Propongo

A proposal generator for conservation and natural resource projects available as an app at propongo.org. Create professional proposals in English, French, or Spanish with scope of work, budgets, qualifications, timelines, and export to PDF or HTML. Detailed documentation, examples, and tutorials can be found at https://3point.xyz/propongo.

Features

• Scope of Work - Define project summary, tasks, and deliverables
• Budget - Line-item budgeting with cost/unit calculations, totals, and indirect costs
• Qualifications - Document team background and relevant experience
• Timeline - Auto-derived task timing from budget items with Gantt chart visualization
• Custom Sections - Add unlimited custom sections with Markdown formatting (NEW!)
• Excel Import - Import Excel spreadsheets as formatted tables into custom sections (NEW!)
• Preview - View the complete proposal with task-grouped budget and timeline bars
• PDF Export - Clean, professional PDF output via WeasyPrint
• HTML Export - Standalone HTML file with embedded styles
• Snippet Library - Reusable markdown components for organization descriptions, deliverable templates, and custom content
• Save/Load - Proposals stored as JSON files on disk, auto-save as you work
• Project tracking - When a proposal is secured, use the tracking feature to manage project deliverables, timeline, and budget spend.

Quick Start

Run as an app

1. Visit Propongo.org
2. Create a login username and password
3. Start using by clicking on new proposal

Linux/Mac

pip install propongo
propongo

Opens at http://localhost:5000

Windows

Recommended: Use a virtual environment to avoid conflicts with system Python.

1. Create virtual environment with Anaconda/Miniconda (recommended)

   # Install Miniconda from: https://docs.conda.io/en/latest/miniconda.html
   conda create -n propongo python=3.10
   conda activate propongo
   

   ⚠️ Warning: Installing to base Python can cause package conflicts. Learn about Anaconda/Miniconda for better Python environment management.

2. Install GTK3 Runtime (for MS Windows users: required for PDF export)

   • Download: https://github.com/tschoonj/GTK-for-Windows-Runtime-Environment-Installer/releases/
   • Run installer; choose "Full installation"
   • Restart your computer

3. Install Propongo

   pip install propongo
   

4. Run the application

   propongo
   

5. Open browser to http://localhost:5000

Troubleshooting: If PDF export fails, ensure GTK3 is in your PATH. If Excel import doesn't work, run: pip install pandas openpyxl tabulate

Docker (Mac, Linux, Windows)

A containerized option is provided via Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml. This avoids installing Python, GTK, and the WeasyPrint system libraries on your host. If you don't have Docker installed yet, follow the steps for your OS below.

Install Docker

Mac (via Homebrew):

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
brew install --cask docker
open -a Docker

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian; see https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/ for other distros):

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y docker.io docker-compose
sudo systemctl enable --now docker
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Log out and back in (or restart) so the docker group takes effect.

Windows (via PowerShell, administrator):

winget install --id Docker.DockerDesktop
# or: choco install docker-desktop

Install git

Mac / Linux:

brew install git        # Mac
sudo apt install git    # Linux

Windows:

winget install --id Git.Git

Run Propongo

Wait until Docker is fully started: run docker info and re-run until it completes without error (takes ~30 seconds after Docker starts).

git clone https://github.com/VRConservation/propongo.git
cd propongo

# Build and start
docker compose up -d --build

# Or with plain docker
docker build -t propongo .
docker run -d -p 5000:5000 -v "$PWD/data:/app/data" propongo

Open http://localhost:5000.

• Proposals, templates, and exports are stored in ./data/ on your host (mounted into the container), so your data persists across restarts and upgrades.
• The container runs as an unprivileged user (uid 1000). If your host user's uid differs, add user: "${UID}:${GID}" to the propongo service in docker-compose.yml (or pass --user $(id -u):$(id -g) to docker run) so the mounted volume stays writable.
• Stop with docker compose down.
• Port 5000 conflict: macOS AirPlay Receiver and some Windows services also use port 5000. If the page won't load, change "5000:5000" to "8080:5000" in docker-compose.yml, re-run docker compose up -d, and visit http://localhost:8080.

