) or unofficially (using audio-visual recording)...and you are covered.

Nigeria is a jungle. But you can still succeed by adopting guerilla tactics and smart moves.

Bro u too much!
U just made my day.

drzed:

First of all, dont make the mistake which many Nigerians make when submitting proposal.

The best approach is to introduce the project, describe the problem and simply highlight the solutions that will emerge. NEVER (and I repeat) NEVER ever describe the methods, technique, process or the actual approach to reaching the solution. This will be done ONLY after trust and guarantees have been established. Let me explain.

For example:

1). You have identified how Company A will increase profit at half the cost of providing a popular service (lets call it Service X).
2). In your initial proposal, just simply overview (i.e. give an introduction) of who you are and how your expertise matches their business model, then;
3). Discuss why/how they are losing money through their current procedures (this is the part where you catch their attention by exposing their weakness or inefficiency) and then;
4). Explain in the proposal that profits can be increased by reducing costs of providing Service X; by following a new approach called Solution Y, which you developed originally.

Then you can now submit the draft proposal which is just a skeleton without flesh. But also have another version of the proposal which contains details of HOW they can arrive at Solution Y by following your brilliant concept. But keep the detailed proposal secret until the time is ripe (See STEP 9 below). If they ask why you are withholding details, be honest: Tell them you are protecting your idea.

5). At this stage, (assuming that the company truly wants/needs to cut down cost of Service X) your phone will be ringing off the hook with calls from their representatives. Agree to meet them, and prepare a PPT presentation of the same material in your original/skeletal proposal, just in case. They may/would want you to make an oral presentation (besides, its a professional to always be ready).

6). Before you go get legal representative (lawyer) to prepare a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and have the idea/proposal copyrighted as well. This is much more than putting letter C in a circle. There are official ways of copyrighting and it is cheap. For effizy, you can even get a dark suited lawyer to accompany you. There are samples of NDAs online that you can modify by yourself, but having a legal firm prepare one with their letter head and/or having a lawyer accompany you is more effective in Nigeria. They wont want to mess with you.

7). If they are honest and truly require your service, they will sign the NDA. Just make sure you have audio and video recording of the signing process, especially IF a lawyer is not present. Dont let them know you are recording the process. Pssst: ask Otedola for handout on how to capture crooks digitally. Audiovisual recorders in the form of spy pens, ties, fez caps and wristwatches abound everywhere even in Nigeria of today.

8'). If they are dishonest (and 75% of your potential Nigerian clients fall into this category) they will not agree to sign the NDA. In that case, walk away. It is better to "die" with your original idea than have id1ots steal it, while you gnash your teeth each time you watch it being executed. Walk away and approach their competitors or find a willing investor, in which case, repeat STEPS 1 to 7 above.

9). For the honest 25%, after the NDA is signed, you can now bring out the second detailed PPT slides (or detailed documentation) which contains the HOW aspect of your proposal. Dont expect this NDA thing to happen overnight. They will likely consult their own lawyer and re-invite you for the signing after some days/weeks.

10). If they breach the terms of the NDA i.e. execute it without you or disclose it to some third party without your permission, (explicit or otherwise), you can confidently approach Mohammed Fawehimi and similar legal folks who like to take on (i.e. sue) such crooked Nigerians head-on...sometimes for free, or sometimes for a fixed percentage of the spoils of war! But you can also reach a journalist who is looking for a story like this to make a name for him/herself. Trust me, big companies and big men dont like being rubbished in the media, especially if their is audio or video evidence.

11). Did I mention that you should dress VERY well each time you visit your clients? Once your potential clients (especially the crooked 75%) perceive you to be a hustler or 'hungry man', they will be tempted to out-muscle you out of your ideas. First impression matters. Borrow your friend's decent car for the trip if you have to. Sounds funny, but it is true. Even in developed countries: a successful looking consultant has bigger chance of tying up a deal than a tattered-looking, job-seeking, desperate-sounding hustler. Sad, but true. Ask yourself, if you were the CEO of a Telecoms or Fast Food company, will you not be more comfortable parting with 10 Million Naira to a well-dressed consultant, rather than to a ragged-looking fellow?

12). Also bring along a colleague or two each time you visit them. Even if they are not your employees or business partners, the presence of two or three of you in a room will inspire confidence in your consultancy. A one-man show is not usually well-respected and does not always look professional. Think about it: you are the minister of Railways and you want to do a deal with a German company to deliver High Speed Urban Trains to each Nigerian City. Will you be happy if only ONE German showed up all the way from Munich? Or will you be more impressed if he came with a team?

Well, thats my two cents based on experience. Enjoy your success. Remember, there is no such thing as luck. What people call luck is simply a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. Be prepared and know your worth. I am also assuming that you have a registered business, if you dont, you are essentially wasting your time trying to do consulting work with private or public entities.

cheers
Suggested Reading: Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss

@ OP, thanks for the post. Have learned quite a bit on how these things play out in 9ja. I really wish we can get these kinda informative posts all the time, and not the ones about how Genevive or Tonto rub lipstick for face

This is the bane of our society. It is so discouraging when your intellectual works or property are been brazenly stolen, and to make the matter worst by Govt agencies or Corporation who in the first place should protect you.

