PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
For Independent Contractors
[The proposal for services is at the heart of an independent contractor’s sales tool kit. It combines key company
information, your unique selling proposition, and your knowledge of a client’s needs and wants into a sing le
document that can also serve as a basis for contract negotiations.
Use this sample proposal as an outline for developing your own.
To delete any shaded tips (like this one), just click the tip text and then press the spacebar.
The sample content throughout this proposal includes placeholder content for you to replace with your own. All
placeholder text is surrounded by angle brackets (<>).]
OVERVIEW
[Use the overview to provide a brief summary of the reason for the proposal, and how you can best support the
client’s needs. You can expand on this summary throughout the rest of the proposal.]
The Objective
[Include a purpose statement that covers the problem and the key theme a round your solution. Restate the client’s
needs as determined by reading their RFP or your previous interview process.]
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The Opportunity
[Include major points and identify the opportunity. Restate the client’s project goals you identified previously (such
as via RFP, interview, etc.).]
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The Solution
[Include recommendations that lead to your proposed solution. Summarize what you’re proposing to do and how
you’re going to meet the goals. You’ll be able to expand on the details within the ‘Our Proposal’ section.]
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OUR PROPOSAL
[Provide background information, including a brief background on your company and your understanding of the
client’s needs and specific issues to be addressed. You may also choose to include the results of any related
re search, project history, and additional factors that impact the client’s needs, such as socio-economic trends or
impending regulations.
Show your understanding of the benefits the client can expect. For example, describe the risks--what might be lost--
if appropriate action is not taken and compare this to the benefits they can achieve with a positive course of action.
If applicable, identify potential areas of concern for the client and how you can address them. Such items may be
fundamental issues that appear trivial, but are often overlooked by competing proposals.
Describe how your capabilities and proposed solution align with the client’s goals for the project, including how your
qualifications can uniquely address the current opportunity.]
We have developed solutions to help businesses stay ahead of customer satisfaction trends and propose that
Rationale
[Describe your reasons for developing the project as you have proposed it. You may need to justify why you have
chosen your unique approach. Consider including the following points in your rationale.]
?Research
?Market opportunities
?Alignment with mission
?Current resources/technology
Execution Strategy
Our execution strategy incorporates proven methodologies, extremely qualified personnel, and a highly responsive approach to managing deliverables. Following is a description of our project methods, including how the project will be developed, a proposed timeline of events, and reasons for why we suggest developing the project as described.
[Summarize your strategy based on your research into the client’s needs, your experience in providing similar
services to other clients, etc.]
Technical/Project Approach
[Describe the details of how the project will be managed from start to finish. This will include your specific
methodologies for completing deliverables, project management tools and techniques, communications with the
client, methods to evaluate and mitigate risk, and how the project will be evaluated.]
Resources
[Describe the resources you have in place or plan to acquire, such as qualified contractors, facilities, and
technology.]
Project Deliverables
Following is a complete list of all project deliverables:
Timeline for Execution
[Summarize the timeline of project-related events from start to finish.]
Key project dates are outlined below. Dates are best-guess estimates and are subject to change until a contract is executed.
[In the table that follows, include all important dates related to the project, broken down by date and duration. The
descriptions shown are for illustration purposes only: replace them with meaningful descriptions related to your
project. Items can include such things as payment and project milestones, installation schedules, meetings, or
reviews.]
Supplied Material
The following materials are to be supplied by
*We cannot be responsible for cost overruns caused by client’s failure to deliver materials by agreed-upon due dates.
EXPECTED RESULTS
[Describe the results expected from the project and why your approach will achieve those results.]
We expect our proposed solution to
Financial Benefits
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Technical Benefits
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Other Benefits
[Use this section to describe less tangible benefits such as increased morale or improved customer satisfaction.]
PRICING
The following table details the pricing for delivery of the services outlined in this proposal. This pricing is valid for <## days> from the date of this proposal:
QUALIFICATIONS
[Describe what sets your company apart from your competition (your unique selling proposition).]
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[Describe the strengths of your company, focusing on specializations that are most relevant for this project. As
appropriate, include additional strengths of your unique selling proposition that provide benefits the customer may
not have articulated.
Identify qualifications that support your ability to address specific client needs for the project.
Provide information that shows how you can meet the required schedule, such as staffing/subcontractors and
percentage of time devoted to the project.]
CONCLUSION
[Close out the proposal with a statement that demonstrates your concern for the client and their needs, your
expertise, and your willingness to help them solve the issues in question. Include any expected next steps and note
the ways they can get in touch with you.]
We look forward to working with
If you have questions on this proposal, feel free to contact
Thank you for your consideration,