contract-and-proposal-writer

What this skill does

# Contract & Proposal Writer

**Tier:** POWERFUL
**Category:** Business Growth
**Tags:** contracts, proposals, SOW, NDA, MSA, GDPR, legal templates, freelance

## Overview

Generate professional, jurisdiction-aware business documents: freelance contracts, project proposals, statements of work, NDAs, and master service agreements. Outputs structured Markdown with conversion instructions for DOCX and PDF. Covers US (Delaware), EU (GDPR), UK, and DACH (German law) jurisdictions with clause libraries for each.

**This is not a substitute for legal counsel.** Use these templates as strong starting points. Review with an attorney for engagements over $50K or involving complex IP, equity, or regulatory requirements.

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## Core Capabilities

- Fixed-price and hourly development contracts
- Monthly consulting retainer agreements
- Project proposals with timeline and budget breakdown
- Statements of Work (SOW) with deliverables matrix and acceptance criteria
- NDAs (mutual and one-way)
- Master Service Agreements (MSA) with SOW attachment framework
- SaaS partnership agreements (reseller, referral, white-label, integration)
- GDPR Data Processing Addenda (Art. 28) for EU/DACH
- Jurisdiction-specific clause library (US, EU, UK, DACH)
- Change order and scope management clauses

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## Workflow

### Step 1: Requirements Gathering

Gather before drafting:

| Question | Why It Matters |
|----------|---------------|
| Document type? | Contract, proposal, SOW, NDA, MSA |
| Jurisdiction? | US-Delaware, EU, UK, DACH |
| Engagement model? | Fixed-price, hourly, retainer, revenue-share |
| Parties? | Legal names, roles, registered addresses |
| Scope summary? | 1-3 sentences describing the work |
| Total value or rate? | Drives payment terms and liability caps |
| Timeline? | Start date, end date or duration, milestones |
| Special requirements? | IP assignment, white-label, subcontractors, non-compete |
| Personal data involved? | Triggers GDPR DPA requirement in EU/DACH |

### Step 2: Template Selection

| Document Type | Engagement Model | Template |
|--------------|-----------------|----------|
| Dev contract | Fixed-price | Template A: Fixed-Price Development |
| Dev contract | Hourly/Retainer | Template B: Consulting Retainer |
| Partnership | Revenue-share | Template C: SaaS Partnership |
| NDA | Mutual | Template NDA-M |
| NDA | One-way (discloser/recipient) | Template NDA-OW |
| SOW | Any | Template SOW (attaches to MSA or standalone) |
| Proposal | Any | Template P: Project Proposal |

### Step 3: Generate & Fill

Fill all `[BRACKETED]` placeholders. Flag missing information as `[REQUIRED - description]`. Never leave blanks -- an incomplete contract is more dangerous than no contract.

### Step 4: Review Checklist

Before sending any generated document:

- [ ] All `[BRACKETED]` placeholders filled
- [ ] Correct jurisdiction selected and consistent throughout
- [ ] Payment terms match engagement model
- [ ] IP clause matches jurisdiction requirements
- [ ] Liability cap is reasonable (typically 1x-3x contract value)
- [ ] Termination clauses include both for-cause and for-convenience
- [ ] DPA included if personal data is processed (EU/DACH mandatory)
- [ ] Force majeure clause included for engagements over 3 months
- [ ] Change order process defined for fixed-price contracts
- [ ] Acceptance criteria defined for each deliverable

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## Clause Library

### Payment Terms

| Model | Standard Terms | Risk Notes |
|-------|---------------|------------|
| Fixed-price | 50% upfront, 25% at beta, 25% at acceptance | Best for defined scope |
| Hourly | Net-30, monthly invoicing | Requires time tracking |
| Retainer | Monthly prepaid, 1st of month | Include overflow rate |
| Milestone | Per-milestone invoicing | Define milestones precisely |
| Revenue-share | Net-30 after month close, minimum threshold | Requires audit rights |

