--- title: "Retainer" description: "Send retainer proposals as pages your client opens anywhere. Templates for creative studios, with monthly fees, optional extras, view tracking and e-signature." canonical: "https://formlio.com/use-cases/retainers" locale: "en" type: "useCase" alternates: fr: "https://formlio.com/fr/use-cases/retainers.md" --- # Retainer ## Send retainer proposals as good as your work. Scope, monthly fees and the work that earns them, on one page your client opens anywhere. Retainer proposal software built for creative studios. - [Start your retainer proposal](https://formlio.com/signup) - [See the templates](https://formlio.com/templates) ### Present Show the work, the scope and the monthly fee in your studio's look. No more retainers reduced to a line on an invoice. ### Send Share one retainer proposal link that always shows the latest version. No more new files and emails for every correction. ### Follow up See who opened the retainer proposal and which sections they read. No more sending a PDF into a black box. ### Agree Let them choose pricing options, accept and e-sign on the page. No more chasing a renewal over weeks of email. ## Retainer proposal templates for creative studios. Retainer proposal templates for interiors, events, web and marketing studios. Each sets out the scope, the monthly fee and the work behind it, in your studio's look. - [London](https://formlio.com/templates/london-interior-design-retainer-proposal) — Win ongoing hospitality work with an interior design retainer proposal template: explain the retainer, scope, monthly fee and selected work for multi-site clients. - [Boston](https://formlio.com/templates/boston-event-retainer-proposal) — Win brand clients with an event marketing retainer proposal template covering run clubs, recovery pop-ups, content and data. Built for experiential agencies. - [Cardiff](https://formlio.com/templates/cardiff-website-care-plan-proposal) — Win retainer work with a festival care plan proposal template covering site and app upkeep, ticketing support and on-call weekend cover for event organisers. - [Cardiff](https://formlio.com/templates/cardiff-website-care-plan-proposal) — Win retainer work with a festival care plan proposal template covering site and app upkeep, ticketing support and on-call weekend cover for event organisers. - [Boston](https://formlio.com/templates/boston-event-retainer-proposal) — Win brand clients with an event marketing retainer proposal template covering run clubs, recovery pop-ups, content and data. Built for experiential agencies. ## Go from first draft to your client. Lay out your scope, monthly fees and optional extras in your studio's look, with the work behind them. Share it privately, see what they read, and collect an e-signature on the same page. 1. **Present: Build it from blocks, in your studio's look.** — \- Blocks for scope, monthly and yearly fees, optional extras and your work - Logo, fonts and colours set once - Start from a template or duplicate your last retainer proposal 2. **Send: Choose who sees the retainer proposal, then share the link.** — On a private link, only the people you invite can open it. Allow re-sharing per person, or keep it to them. 3. **Follow up: Get an alert when it's opened, then see what they read.** — See who viewed it on a private link, how often, and the time spent on each section. 4. **Agree: Let them choose pricing options, accept and e-sign on the page.** — Show weekly, monthly or yearly fees with a total for each, and optional extras clients switch on. They approve with a slide or sign on the page. ## Add more to every retainer proposal. Embed Google Sheets pricing, Figma boards and Loom walkthroughs next to your monthly fee. Publish it all on your studio's own domain. ### Embed what you already use Google Sheets pricing, Figma boards and Loom walkthroughs, live on the page. ### Talk on the page Pin a video or voice note next to your monthly fee, and chat live with your client on the document. ### Your own domain Publish your documents at an address like docs.yourstudio.com. On the Pro plan. ### Connect ChatGPT or Claude Build, edit or check on documents from the chat. ### Live editing Your team works on the same document at the same time, and sees when your client is on it. ## What changes when the retainer proposal is a page. Three studios, in their own words. > The level of customisation is a real strength. It allows you to create something that feels aligned with your own visual identity, without compromising on speed or usability. And importantly, it moves proposals away from static documents into something far more dynamic and engaging. > > — Ana Grigorovici, Founder, Designer & Creative Strategist, Design Bench Studio > I’ve used Formlio for design cases and proposals, and it’s a much better fit than the usual old-school tools. Most of them feel like a chore. Formlio doesn’t. It’s flexible, easy to use, and the support is seriously top tier. > > — Tadas Jotkevicius, Creative Art Director & 3D Artist, Tadas > The team at Formlio are so passionate about building a product specifically for creatives. They have really listened and turned feedback in features that are especially important to our day-to-day proposals. Having a responsive, web-style proposal just makes sense. It meets people where they are eg. scrolling on their phone, mid commute, making quick decisions. I’ve really loved connecting with Marianne and watching Formlio's journey unfold from the early stages. > > — Anita Taylor, Brand & Web Designer, The Design Lounge ## Common questions about retainer proposals. Monthly and one-off fees, tiers, currencies, signature validity, renewals and CRM for your retainer proposals. ### Can I show monthly and one-off fees together? Yes. Set each item as one-off, weekly, monthly or yearly, and the pricing block shows a total for each frequency. ### Can clients pick a retainer tier? Yes. Show two, three, four or more tiers to compare, with optional extras they switch on and off. ### Can I quote in my client's currency? Yes. Each document has its own currency. You can't mix currencies within one document. ### Is the e-signature valid? Formlio e-signatures comply with eIDAS in the EU and ESIGN and UETA in the US. Each one records the signer's consent, email, time and a fingerprint of the document, and shows if the document changed since signing. ### How do I handle a renewal? Duplicate last term's document, update the scope and fees, and send the new link. Version history keeps every version of both. ### Can I show the work done so far? Yes. Add a portfolio, gallery or video block with the work from the last term, film included. ### Does Formlio connect to my CRM? Not today. Each document sits in a deal stage on your Formlio dashboard, and automations can move it when it is viewed or signed. > “The work studios make is considered down to the last detail. The documents that carry it to the client rarely are. We made Formlio so every one of them is as good as the work.” ## Start with your next retainer proposal. Pick a template, add your work and send the link. [Browse templates](https://formlio.com/templates) ## Related - [Interior design](https://formlio.com/industries/interior-design): For interior design studios. Send concept presentations, fee proposals and FF&E schedules as pages clients open anywhere, in your studio's look. - [Events & experiential](https://formlio.com/industries/events-experiential): For event agencies. Send event pitches, budget estimates and run sheets as pages clients open anywhere, in your agency's look. - [Digital & web design](https://formlio.com/industries/digital-web-design): For web and digital studios. Send project proposals, scopes of work and design reviews as pages clients open anywhere, in your studio's look. - [Marketing](https://formlio.com/industries/marketing): For marketing agencies. Send campaign proposals, retainer proposals and statements of work as pages clients open anywhere, in your agency's look.