PROPOSAL / SOW SKELETON — Scale and Beyond
Not a legal document. The headings and the questions each section needs
answered, so a real proposal doesn't start from a blank page. Have this
reviewed by whoever handles contracts before it goes out.
Free to use, adapt and share. No attribution required.

1 · COVER & CONTEXT
Client name, date, prepared by:


One sentence on why this proposal exists — what conversation led here:


2 · PROBLEM STATEMENT
The problem in the client's own words, not reframed into agency language:


What happens if nothing changes — the real cost of inaction:


3 · PROPOSED SCOPE
In scope — named specifically, not "full-service":


Explicitly out of scope — the thing most likely to get assumed otherwise:


4 · APPROACH & TIMELINE
The approach, in plain language, in three to five steps:


Timeline — start date, key milestones, end date or renewal point:


5 · DELIVERABLES
What gets delivered, in a list specific enough that "done" isn't a debate:


Format each deliverable arrives in (report, dashboard, working account):


6 · INVESTMENT & PAYMENT TERMS
Total investment, and how it's structured (retainer, project, hybrid):


Payment schedule and terms:


What's included versus billed separately (ad spend, third-party tools):


7 · ASSUMPTIONS & DEPENDENCIES
What this proposal assumes is already true or already in place:


What the client needs to provide, and by when, for the timeline to hold:


8 · TERMS, SIGNATURES & NEXT STEP
Standard terms reference (link to full agreement, if separate):


Signature lines — client and agency:


The single next action required to move this forward: