Proposal and SOW Templates
Discipline: every proposal is a commitment document. Vague proposals kill deals. Use the right template for the right tier; never freelance.
1. Proposal types by tier
| Tier | Proposal type | Length | Tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 (PLG) | None — automated checkout | 0 pages | In-product |
| T2 (SMB) | Short Proposal | 4-6 pages | PandaDoc template |
| T3 (Mid-market) | Standard Proposal + SOW | 8-12 pages | PandaDoc + DocuSign |
| T4 (Enterprise) | Master Services Agreement + SOW + Pricing Addendum | 25-40 pages | Legal-drafted, MSA + redlines |
| T5 (Resort) | MSA + SOW + Pricing Addendum + Implementation Plan | 30-45 pages | Same as T4 |
| T6 (F&B chain) | Standard Proposal + SOW | 6-10 pages | PandaDoc |
2. Short Proposal template (T2) — 4-6 pages
Page 1 — Cover
- KeyNova logo + Customer logo
- "Proposal for [Property Name] — Hospitality Operating System"
- Date, expiration (30 days), proposal ID
- Prepared by: [AE name + email + phone]
- Prepared for: [Champion + Economic Buyer]
Page 2 — Executive Summary
Re-state in their language:
- Their stated goal (verbatim from discovery)
- The 3 specific pains we will solve
- Headline ROI number
- "We propose [X tier] for [N properties / N keys], delivering [outcomes]"
Page 3 — Scope
| Module | Included | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PMS (Front desk, reservations, housekeeping) | ✓ | |
| Channel Manager | ✓ | [X] OTAs configured |
| Booking Engine | ✓ | Branded |
| POS (F&B) | ✓ | [N] outlets |
| Banquet | ✓ | |
| Spa | ✓ | |
| Asset / PPM | ✓ | |
| CRM | ✓ | |
| Payments (Razorpay) | ✓ | UPI + cards + netbanking |
| Analytics + Reports | ✓ | |
| Mobile app | ✓ | iOS + Android |
| Revenue Strategy / AI | — | Optional add-on |
Implementation includes:
- Data migration from [current vendor]
- 2 on-site training days (front-desk + accounts)
- 14-day go-live with founder hotline
- 30-day post-go-live hand-holding
Implementation excludes:
- Hardware procurement (separate quote via partners)
- Custom integrations beyond [list]
- Content / branding work
Page 4 — Pricing
| Line item | Year 1 | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|
| Pro tier × [N] keys × ₹399 × 12 months | ₹[X] | ₹[X] |
| Implementation (one-time) | ₹[Y] | — |
| Optional: Revenue Strategy module | ₹[Z] | ₹[Z] |
| Total Year 1 | ₹[X+Y+Z] | — |
| Total Year 2+ | — | ₹[X+Z] |
Annual prepay → 2 months free. Final: ₹[X * 10/12].
Page 5 — Timeline
- Day 0: Contract signed
- Day 1-5: Kick-off + data scope confirmed
- Day 6-9: Configuration + branding
- Day 10-12: Training delivered
- Day 13-14: Pilot go-live (one shift)
- Day 15: Full go-live
- Day 45: Stabilisation review
Page 6 — Acceptance
- Two signature blocks: KeyNova + Customer
- Terms: payment, cancellation, SLA, data ownership
- Reference to MSA (link or attachment)
3. Standard Proposal + SOW (T3) — 8-12 pages
Adds to the T2 template:
- Detailed integration scope (door locks, IPTV, accounting)
- Per-property breakdown (if multi-property)
- Custom modules / configurations
- Detailed implementation Gantt
- Resource plan (KeyNova team + Customer team)
- Success metrics + go-live acceptance criteria
- Change request process
- Escalation matrix
- Reference customers
4. Enterprise MSA + SOW (T4/T5)
MSA standard clauses
| Clause | Default |
|---|---|
| Term | 3 years, auto-renew 1 year unless 90-day notice |
| Payment | NET 30 from invoice; annual in advance |
| SLA | 99.9% (Business), 99.95% (Enterprise with credit schedule) |
| Data ownership | Customer owns all data; full export anytime |
| Data residency | India (AWS ap-south-1) confirmed in writing |
| Liability cap | 12 months fees |
| Indemnity | Mutual for IP, third-party claims |
| Insurance | KeyNova: $2M cyber, $1M E&O |
| Termination | For cause (30-day cure); convenience by customer with notice + remaining-year fees |
| Audit rights | Annual SOC 2 report shared; on-site limited to ISO-certified auditor |
| Confidentiality | Mutual NDA, 3-year survival |
| IP | KeyNova retains platform IP; customer retains data + content |
| Governing law | India (Karnataka jurisdiction); arbitration in Bengaluru |
SOW essential sections
- Scope Statement — modules, properties, users, integrations
- Deliverables — itemised with acceptance criteria
- Pricing — multi-year, ramp schedules, true-ups
- Implementation Plan — phased rollout, milestones, dates
- Customer Responsibilities — data, staff time, hardware, network
- Acceptance Criteria — what "done" looks like at each milestone
- Change Management — process, pricing, timeline impact
- Resource Plan — RACI, named individuals
- Compliance & Security — DPDPA, CERT-In, PCI DSS posture
- Out-of-scope — explicit list to avoid scope-creep
Common enterprise asks
- Tenant isolation guarantees (already isolated, document it)
- DR plan with RTO/RPO commitments
- Pen-test results (annual report shared under NDA)
- Service-credit schedule for SLA breaches
- Data export schedule on termination
- Source-code escrow (we will discuss; default no, but available at additional cost)
- Custom legal-entity / SPV structures (CFO approval)
5. Pricing Addendum template
Always a separate document — easier to update at renewal without reopening MSA.
