Consulting Proposal

Prepared for: [Client name / company] Prepared by: [Your name / firm] Date: [Date] Valid until: [Date + 30 days]

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1. Executive summary

[In 3–4 sentences: the client's situation, the engagement you are proposing, the headline outcome, and the investment. Write this last and put it first — it is often the only section a sponsor reads in full.]

2. Situation and objectives

[Describe the client's current situation in their own words, including what has prompted them to seek help. Then state the specific objectives this engagement must achieve. Frame objectives as measurable outcomes, not tasks.]

• Situation: [What is happening and why it matters now]
• Objective 1: [Outcome to achieve]
• Objective 2: [Outcome to achieve]
• Objective 3: [Outcome to achieve]

3. Proposed approach and methodology

[Explain how you will move the client from the current situation to the objectives above. Describe your method and why it fits this problem. Connect each part of the approach to an objective in Section 2.]

• [Phase or workstream 1] — [what you will do and the objective it serves]
• [Phase or workstream 2] — [what you will do and the objective it serves]
• [Phase or workstream 3] — [what you will do and the objective it serves]

4. Phased workplan and deliverables

Phase	Focus	Key activities	Deliverable	Timing
1	[Diagnose]	[Activities]	[Artefact handed over]	[Weeks 1–2]
2	[Design]	[Activities]	[Artefact handed over]	[Weeks 3–5]
3	[Implement]	[Activities]	[Artefact handed over]	[Weeks 6–9]
4	[Embed / handover]	[Activities]	[Artefact handed over]	[Week 10]

5. Team and expertise

[Who will do the work and why they are credible for this engagement. Note who leads, who delivers, and how the engagement is governed.]

• [Name / role] — [relevant experience]
• [Name / role] — [relevant experience]

6. Fees and payment terms

[State your commercial model — fixed fee, retainer, or day rate — and what is included. Separate fees from expenses.]

Item	Detail	Fee
[Phase or workstream 1]	[What it covers]	[$]
[Phase or workstream 2]	[What it covers]	[$]
[Phase or workstream 3]	[What it covers]	[$]
Total		[$]

Payment terms: [e.g., 40% on signature, 40% at the design milestone, 20% on completion. Invoices due within 14 days. Reasonable travel and expenses billed at cost.]

7. Success measures

[The metrics and qualitative signals you and the client will use to judge the engagement. Tie each measure to an objective in Section 2 and state the baseline and the target.]

Measure	Baseline	Target	How measured
[KPI 1]	[Current]	[Goal]	[Method]
[KPI 2]	[Current]	[Goal]	[Method]

8. Assumptions and dependencies

[What you are relying on the client to provide, and the boundaries of scope.]

• [Access to data, systems, and key people]
• [Decisions made within agreed timeframes]
• Out of scope: [What this engagement does not cover]

9. Next steps

[One clear action. e.g., "To proceed, sign below or reply to confirm and we will issue the engagement letter and schedule the Phase 1 kickoff."]

Accepted by: ______________________ Date: ____________

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Optional sections

• Relevant experience: [A comparable engagement and the result it produced.]
• Governance: [Decision rights, meeting cadence, and phase sign-off.]
• Risks and mitigations: [The two or three biggest risks and how you will manage them.]