Brand Collaboration Proposal Template (UK)

Updated on 22 August 2026

A brand collaboration proposal is a pitch. A creator, agency or partner brand uses it to set out who they reach, what they would make, when, on what terms and for how much, so the brand can say yes, no, or yes-with-changes before anyone drafts a contract. A good one shortens the negotiation that follows, because the awkward questions about usage rights, exclusivity and payment are already answered.

The critical design point is that a proposal must not accidentally become a contract. In English law an offer that is accepted, supported by consideration and intended to create legal relations is a contract — and a document that says it is non-binding while ending in a mutual signature block is exactly the sort of thing parties argue about afterwards. This version is marked subject to contract throughout and ends with an acknowledgement of receipt rather than a counter-signature. It also fixes the three other faults in the source document: a section duplicated across two pages, a compensation heading with nothing under it, and disclosure reduced to a promise to comply with "applicable advertising standards".

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Brand Collaboration Proposal — Subject to Contract

Date:
Prepared for:: —
Prepared by:: —
Pricing held until:

1. Status of this Proposal

This document is a proposal for discussion and is subject to contract. The terms in it are indicative and subject to a separate written agreement signed by both parties. It is not an offer capable of acceptance, and neither party is under any obligation to proceed. The date above indicates how long will hold the pricing; it is not a deadline for acceptance.

2. About

Platforms and handles in scope:

OptionalAudience and reach sectionInclude your platform figures and their source.

3. Audience and Reach

Followers / subscribers:
Average reach or views per post:
Engagement rate:
Audience geography and age:
Source of figures:

The figures above come from the source stated and are accurate as at that date. They are aggregate figures only. The audience is organic: no followers, views or engagement have been purchased.

4. Objectives

5. Proposed Deliverables

Content would be produced in 's own style and voice, within brand guidelines supplied in advance. One round of factual and compliance comments is included; further rounds would be agreed separately.

6. Timeline

7. Fee

Production fee:
Payment stages:
VAT:

OptionalExpenses lineInclude pre-approved travel or production costs.

8. Usage Rights

Proposed copyright position: . Any assignment of copyright would be dealt with in the signed agreement, in writing, as the law requires.

The fee above covers publication on the creator's own channels and reposting by on its own organic channels for months from first publication, with credit.

OptionalPaid media optionOffer advertising use of the content as a priced add-on.

OptionalExclusivity optionOffer a category exclusivity window as a priced add-on.

9. Advertising Disclosure

Every item of paid content would be obviously identifiable as advertising. The proposed label is , placed at the start of the caption or as a legible on-screen label, in addition to any platform paid-partnership tool. The creator would make only claims that has confirmed in writing it can substantiate, and only about products actually used.

10. Confidentiality

Each party would keep the other's non-public information — including unlaunched products, campaign plans and pricing — confidential while the parties are in discussion, and would not share this proposal outside its own organisation without consent.

11. Next Steps

Feedback on deliverables, timing, fee and rights.
Agreement on any changes, in writing.
A signed collaboration or ambassador agreement covering deliverables, disclosure, rights, payment and termination.
Production begins once the agreement is signed and any first payment is received.

12. Acknowledgement of Receipt

Signing below confirms only that has received this proposal and is willing to continue the discussion. It is not acceptance of the terms, creates no obligation, and does not commit either party to the collaboration. Any agreement would be subject to contract.

Received for {{brand_name}} by

Date received:

Subject to contract, and visibly so

"Subject to contract" is a well-understood signal in UK commercial practice: it indicates that the parties do not intend to be bound until a formal agreement is signed. This template uses it in the heading, in the status section and in the acknowledgement, and avoids the words offer and acceptance in the operative text.

The validity date is a courtesy — how long the creator will hold the pricing — not an option the brand can exercise. If the brand wants to proceed, the next document is a collaboration or ambassador agreement, and both are linked from this page. Keeping the pitch and the contract separate is better for both sides than a hybrid that reads as either.

Audience data a brand's media team can check

The part of a proposal that gets scrutinised is the audience section, and follower counts alone are weak. Reach, average views, engagement rate, audience geography and age split, and the source and date of those figures are what make a proposal credible.

Add a statement that the audience is organic and that no engagement has been bought. It costs nothing and it is increasingly a warranty brands want in the contract, because inauthentic audiences are the commonest reason a campaign underdelivers. Where audience data is shared, keep it aggregated — passing individual-level follower data raises data protection questions nobody wants in a pitch.

Price the rights, not just the posts

Most creator disputes are about usage rather than production. A brand that pays for two posts and then runs them as paid advertising for a year has taken something the fee never covered. The proposal is the right place to make that visible: organic posting is one line, the brand's right to repost on its own channels is another, paid media and whitelisting is a third, and exclusivity is a fourth.

Under the CDPA 1988 the creator owns copyright in what they make unless there is a written, signed assignment, so the proposal should also indicate whether ownership is expected to move or whether the brand is buying a licence. Setting all of that out separately does not make the pitch harder to accept; it lets a brand buy less rather than negotiate the fee down.

