Recommended length: 5-7 pages
1. Engagement summary (~100 words)
The single paragraph version of the project. The business question being answered. The audience for the answer (board, exec team, head of department). The timeframe and the headline investment. Make this readable by a CEO in 45 seconds — it will be forwarded internally without you in the room.
2. Context and hypothesis (~150 words)
What you observed in discovery. The hypothesis you're testing. Two or three working assumptions about the business that you'll validate or disprove during the engagement. This is the section that tells the buyer you listened, and that you have a point of view — not just a generic methodology.
3. Scope and deliverables (~200 words)
A bulleted list of every output the client will receive. Number them. Be ruthless about what is in and what is out. Examples: "Final readout deck (40-60 slides) presented in person to your exec team." "Customer interview synthesis covering at least 12 interviews." "Data model and dashboards built in Looker covering ARR, retention, and pipeline metrics." Avoid "TBD" — if it's TBD, it's out of scope.
4. Methodology and approach (~180 words)
Walk through the four phases of the engagement: Discovery (weeks 1-2), Diagnosis (weeks 3-6), Synthesis (weeks 7-10), Recommendation (weeks 11-12). Under each, list the activities — interviews, analysis, workshops. Name the specific people on the client side who will be involved per phase. This sets expectations on time required from the buyer's team.
5. Team and access requirements (~100 words)
Who from your firm is staffed, with rates if relevant. What you need from the client: a single point of contact, access to data systems, calendar holds, internal comms support. Be specific about which executives need to commit time and how much.
6. Investment and engagement model (~80 words)
Fixed fee for the full engagement. Payment schedule — typically 40% on kickoff, 30% at the diagnosis review, 30% on final readout. Out-of-pocket expenses (travel, software). Optional retainer to continue beyond the 90 days at a specified day rate.
7. Why us, why now (~80 words)
A short close. Two or three reasons your firm is uniquely positioned for this question. Name one or two comparable engagements. End with a specific deadline — the proposal expires on X date because you'll need to staff the team by Y date. Make starting easier than not starting.