I guess, this culture of corporate fraud are perpetuated because people are poignantly lazy and they dont appreciate good stuffs. I work in an industry where you get paid for what is in your brain hence we strongly place emphasis and protects our 'outputs'. This unconventional practice may not be unconnected with the fact that Nigerians dont like paying for 'services'. You will be amazed at the terrible treatments given to service offerings in Nigeria especially apong the elites and well educated in the society.

In the immediate, i think copyrighting may work but seriously,people are too shy to challenge this injustice hence the perpetuation. In an extreme case,there may be need to explore legal windom. I could help you arrange for some of the brightest intellectual lawyers in town. I bet you you dont want to get on the wrong side of these guys.

Pls, are there courses in universities where this projecting stuff is studied? Or books? I'm very much interested in it. tnx

dublinkmy6: Pls, are there courses in universities where this projecting stuff is studied? Or books? I'm very much interested in it. tnx

Try these:

Getting Started in Consulting by Alan Weiss
Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss
There are many more books and articles online. Try Google.

The whole idea of writing and submitting proposal, down to winning and signing lucrative contracts, (and then retaining your clientèle) is dependent on how professional you are.

By professionalism, I am NOT referring to the course you read at Uni or Poly. Professionalism also has little or nothing to do with your experience or your job description. If you spent 10 years doing shyt work as an engineer (for example), this only gives you 10 shyt years of engineering experience. Nothing more.

Professionalism is therefore HOW you go about doing what you do for a living.

People need to be more professional in seeking consulting work .. which most Nigerians refer to as 'proposal'. The legal angle is the least you can do to protect your idea and the time/effort spent producing the idea. But also, your manner of approach to your clients will either encourage or discourage them to mess with you. Consulting work (proposal) is about packaging yourself and your idea into a winning and an 'untouchable' formula.

okunboy: OP
There's no way you wont do business with Govt, if u are talking of Nigeria. Govt is the biggest spender in this economy, and I dont really see how you can do without advancing to do business with the Govt. I have found myself severally in your shoe and honestly it can be frustrating. However, I got this idea from a friend and that is what i use these days.....I write: EXPRESSION OF INTREST (EOI). Just give introduction, definition, objectives and the expectation of what my proposed project will achieve. At the end, I will get their interests, worked on their psyche....... and i wld request their invitation to come and do need analysis FREE. I tell you, in most cases I av been called...usually I win some, and I loose some. Thats how it works sometimes.

Why will someone say the bolded?

But there is a question that comes to mind. How will you know if you are the only one that submitted a proposal similar to yours to the same agency?

How will you know?

I love this topic.

This trend is not peculiar to government businesses alone. Its everywhere.

Had same issue sometimes back.

A client contacted my firm for a project and we conducted extensive research for and provided the client feedback minus some details.

Client was impressed and requested for a proposal and quote which we actually promised will be sent the next day.

Morning of the following day, I and my partners discussed the issue and a question came up that suppose we send the proposal and the client does not get back to us again like some of our other clients do what would we do haven spent our resources on the research.

An idea came to ask the client to pay a commitment fee (50% of our expenses)if indeed he was serious in dealing with us.

With a condition that the commitment fee will be refunded or deducted from the total cost as soon as we get approval to go ahead with the project.

Soon as we told the client our position, the story changed.

Client called us 2 days later pleading that we should send the proposal, promising that he will give us the job but we stood our ground.

Till today no word from the client but we feel less pain knowing he wouldn't use our intellectual efforts for free...at least our withheld details.

Nice ideas here to protect ones business. Can be frustrating when you see your ideas and concepts being used for free. Very frustrating.

Nigeria's justice system goes to the highest bidder. I have vowed not to submit or discuss useful business proposal with private or government sectors in Nigeria without having it recorded on video. I rather post their wrong dealings on YouTube that going to a kangaroo court to fight for my right. I drafted a brilliant proposal to the GEJs administration through the help of a former ministry,this was an environmental issue that I planned on solving in the Niger Delta region. I brought in experts from the US without signing NDA after trusting on the parties involved. To my greatest surprise I read on a Nigeria's newspaper that same contract was given to a company in Nigeria. I saw my blue print on the supposed contract, I called the parties involved and they refused to pick my calls. No amount of English spoken or advise given on here will change the criminal minds of intellectually lazy civil servant and staff of privately owned companies. I hope in the near future merit would be what defines a business man in that country.

Soul_caine: @ sheyma get a non disclosure agreement. Had sth with a telecom coy too. Good luck and be careful

Thanks soul caine, can I get your mail addy for more info.

logica: Drzed,

You did well. We need to test the judiciary more. That is the problem we have. We have since lost our trust in the judiciary and we need to gain it back. If I tell anybody (even my wife or girlfriend) that I plan to take somebody or a company to court, I will likely hear something like "Please let it go; I don't want wahala." That is the mindset that has allowed the empty headed execs and government officials get away with plagiarism and outright theft almost all the time.

Indeed for the bold part above.
And the reality is that the judiciary is not ALL that bad. Just as with the bigger Nigerian society, there are still a few good eggs. Persistence and smartness is what pays off finally.

Great topic....