| Field | Default |
|---|---|
| Pricing model | per-key/month (T2-T5), per-outlet/month (T6), per-bed/month (PG) |
| Initial year price | ₹X per key per month |
| Volume tiers | 50-149 keys: list; 150-349: -10%; 350+: negotiated |
| Annual escalation | 8% on year-over-year renewal |
| Inflation cap | CPI + 3% (alternative to fixed 8%) |
| Implementation | one-time, per property |
| Hardware-as-a-service | via partners, separately quoted |
| Add-on modules | priced per-add-on, listed separately |
| Support tier | Standard / Premium / Dedicated CSM |
| Travel + onsite | reimbursed at-cost if customer requests; capped per SOW |
6. Implementation Plan template (attached to SOW)
| Phase | Days | Owner | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-engagement | -14 to 0 | KeyNova | Kickoff plan, project team, comms cadence |
| Discovery | 1-7 | KeyNova + Customer | Data inventory, integration scope, branding |
| Configuration | 8-21 | KeyNova | Tenant setup, modules enabled, customisation |
| Data migration | 14-28 | KeyNova | Historical data imported, validated |
| Training | 22-35 | KeyNova | All-hands sessions, role-based, certified |
| Pilot go-live | 36-42 | Both | Limited live (1 shift), monitored |
| Full go-live | 43-50 | Both | All shifts live, on-site support |
| Stabilisation | 51-90 | KeyNova | Daily check-ins, issue burn-down |
| Hyper-care exit | 91 | KeyNova | Handover to CSM, retro |
7. Reference customer commitment
In every proposal:
- "We provide 3 reference customer calls within 7 days of request"
- "On request, we facilitate a 1-day site visit to a comparable property using KeyNova"
- "We have a public case study program; pricing benefits available to customers willing to participate"
8. Procurement-aligned answers (T3+)
Pre-fill the following in proposal to short-circuit RFP cycles:
- Company financials summary (revenue, employees, funding)
- Insurance certificates
- Privacy policy + data-handling SOPs
- Sub-processor list (AWS, Razorpay, etc.)
- SOC 2 / ISO certifications with date issued and validity
- Penetration test summary letter
- DPA (Data Processing Agreement) template
- BCDR plan summary
- Sample monthly status report
9. Common procurement red flags + responses
| Red flag in RFP | Response |
|---|---|
| "Source code escrow required" | Offered at additional cost; rarely accepted by us, alternative is "data extraction guarantee on termination" |
| "Unlimited liability" | No — capped at 12 months fees; carve-outs for confidentiality + IP infringement only |
| "Indemnification for all customer losses" | Mutual indemnity, capped |
| "On-prem option required" | Disqualify; we are cloud-only |
| "Sovereign cloud only" | India ap-south-1 is sovereign; if specifically Indian cloud provider required (MeitY-empanelled) → not yet, in flight |
| "Customer can audit anytime" | Limited to once/year, with NDA-bound auditor, advance notice |
| "Service credits in cash" | Service credits applied to future invoice; cash refunds only at termination |
| "Right to remove our content/branding on dissatisfaction" | Standard right to terminate for cause; full data export within 30 days |
10. Proposal delivery best-practice
- Walk through the proposal live in a 45-min meeting; don't email + wait
- Use a "yes/maybe/no" colored highlighting for clauses
- Capture objections in the call; address top 3 in revised version within 24h
- Always send revised version with a tracked-changes view
- Aim for one round of redlines from customer
- Customer review cycle > 21 days → engage VP Sales to push timeline
11. What we will never put in a proposal
- Promises beyond what's in the product or signed roadmap
- "Best efforts" language without exit clauses
- Performance guarantees we don't measure
- Specific dates without buffer
- Discount language that erodes price floors
- Custom legal that hasn't been pre-blessed by our counsel
- Compliance certifications we don't yet hold
12. Approvals matrix (who can sign what)
| Document | Approver |
|---|---|
| T1 PLG terms | Auto (clickwrap) |
| T2 Short Proposal | AE (within standard) |
| T3 SOW | Director of Sales |
| T4 MSA + SOW | VP Sales + CFO |
| T5 Strategic Account MSA | CEO + CFO + Legal |
| Out-of-template clauses | Legal + VP Sales |
| Discounts > 25% | CEO |
| Multi-year prepay > ₹1 Cr | CFO |
13. Post-signature SOPs
Within 48h of signature:
- Salesforce opp marked Closed-Won
- Contract uploaded + indexed
- Implementation kickoff scheduled
- CSM assigned, intro email sent
- Finance triggers invoice
- Win announced in #sales-wins
- Win/loss interview scheduled (within 2 weeks)
- Case-study eligibility flag set
Last reviewed: 2026-05-16