Is this template free to use?

Yes. It is included on every plan, including Free. Sign up, choose 'Consulting engagement' and the full text and sample fee lines are loaded for you to edit.

Can I bill by phase instead of by hour?

Yes. The template quotes the diagnostic per week, the report as a job and implementation per week, but you can use hours, days or lump sums. Payment milestones are separate and tied to deliverables.

How should I handle expenses?

The template's commercial terms say travel and out-of-pocket expenses are at actuals with prior approval. If you prefer a fixed allowance, add it as a line.

Can I present a success-fee option?

The notes section mentions it as an alternative. If you want to quote it, add an optional line with the fee structure so it appears separately from the fixed fee.

Can I remove the cover letter?

Yes. Any section can be hidden. Some consultants prefer to send the letter as the email body and keep the PDF to the proposal itself.

Can the client sign it?

The client accepts through the share link, which records who accepted, when, and from which device, with an optional note. Formal e-signature integration is on the roadmap.

Consulting proposal template with phased fees

A ready-to-edit proposal for consulting engagements: cover letter, executive summary, a diagnostic phase, recommendations, implementation support, and fees tied to milestones. Written for the Indian market with placeholders where your specifics go.

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Arka Advisory

Quotation

Valid 15 days

Prepared for

Precision Auto Components Ltd.

Consulting Proposal — [Engagement Name]

Item	Qty	Rate	Amount
Phase 1 — diagnostic (senior consultant and analyst)	4 week	₹90,000	₹3,60,000
Recommendations report and roadmap	1 job	₹80,000	₹80,000
Phase 2 — implementation support	8 week	₹55,000	₹4,40,000
Implementation toolkit (SOPs, dashboards, trackers)	1 job	₹45,000	₹45,000
Steering committee updates and closing report	1 job	₹30,000	₹30,000

Subtotal: ₹9,55,000
CGST 9%: ₹85,950
SGST 9%: ₹85,950
Total: ₹11,26,900

Optional: training workshop for supervisors (one day) — ₹47,200 incl. tax, not in total.

Executive summary

[Customer] wants to [objective]. We propose a [12-week] engagement in two phases: a diagnostic that establishes facts and quantifies the opportunity, followed by implementation support that helps your team put the agreed changes into practice.

Scope of work

- Phase 1 — Diagnostic ([4 weeks]): interviews, data analysis, process mapping and benchmarking - Recommendations report with a prioritised roadmap and business case - Phase 2 — Implementation support ([8 weeks]): weekly working sessions, templates and dashboards, coaching of process owners - Steering committee updates every [two weeks]

Sample quantities and prices are illustrative placeholders, not validated market rates. Edit every figure before sending.

Using the template

Step 1
Load it
Sign up and pick 'Consulting engagement'. Every section and sample fee line is filled in.
Step 2
Replace the placeholders
[Customer], [objective], [12-week], [city]: the editor highlights each one, and the copilot panel lists what is left to review.
Step 3
Set your fees
Per week, per day or lump sum. Payment milestones at signing, presentation and close.
Step 4
Share for acceptance
The client reads it online and accepts with a note. Convert to an invoice at each milestone.

Ten things a consulting proposal should settle

A checklist drawn from how engagements go wrong. The template covers each one; use it to review your own proposals as well.

Use this template

The client's goal in their words, in the first paragraph
A diagnostic phase short enough to start quickly
Deliverables named as documents the client will hold
Assumptions about the client's time and data access
Exclusions for legal, tax, IT and HR decisions
A schedule with a decision point between phases
Fees by phase, with expenses handled explicitly
A statement that results depend on implementation
Confidentiality and IP in one plain sentence each
An exit clause for the implementation phase

The structure of the template

The proposal opens with a short cover letter and a one-paragraph executive summary that restates the client's objective and names the two phases. Scope lists the diagnostic activities, the recommendations report and the implementation support in plain bullets. Deliverables are documents: an assessment, a roadmap, a toolkit of SOPs and dashboards, a closing report. Assumptions set out what the client must provide — a sponsor, a working team, data in week one, decisions within a week. Exclusions keep you clear of software licences, HR decisions and legal or tax advice. The schedule has a decision point after the diagnostic, which protects both sides.

Fees and milestones

Sample lines quote the diagnostic per week with a senior consultant and an analyst, the report as a lump sum, implementation per week, the toolkit as a job and a one-day training workshop as an optional line. Milestones are 30 percent on signing, 30 percent at the recommendations presentation, 20 percent mid-implementation and 20 percent at close. All figures are illustrative placeholders. The engine shows your margin if you enter the cost of your team's time.

Why consultants need an acceptance record

Consulting work starts on a handshake more often than it should. The share link gives you a record: who opened the proposal, when, and the acceptance with an optional note. It is not a substitute for a contract on large engagements, but for the many engagements that run on a proposal and an email, it is a cleaner trail than a WhatsApp thumbs-up. See sharing and acceptance in the help center.

Related templates

Engineering and architectural fee proposals follow the same phased pattern with design stages instead of diagnostic and implementation. The business proposal maker page explains the eleven available sections; the template gallery previews all twelve templates.

Frequently asked questions

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