Free project proposal template for service businesses

The file, plyntum-project-proposal-template.docx, opens in Word, Google Docs and Pages. It has ten sections:

1. Summary: the client’s situation, what you propose and the result to expect, in three sentences.
2. The client’s goals: what they want, in their own words, measurable where possible.
3. Our approach: the phases, what happens in each and how long it takes.
4. Scope and deliverables: what you hand over, and what is out of scope.
5. Timeline: the main milestones and dates.
6. Team: who works on the project and when.
7. Investment: two pricing options, payment terms and how long the offer is valid.
8. Why us: relevant results, with your clients’ permission.
9. Next steps: what happens after the client says yes.
10. Acceptance: the chosen option, name, position, signature and date.

The example text in square brackets comes from a website project. Replace it with your own.

1. Start with the client, not with you. The summary and the goals come first. A client who recognises their own problem reads on.
2. Show the approach, not every task. Three to five phases with a duration each is enough to show you have thought it through.
3. Name what is out of scope. One line on what the price does not include prevents the first argument.
4. Price before you write. Estimate the hours per phase and check the margin before the number goes into the proposal. The profit margin calculator shows how many hours a price can carry.
5. Offer two options. A core option and one with more included let the client choose between yours instead of between you and a competitor.
6. Set a validity date. Your availability and costs change; a proposal without an end date is an open commitment.
7. Make the next step easy. Say exactly what to reply, and what you send after that.

• Proposal: sells the project. It explains the approach and the price, and is written before the client decides.
• Scope of work: describes the agreed work in detail: deliverables, acceptance, exclusions and how changes are handled. Use the free scope of work template once the proposal is accepted.
• Contract: sets the legal terms, such as liability, intellectual property and termination. Neither template replaces it.

This template is not legal advice. If the accepted proposal will be binding, have it reviewed against your contract and local law.

A website redesign is estimated at 240 hours. With a blended cost rate of 35 an hour, the work costs 8,400. The two options in the proposal carry different margins:

If option A runs to 300 hours, its cost rises to 10,500 and the margin falls to 25%. A proposal is only as good as the estimate behind it, which is why the hours of past projects are worth keeping. The figures illustrate the method.

Turn the accepted proposal into a scope of work, then into a project. In PLYNTUM the project sits with the client, phases become tasks with estimated hours, and people record time against them on every plan. From Core, approved hours become project cost, so you can compare what the proposal assumed with what the work took. Requests that go beyond the proposal get an owner and a decision before anyone starts.

PLYNTUM does not write proposals: quoting and a sales CRM are planned, not available. Keep proposals in Word or Google Docs for now. See also fixed price or hourly and scope creep.