Northern Explorations Limited   1999 Downtown, Vancouver, British Columbia     November 2, 1994

Re: Machine for moving heavy loads

Dear Engineer:

Thank you very much for your interest in designing some new machinery for our company. As you know, we are exploring new opportunities for expanding our operations into the far north. There, we sometimes experience a failure of our gasoline-powered machines so that we have to resort to machines entirely powered by hand.

In this request for proposals, we encourage you to submit your design for a hand-powered machine which can move heavy loads from our storage areas to our exploration towers. As part of your submission we require the following:

1. A working model to illustrate your design. To illustrate its capabilities, your model should be able to move a 100-gram weight over a distance of 200 centimeters.
2. A proof that your machine actually makes it easier to move heavy loads. We are interested in making it as easy as possible for our people to continue their work; your engine design should thus decrease the force it takes to lift a load. That is, you want a mechanical advantage.
3. A construction plan allowing our personnel in the north to build a machine according to your design.
4. A written description which explains your machine when it is on display and a presentation of the design principles which affected your design.

We look forward to receiving your designs.

Sincerely,