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FREE PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

PR proposal.
Built to win the work.

An editable pr proposal covering messages, target media, retainer, timeline, pricing and next steps, with a filled-in example. No email required.

Word, Google Docs and PDF. No email required.

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PROPOSALTemplate preview · Example
01

Your situation

Greystone Robotics needs a product launch media campaign. Here’s how we understand the goal.

02

Our approach

Strategy → Materials → Outreach → Reporting.

03

Investment

$6,800.00 in total, split across 4 phases.

04

Next steps

Sign to accept, pay the deposit and we’ll book the kickoff.

How to write a pr proposal

A good pr proposal is about the client, not you. It shows you understand their situation, proposes a specific way forward and makes the price and next step easy to find. PR is usually priced as a monthly retainer, with launches and events quoted as projects.

  • Open with their situation, using the words they used on your call.
  • Make objectives measurable where you can, so success is shared.
  • Explain your approach by phase — for PR consultants, typically strategy, materials, outreach, reporting.
  • Break the price down so the client can trade scope rather than question your rate.
  • Say what’s not included, such as paid distribution services unless listed.
  • End with one clear next step and a validity date.

The template

Cover

  • Proposal: [Project name] for [Client]
  • Prepared by: [Your name, business]
  • Date: [Date]
  • Valid until: [Date]

1. Your situation

[In the client’s words: where they are now, what they want to achieve and why now.]

2. Objectives

  • [Objective, ideally measurable]
  • [Objective]
  • [Objective]

3. Our approach

  1. Strategy: [What happens and what the client sees]
  2. Materials: [What happens and what the client sees]
  3. Outreach: [What happens and what the client sees]
  4. Reporting: [What happens and what the client sees]

4. Deliverables

  • [Messaging framework and media list]
  • [Press release and media pack]
  • [Interview briefings]
  • [Coverage report]

5. Timeline

PhaseDatesClient input needed
Strategy[Dates][Input or approval]
Materials[Dates][Input or approval]
Outreach[Dates][Input or approval]
Reporting[Dates][Input or approval]

6. Investment

ItemDescriptionFee
Launch strategy[Messaging, media list and timeline][Fee]
Press release[Writing, approval and distribution][Fee]
Media outreach[Pitching and interview coordination][Fee]
Coverage report[Summary of coverage and reach][Fee]
  • Total: [Amount, excluding tax]
  • Payment schedule: [e.g. 40% to start, 30% at milestone, 30% on completion]

7. Not included

  • [Paid distribution services unless listed]
  • [Event costs]
  • [Guaranteed coverage]

8. What we need from you

  • [A spokesperson available for interviews]
  • [Approval of releases within agreed times]
  • [Product information under embargo]

9. Why us

[Two or three sentences and one relevant example or result. Keep it about the client’s problem.]

10. Next steps

  1. [Sign below or reply to accept]
  2. [Pay the deposit]
  3. [Kickoff on date]
  • Accepted by: [Name, title]
  • Signature: [Signature]
  • Date: [Date]

How to fill it in

  1. Write the client’s situation and goals in their own words, from your discovery call.
  2. Turn goals into two or three objectives you can both recognise as success.
  3. Set out your approach by phase and the deliverables at each step, such as “Messaging framework and media list”.
  4. Add a timeline that shows where you need the client’s input or approval.
  5. Price the work by item or phase, with a payment schedule.
  6. List exclusions and what you need from the client, then add a clear way to accept.

Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF

Microsoft Word

  1. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
  2. Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
  3. Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.

Google Docs

  1. Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
  2. Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
  3. Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.

PDF

Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).

Example: Lantern Communications’s proposal for Greystone Robotics

Key sections from a proposal for a product launch media campaign. Both companies are fictional.

Your situation

Greystone Robotics wants a product launch media campaign. You told us the priority is getting it right first time, with clear approvals and no surprises on cost.

Our approach

  1. Strategy: Messaging framework and media list
  2. Materials: Press release and media pack
  3. Outreach: Interview briefings
  4. Reporting: Coverage report

Investment

ItemDescriptionQty / timeRateAmount
Launch strategyMessaging, media list and timelineFixed fee$2,500.00$2,500.00
Press releaseWriting, approval and distribution1 item$900.00$900.00
Media outreachPitching and interview coordination1 month$3,000.00$3,000.00
Coverage reportSummary of coverage and reachFixed fee$400.00$400.00
  • Total: $6,800.00 excluding tax

What we need from you

  • A spokesperson available for interviews
  • Approval of releases within agreed times
  • Product information under embargo

Proposal mistakes that lose work

  • Starting with your history. The client cares about their problem first; your credentials belong near the end.
  • A template that reads like one. Replace every generic sentence with something specific to this client.
  • Hiding the price. If they can’t find it, they can’t say yes.
  • Vague deliverables. Specific deliverables make the proposal easier to approve and the project easier to run.
  • No follow-up. Agree when you’ll check in before you send it.

Once it’s accepted, turn the scope into a statement of work and a kickoff agenda.

MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU

Useful structure.
Your way of working.

01

Lead with their problem.

Open with the client’s situation and goal in their own words. For a product launch media campaign, that means the outcome they want, not the services you sell. It proves you listened before you start selling.

02

Make scope easy to approve.

List deliverables and exclusions plainly. For PR consultants, the usual disputes start with paid distribution services unless listed.

03

One clear next step.

End with how to accept, the deposit and the kickoff date. A proposal that ends with “let us know” waits in an inbox.

GOOD QUESTIONS

Before you download.

Talk to us
What should a PR proposal include?

Your understanding of the story and audience, objectives, key messages, target media, tactics and timeline, how you’ll report, the fee and a clear statement that coverage isn’t guaranteed.

How long should a proposal be?

As short as it can be while still defining the work. For most service projects, three to eight pages is enough. The client should be able to find the scope, price and next step in under a minute.

Should I put the price in a proposal?

Yes. A proposal without a price can’t be accepted. Present it after the approach and value, broken into items or phases, and consider offering two or three options.

What’s the difference between a proposal and a contract?

A proposal sells the work and sets out scope and price. A contract sets the legal terms. Many firms send a proposal that, once signed, incorporates their terms, or follow it with a separate agreement.

Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?

Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.

How do I save it as a PDF?

Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.

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