Proposal template
Consulting Proposal Template
Consulting deals are won on clarity: what you'll do, what you won't, what it costs, and how the client will know it worked. This template is a statement of work that reads like a plan rather than a contract — objectives up front, scope and deliverables in plain language, milestones with dates, and investment broken out by phase. Live example below.
Caldwell: Operations assessment & roadmap
Scope, timeline, and investment for Caldwell Manufacturing, prepared by Meridian Advisory.
Overview
This statement of work describes the engagement between Meridian Advisory and Caldwell Manufacturing: what we will deliver, when, what it costs, and how we will know it is done.
We've structured the work in phases so you see progress early and can adjust scope between milestones.
Objectives
What success looks like for Caldwell Manufacturing at the end of this engagement.
- 01
Find the real constraint
Identify where throughput is actually lost across Caldwell Manufacturing's plants — with data, not anecdotes.
- 02
A roadmap leadership can fund
A prioritized 12-month improvement plan with cost, effort, and expected impact for each initiative.
- 03
Quick wins inside the engagement
At least two improvements implemented during the assessment itself, not just recommended.
Scope & deliverables
Everything below is included. Anything not listed is out of scope (see Assumptions).
Discovery & plan
Stakeholder interviews, current-state review, and a written plan with milestones and owners.
Build / implementation
The core deliverable: configure, build, or migrate as agreed. Weekly demos.
Training & handover
Documentation, two training sessions, and 30 days of post-launch support.
Project management
Weekly status, a shared tracker, and a single point of contact at Meridian Advisory.
Milestones
Dates assume kickoff within two weeks of signature.
- Weeks 1–2
Phase 1: Discovery
Interviews, audit, and plan. Milestone: plan approved by Caldwell Manufacturing.
- Weeks 3–6
Phase 2: Build
Implementation with weekly demos. Milestone: UAT sign-off.
- Weeks 7–8
Phase 3: Launch & handover
Go-live, training, documentation. Milestone: acceptance.
Assumptions & out of scope
Caldwell Manufacturing will provide timely access to systems, data, and stakeholders; a single decision-maker will be available for approvals within two business days.
Out of scope: anything not listed under Scope & deliverables, including new integrations, ongoing managed services after the support window, and third-party licence costs. Changes are handled through a short written change order with revised effort and dates.
Investment
Fixed fee per phase, invoiced at the start of each phase. Optional items are quoted separately.
Fixed-fee engagement
All three phases as scoped above.
- Phase 1: DiscoveryInterviews, audit, plan$6,000
- Phase 2: BuildImplementation, weekly demos, UAT$18,000
- Phase 3: Launch & handoverGo-live, training, docs, 30-day support$6,000
- Extended support · Monthly, after the included 30 days+$1,500/mo
Prices exclude taxes and third-party costs. Valid for 30 days.
Your team
Sarah Lindqvist
Engagement lead and your day-to-day contact.
Next steps
- 1
Approve this SOW
Reply to confirm, or use the button below.
- 2
Kickoff
We'll schedule kickoff within 5 business days of approval.
- 3
Phase 1 begins
Discovery interviews start the week after kickoff.
Questions? Sarah Lindqvist · sarah@meridian.example
Acceptance & terms
Each phase is accepted when its milestone criteria are met; feedback not raised within five business days is deemed acceptance. Fees are invoiced per phase, net 15. Either party may terminate for convenience with 14 days' notice; work completed to date is billable. Master services terms apply.
A live render of this template with a sample deal — not a mockup. Your version uses your brand, pricing, and proof.
Who this template is for
- Consultancies and advisory firms scoping engagements
- Fixed-fee or phased projects where scope creep is the enemy
- Anyone whose proposals keep turning into negotiation documents
Deck'd drafts the objectives and scope from your discovery notes — the client's words become the engagement's goals — and pulls phases and pricing from how your firm actually structures work. The polish is automatic; the judgment stays yours.
What's inside
The sections, and the job each one does
Objectives
The engagement's why, in the client's terms — the outcomes that will make this money well spent.
Scope & deliverables
What's included, phase by phase, and what each phase hands over. Written so both sides can point at it later.
Milestones & timeline
Dated milestones with clear acceptance points — the skeleton the whole engagement hangs on.
Assumptions & dependencies
What you're counting on the client for. The section that prevents the awkward week-three conversation.
Investment by phase
Pricing mapped to the phases, so cost tracks visibly to deliverables — easier to approve, harder to whittle.
Acceptance & next steps
How the engagement starts, and what 'done' means for each phase.
FAQ
- How do I write a consulting proposal?
- Lead with the client's objectives, not your firm's credentials. Then scope (what's in and out), deliverables, dated milestones, assumptions, and investment by phase. The structure of this template is that list, in that order.
- Is this a proposal or a statement of work?
- Both — for most engagements one document should do the selling and the scoping. Keep the narrative sections persuasive and the scope sections precise, and you avoid maintaining two documents that drift apart.
- How should consultants present pricing?
- By phase, tied to deliverables. A single number invites haggling; phased investment invites a conversation about scope — which is the conversation you want.
Templates are the start, not the point
Your deal writes the rest.
Join the waitlist and Deck'd will draft this template for one of your real deals — your brand, your pricing, your proof.