Reviewers spend about 90 seconds on your summary before forming an impression. It's the most important paragraph you'll write, and it should do the work up front.
Use the five Ws to make it complete:
- Who is involved (your business, partners)
- What you'll do (the activities)
- When it happens (timeline)
- Where it takes place
- Why it matters (the outcome and impact)
Lead with the outcome, not the backstory. A reviewer should finish the first two sentences knowing what will exist because of this funding. Then support it. Cut jargon and unexplained acronyms — reviewers may not know your industry's shorthand, and confusion costs you.
The takeaway: win the first 90 seconds. Lead with the outcome, answer the five Ws, and keep it clear enough for a non-specialist.