Build a proposal

A proposal has one job: turn a project into a priced, signable document your client can review and accept. FirstSlate keeps the default view lean (scope, price, payment, contract) and lets you add anything else, like a schedule or usage rights, only when the job needs it.

Where to find it

Dashboard → Projects → [a project] → Build Proposal, or Dashboard → Proposals → New proposal (which sends you to pick a project first, since every proposal lives inside one). Each project holds one proposal at a time.

Start from a preset

New proposals open with a Start from row: Quick quote (price, payment, and contract only), Standard (adds a project overview), or Full pitch (every optional section, including schedule, deliverables, usage rights, and late fees). Presets only decide what starts empty; you can add or remove any section later from the "Add to this proposal" row at the bottom of the page. You can also Copy a previous proposal, which pulls the scope, pricing, discounts, and contract from an older proposal so you're editing instead of starting blank.

Scope & Pricing

This is where the document is built. Add a line item for each service, set a quantity and rate, and write a short description if the client needs context. Group items under Pre-Production, Production, or Post-Production phases, or use the quick-add chips for common line items in each phase.

Mark any line as an optional add-on. Add-ons show up on the client's page as things they can choose to include, so your price stays flexible without a separate quote. If a service benefits from a visual, attach an example: paste a YouTube or Vimeo link, or a direct image URL, and it becomes a preview the client can open right on that line item.

Two rows are producer-only. Profit markup and contingency are percentage add-ons on top of your line items, both flagged Internal only, so your client never sees your margin, only the final number.

Set the Client Price

Below the line items, the Client Price bar shows what the client will actually be charged, with two modes:

• Auto keeps the price synced to the suggested total (line items plus markup and contingency) as you edit.
• Manual lets you type your own number, which stays put no matter what you change above it. Switch back to Auto at any time to resync.

Discounts and tax

Turn on Discounts to add one or more percentage or flat discounts, each with its own label (for example "Sponsorship discount"). You can choose whether a discount applies to add-on items too. Tax is a single rate applied after discounts.

Add optional sections

Payment Schedule and Contract Terms are always part of the document. Everything else is opt-in: click a chip in the "Add to this proposal" row to bring in Overview, Schedule, Deliverables, Additional info, Usage rights, Cancellation policy, or Late fees. A section only shows as a chip when it's empty; once you add content it becomes a card on the page, and you can remove it again from that card.

Contract Terms is where you load a saved contract template or write custom terms for this client to agree to before signing. It's hidden entirely on estimates, since estimates don't carry contract language.

Plan availability

Proposals, add-ons, discounts, and contract terms work on every plan. The AI proposal assistant that can draft this content for you is Pro and Studio only. See plans and limits for the full comparison, or check pricing.

Common questions

Can my client see the markup or contingency rows?

No. Both are labeled Internal only and never appear on the public proposal page, the email, or the PDF. Only your suggested total and final Client Price are visible to them.

What happens to add-ons the client doesn't pick?

Nothing bills for them. Add-ons only add to the total once your client selects them on their page; declined add-ons are recorded but never charged.

Can I still switch between packages/tiers pricing?

The current builder is built around a single Client Price plus optional add-ons, which is the recommended way to price a proposal. Older proposals created with package tiers keep working as they were built.