Install from source

git clone https://github.com/VRConservation/propongo.git
cd propongo
pip install -e .
propongo

Development setup

git clone https://github.com/VRConservation/propongo.git
cd propongo
pip install -e ".[dev]"
python run.py

Usage

Creating a Proposal

1. Click New Proposal from the dashboard

2. Enter a title and optional client name in the header

3. Work through each tab:

   Scope - Add a project summary, then create tasks/deliverables with descriptions and a lead entity

   Budget - Select a task, enter line items with cost per unit and quantities. Totals and indirect costs calculate automatically.

   Qualifications - Describe your organization's background and why you're qualified for this project

   Timeline - Set project start date and view the auto-derived Gantt chart. Adjust budget item timing and lead entities as needed.

   Custom Sections - Add unlimited custom sections with Markdown formatting. Import Excel spreadsheets as formatted tables.

   Preview - Review the complete proposal with task-grouped budget and timeline before exporting

Using Custom Sections (NEW!)

Add custom sections to your proposal for any additional content:

1. Click the Custom Sections tab
2. Click + Add Section to create a new section
3. Enter a title and content using Markdown formatting
4. See a live preview of your formatted content
5. Use ↑ and ↓ buttons to reorder sections
6. Click 📊 Import Excel to import spreadsheet data as tables

Excel Import: Import .xlsx or .xls files, and they'll be automatically converted to Markdown tables. Perfect for budget details, personnel lists, equipment inventories, or any tabular data.

Using Snippets

Click the sidebar icon (☰) to open the snippet library:

• Organization - Pre-written organization descriptions
• Deliverables - Templates for common deliverable types (surveys, assessments, plans)
• Custom - Create and save your own reusable snippets

Click a snippet to insert it at the cursor position in any text field.

Exporting

• PDF - Click "Export PDF" to generate a clean, professional PDF document
• HTML - Click "Export HTML" to download a standalone HTML file
• Print - Use Ctrl+P / Cmd+P in the Preview tab for browser printing

Managing Proposals

• Proposals auto-save as you work
• Click "Proposals" in the header to see all saved proposals
• Create, edit, or delete proposals from the dashboard

Updating

From PyPI

pip install --upgrade propongo

From source

cd propongo
git pull
pip install -e .

Development

Run tests

pytest

Project Structure

propongo/
├── run.py                      # Dev entry point
├── pyproject.toml              # Package config
├── requirements.txt            # Dependencies
├── app/
│   ├── __init__.py             # Version
│   ├── main.py                 # Flask app + routes
│   ├── models.py               # Proposal data model
│   ├── export.py               # PDF/HTML export
│   ├── snippets.py             # Snippet management
│   ├── templates/              # Jinja2 templates
│   │   ├── base.html           # Layout + HTMX
│   │   ├── index.html          # Proposal dashboard
│   │   ├── scope.html          # Scope editor
│   │   ├── budget.html         # Budget editor
│   │   ├── qualifications.html # Qualifications editor
│   │   ├── timeline.html       # Timeline + Gantt
│   │   ├── preview.html        # Proposal preview
│   │   └── export_proposal.html# PDF export template
│   ├── static/
│   │   ├── css/style.css       # All styles
│   │   └── js/
│   │       ├── app.js          # Core JS + HTMX helpers
│   │       ├── budget.js       # Budget calculations
│   │       ├── gantt.js        # Gantt chart rendering
│   │       └── snippets.js     # Snippet panel logic
│   ├── snippets/               # Stock snippet data
│   │   ├── organization.json
│   │   ├── deliverables.json
│   │   └── custom/             # User-created snippets
│   └── data/
│       ├── proposals/          # Saved proposals (JSON)
│       └── exports/            # Generated PDF/HTML exports
└── tests/
    ├── test_main.py
    └── test_export.py

Tech Stack

• Backend: Python, Flask
• Frontend: HTMX, Jinja2, vanilla CSS/JS
• PDF Export: WeasyPrint
• Packaging: pyproject.toml, setuptools

License

MIT