Template
Software project brief template
A one-page brief you can fill in and send to any software company (ours or anyone else's) to get faster, comparable proposals.
How to use it
Copy the headings below into a document and answer each in a few sentences. Short is fine; specific is better than long. Send the same brief to every company you approach so their proposals can be compared fairly.
1. About your organisation
Who you are, what you do, how many people, and who will be the main contact for the project.
2. The problem
What is slow, expensive or error-prone today? Who feels it, and what does it cost? Describe the problem, not the solution.
3. The people who will use it
Each type of user, roughly how many, and where they work: desk, phone, field, offline.
4. What a first release must do
The smallest set of things that would solve the core problem. List the nice-to-haves separately.
5. Systems and data
The tools it must connect to, and any data that needs to move from an old system.
6. Constraints
Timeline and what drives it, budget range, security or compliance requirements, hosting preferences.
7. After launch
Who will own, support and improve the software once it is live?
8. How you will decide
Who makes the decision, by when, and what matters most to you in choosing a partner.
Tick boxes as you go. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere. Use “Print or save as PDF” to keep a copy.
More guides
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The minimum security every business application should have, explained without jargon, with questions to ask your team or vendor.
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Send us what you have, even a rough brief. We'll give you honest, practical feedback within one working day.