Gold plating your proposal

When it comes to proposal solutions, going above-and-beyond the requirements is sometimes called "gold plating."  Depending on the situation, it could be detrimental to winning! 

How is your offer being evaluated?  Is it a "lowest price, technically acceptable" solicitation?  If so, solution architects (the ones who create the envisioned solution) must be careful to avoid the temptation to exceed the threshold for "technically acceptable."  In fact, exceeding the "technically acceptable" threshold will likely add cost to the bid, may introduce schedule risk, and lower your probability of win (p-win).

If it's not a "lowest price, technically acceptable" scenario, it might be advertised as a "best value" evaluation, where the client reserves the right to award the contract to somebody other than the lowest bidder if they determine it to be in the client's best interest to do so.  This can often be wolf in sheep's clothing or, in other words, run just like a "lowest price, technically acceptable" solicitation.  Essentially, when is it not in the clients best interest to pick the solution that is acceptable and cheapest?  Any extra "value" must be clear articulated in the proposal if you're expecting the client to pick you, suspicious that you might not likely be the lowest price. 

In creating your approach to meeting the customer requirements, it's always a good idea to be very careful when going above and beyond in your proposal.