My proposal has been forwarded to a mysterious upstairs

The proposal is with the team. Then it is with leadership. Eventually it is upstairs, a place apparently accessible only through ritual and a quarterly budget meeting.

Ask about the buying process before spending days on a detailed proposal. Who is reviewing it? What information do they need? When do they expect to decide? A clear answer will not guarantee the work, but it gives the conversation a shape.

Make the proposal easy to pass along. State the problem, scope and fee plainly, with assumptions where the work depends on information you do not yet have.

Agree a follow-up date rather than refreshing your inbox until the building becomes a personal enemy. If plans change, ask whether the proposal should be revised or closed for now.

You can remain courteous without holding the production calendar open indefinitely.

Upstairs may eventually reply. In the meantime, the rest of your business is still located here on Earth.