**Late payment:** 1.5% per month (US standard), up to statutory maximum in EU/DACH.

### Intellectual Property

| Jurisdiction | Default IP Ownership | Key Requirement |
|-------------|---------------------|-----------------|
| US (Delaware) | Work-for-hire doctrine | Must be in writing, 9 qualifying categories |
| EU | Author retains moral rights | Separate written assignment needed |
| UK | Employer owns (if employee) | Contractor: explicit assignment required |
| DACH (Germany) | Author retains Urheberrecht permanently | Must transfer Nutzungsrechte (usage rights) explicitly |

**Pre-existing IP:** Always carve out pre-existing tools, libraries, and frameworks. Grant client a perpetual, royalty-free license to use pre-existing IP as embedded in deliverables.

**Portfolio rights:** Developer retains right to display work in portfolio unless client requests confidentiality in writing within 30 days.

### Liability

| Risk Level | Cap | When to Use |
|-----------|-----|-------------|
| Standard | 1x total fees paid | Most projects |
| High-risk | 3x total fees paid | Critical infrastructure, regulated industries |
| Uncapped (mutual) | No cap, mutual indemnification | Enterprise partnerships |

**Always exclude:** Indirect, incidental, and consequential damages (both parties).

### Termination

| Type | Notice Period | Financial Treatment |
|------|-------------|-------------------|
| For cause | 14-day cure period | Pay for work completed |
| For convenience (client) | 30 days written notice | Pay for work completed + 10-20% of remaining value |
| For convenience (either) | 30-60 days | Pay for work completed |
| Immediate (material breach uncured) | 7 days post-notice | Pro-rata payment |

### Confidentiality

- Standard term: 3 years post-termination
- Trade secrets: Perpetual (as long as information remains a trade secret)
- Return/destruction: All confidential materials returned or certified destroyed within 30 days of termination
- Exceptions: Publicly known, independently developed, received from third party, required by law

### Dispute Resolution

| Jurisdiction | Recommended Forum | Rules |
|-------------|-------------------|-------|
| US | Binding arbitration | AAA Commercial Rules, Delaware venue |
| EU | ICC arbitration or local courts | ICC Rules, venue in capital of governing law |
| UK | LCIA arbitration, London | LCIA Rules, English law |
| DACH | DIS arbitration or Landgericht | DIS Rules, German law |

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## Jurisdiction-Specific Requirements

### US (Delaware)
- Governing law: State of Delaware (most business-friendly)
- Work-for-hire doctrine applies (Copyright Act 101)
- Non-compete: Enforceable with reasonable scope/duration/geography
- Electronic signatures: Valid under ESIGN Act and UETA

### EU (GDPR)
- Data Processing Addendum required if handling personal data
- IP assignment may require separate written deed in some member states
- Consumer protection laws may override contract terms for B2C
- Right to withdraw within 14 days for distance contracts (B2C)

### UK (Post-Brexit)
- Governed by English law (most common choice)
- IP: Patents Act 1977, CDPA 1988
- UK GDPR (post-Brexit equivalent) applies for data processing
- Electronic signatures: Valid under Electronic Communications Act 2000

### DACH (Germany / Austria / Switzerland)
- BGB (Buergerliches Gesetzbuch) governs contracts
- Schriftform (written form) required for certain clauses (para 126 BGB)
- Author always retains moral rights (Urheberpersoernlichkeitsrecht) -- cannot be transferred
- Must explicitly transfer Nutzungsrechte (usage rights) with scope and duration
- Non-competes: Maximum 2 years, compensation required (para 74 HGB)
- DSGVO (German GDPR implementation) mandatory for personal data
- Kuendigungsfristen: Statutory notice periods apply and cannot be shortened below minimum

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## GDPR Data Processing Addendum (Template Block)

Required for any EU/DACH engagement involving personal data:

```markdown
## DATA PROCESSING ADDENDUM (Art. 28 GDPR/DSGVO)

Controller: [CLIENT LEGAL NAME]
Processor: [SERVICE PROVIDER LEGAL NAME]

### Processi