Software agency
Software Development Proposal Template
Use this software development proposal template to scope a custom build with milestones, written acceptance criteria, integration risk handling, and payments tied to working software.
Talk to us about this templateSoftware Development Proposal
A milestone-based plan to design, build, and launch a customer portal with clear scope, acceptance criteria, and handover.
Why now.
Fernwood Property Group's tenants and owners currently rely on email and phone for requests that should be self-service. Lattice Works Software will design and build a customer portal covering account access, service requests, document sharing, and payment status, delivered in milestones with working software reviewed at each step.
The problem & solution.
Routine tenant and owner requests flow through a shared inbox, creating slow response times, no request visibility, and a support load that grows linearly with every property added.
Lattice Works Software will deliver a web-based portal with authenticated account access, structured service requests with status tracking, secure document sharing, and integration with the existing property management system.
Success Metrics
- Self-service request rate
- Current
- Zero, all requests via email and phone
- Target
- 60 percent of routine requests through the portal within 90 days
- First-response time
- Current
- Baseline from current inbox data
- Target
- Same-day acknowledgment via automated request intake
- Support hours per property
- Current
- Grows with portfolio size
- Target
- Flat support load as the portfolio grows
How we engage.
Milestone-based delivery with working software at every checkpoint and acceptance criteria agreed in writing up front.
Client Dependencies
- API access and documentation for the property management system
- A staging environment decision within the first two weeks
- One product owner for backlog priority and acceptance decisions
- Test users available during the hardening milestone
What's in & out.
In Scope
- Technical discovery and architecture design
- Authenticated portal with account and role management
- Service request workflows with status tracking and notifications
- Secure document sharing per account
- Integration with the existing property management system
Out of Scope
- Native mobile applications
- Payment processing implementation beyond status display
- Data migration from legacy archives
- Ongoing feature development after launch, available under a separate agreement
Success Prerequisites
- Third-party API access is granted during discovery
- Acceptance criteria are agreed in writing per milestone
- One consolidated feedback round per milestone demo
What you'll receive.
- 01Technical design and build planEnd of week 3
Architecture, data model, integration design, milestone acceptance criteria, and delivery plan.
- 02Core platformEnd of week 7
Authentication, account and role management, and the service request foundation deployed to staging.
- 03Feature-complete portalEnd of week 11
Document sharing, notifications, payment status display, and the property system integration.
- 04Hardened launch releaseEnd of week 14
Security review, performance pass, user acceptance fixes, production deployment, and handover documentation.
Phases, deliverables, allocations & dates.
- ·Technical design and build plan
- ·Core platform
- ·Feature-complete portal
- ·Hardened launch release
Fees & schedule.
Net 15
Third-party service and license fees are billed directly to the client. Pre-approved expenses are billed at cost.
Fees
Architecture, data model, integration spike, and the milestone delivery plan.
Authentication, account and role management, and the service request foundation.
Document sharing, notifications, payment status, and system integration.
Security review, performance pass, acceptance fixes, deployment, and handover.
Payment Schedule
Why this team.
Team Members
Owns architecture, integration design, and delivery quality.
Owns portal UX, accessibility, and the design system.
Case Studies
Built a policyholder self-service portal replacing email-based document requests.
Delivered a customer portal with account dashboards integrated into an existing back-office system.
Differentiators
- Working software demoed at every milestone, not slideware
- Acceptance criteria agreed in writing before each milestone starts
- Handover includes documentation and a recorded walkthrough for internal teams
What could go wrong.
The fine print.
This proposal may be attached to a separate services agreement if the parties choose to execute one.
Client owns the delivered application source code after all fees are paid. Lattice Works Software retains ownership of pre-existing libraries, tooling, and generic components.
Either party may terminate with written notice. Work completed through the termination date remains payable, and completed source code is delivered for paid milestones.
Template questions
What should a software development proposal include?
Scope with explicit out-of-scope items, milestone deliverables with acceptance criteria, the integration and dependency risks, IP ownership for source code, and payments tied to milestone acceptance rather than calendar dates.
Fixed price or time and materials for a software proposal?
Fixed price per milestone works when discovery is in scope: the first milestone de-risks the estimate before the build price locks. Pure time and materials shifts all risk to the client and makes approval harder.
How do I prevent scope creep in a development engagement?
Write acceptance criteria per milestone before it starts, and route new requests to a logged post-launch backlog. The proposal should say this explicitly so the conversation is contractual, not personal.
Who owns the source code in a development proposal?
Standard practice: the client owns the delivered application code once paid, while the vendor retains pre-existing libraries and generic tooling. Spell both halves out to avoid disputes at handover.