Each of the bidding countries must enter hundreds of pages of technical information outlining details of venues, training camps, ticketing, government guarantees, transport and, crucially, estimates for how much the World Cup will cost to stage and how much income it will generate.
This is likely to be a crucial factor in Fifa's assessment of each of the bids as they have indicated they do not want countries overstretching themselves as the world still comes to terms with the fall-out from the global economic downturn.
England's bid team are seeing that as a major boost to their chances as they believe they offer Fifa a safe bet after riskier World Cups in South Africa this summer and Brazil in 2014.
A specialised and secure 18-ton truck left Wembley on Monday to transport the bid materials on the 613 mile (987km) journey from Wembley Stadium through France and Belgium to Fifa's headquarters in Zurich.
Beckham's role as an ambassador for England's bid could be crucial in the absence of a global football statesman or Lord Coe type figure to front the Football Association's campaign.
A bid source said: "David Beckham is a global football icon and a great role model and it is entirely appropriate that he should hand over the bid."
Beckham has visited South Africa to prepare for England's 2018 bid
Each bid will be assessed by a team of Fifa inspectors later in the year before a report will be prepared for the 24 members of the Fifa executive committee, which will make its decision in December.
With Europe widely expected to be given the 2018 World Cup, the contest is expected to be a three-way fight between England, Russia and a joint bid from Spain and Portugal.
Australia, the United States and Belgium-Netherlands are also in the running.
Australian officials left for Zurich on Monday after a government-brokered deal ended months of bitter wrangling.
The rival codes of Australian rules football (AFL), rugby league and rugby union had been in dispute with Football Federation Australia (FFA) over the use of the nation's best stadiums should the country win the right to hold the event.
But a memorandum of understanding signed at the weekend will allow the other codes to continue their seasons and would compensate them for vacating venues and relocating games.
"We have the unified support of the nation behind our bid and we are ready to host the biggest sporting event in the world," said FFA chairman Frank Lowy.
"This is great news for football and great news for the whole country as everyone will benefit if we win the right to host a World Cup."
Any World Cup held in Australia would have to be played in the coldest time of the southern hemisphere winter to avoid clashing with the European leagues.
That would put the tournament in direct competition with Australia's most popular sports, which have long-term leasing agreements with the biggest venues.
The AFL said that 90 games would need to be rescheduled or moved if Australia were successful with the bid.
The Australian Rugby Union, who said they "fully" supported the bid, said a World Cup would affect matches in the Super 15, which would need to be rescheduled, and also Wallabies Test matches in June.
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