Disclosure, agreed at pitch stage

The CAP Code requires marketing communications to be obviously identifiable, and since April 2025 the CMA has been able to fine businesses directly for hidden advertising. Leaving disclosure to "where required by applicable advertising standards" is not a plan — it is the thing the brand's compliance team will send back.

This template names the label the creator will use and where it will appear, and confirms the creator will only make claims the brand can substantiate. That protects the creator and tells the brand what evidence it will need to supply.

Section-by-section guide

Status of this proposal: The subject-to-contract statement up front, plus how long the pricing is held.
About the creator: Positioning, content focus and the platforms in scope, in a few lines.
Audience and reach: Optional. Followers, reach, engagement, top geographies and the source and date of the figures.
Objectives: What the collaboration is for, as outcomes the brand recognises.
Proposed deliverables: Format, platform, quantity and description — what the fee is priced against.
Timeline: Production, approval, publication and reporting dates.
Fee and expenses: The production fee, payment stages, VAT position and any pre-approved costs.
Usage rights: Organic use, brand reposting, and paid media priced separately, with the ownership position indicated.
Exclusivity: Optional. The category and window offered, and what it costs.
Advertising disclosure: The CAP Code label and placement the creator will use, agreed before anyone commits.
Confidentiality: Keeps unlaunched campaign information private during discussions.
Next steps: Names the contract that would follow, so the brand knows what it is moving toward.
Acknowledgement of receipt: Confirms receipt and willingness to continue discussing — not acceptance.

Points to get right before you send it

Keep the document subject to contract
Say it is indicative and subject to a signed agreement, avoid offer-and-acceptance language, and use an acknowledgement of receipt rather than a mutual signature block.
Name the disclosure label and its placement
The CAP Code requires marketing communications to be obviously identifiable. Specifying the label in the proposal removes a predictable objection from the brand's compliance team.
ASA/CAP — recognition of advertising
Remember the CMA can fine for hidden ads
Since 6 April 2025 the CMA has been able to impose penalties for consumer-law breaches directly, and undisclosed paid endorsement falls within the regime. Brands care about this clause more than they used to.
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024
Indicate the copyright position
The creator owns copyright in what they make unless there is a written, signed assignment. Say whether the brand is expected to take ownership or a licence, so the contract can match the expectation.
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, s.90
State the source and date of audience figures
Platform analytics, a media-kit export or a third-party tool, with the date. Undated or unsourced numbers lose credibility with a media team quickly.
Deal with VAT
Say whether the fee is exclusive of VAT and whether you are VAT registered, so the brand can budget correctly.
Keep audience data aggregated
Share reach and demographics at aggregate level. Passing individual-level data about followers raises data protection questions that do not belong in a pitch.

How to complete this proposal

Fill in the parties and dates. Add your details, the brand and contact you are pitching, the date and how long the pricing holds.
Add your audience numbers. Enter reach, engagement and audience mix, and name the source and date.
List deliverables and timeline. State format, platform and quantity, then production, approval and publication dates.
Price production and rights separately. Enter the fee, payment stages, VAT position, usage term and any paid media or exclusivity.
Set the disclosure. Choose the label and placement you will use on every item of paid content.
Send it as a PDF or DOCX. Download, check the subject-to-contract wording is intact, and send it with a short covering note naming the next step.

Frequently asked questions

Is a brand collaboration proposal legally binding?

This one is drafted not to be. It is marked subject to contract, avoids offer-and-acceptance language, and ends with an acknowledgement of receipt rather than a mutual signature. Be careful with templates that declare themselves non-binding and then include a counter-signature block — that combination is exactly what arguments are built on.

What does "subject to contract" actually do?

It signals that the parties do not intend to be bound until a formal agreement is signed, and it is well understood in UK commercial practice. It is not magic — conduct can still matter — but using it consistently in the heading, the status section and the acknowledgement, and avoiding language of offer and acceptance, makes the intention unambiguous.

How much audience detail should I include?

Enough to be checkable: follower count, average reach or views, engagement rate, top three audience locations, broad age split, and where the figures came from and when. Add that the audience is organic and no engagement has been purchased, because brands increasingly ask for that as a warranty in the contract anyway.

Should I put my rate in the proposal?

Usually yes, split into production, usage and any exclusivity. A pitch with no numbers invites the brand to anchor first, and a single all-in figure invites them to negotiate it down without giving anything up. Separating the components lets a brand reduce scope instead of reducing your fee.

Who owns the content if the brand says yes?

You do, unless the contract that follows contains a written, signed assignment — that is the position under the CDPA 1988, and paying for content does not change it by itself. Indicate in the proposal whether you are offering a licence or an assignment, so the brand's expectation matches the contract that gets drafted.

Do I need to mention disclosure if the brand has not raised it?

Yes, and it helps you. The CAP Code requires ads to be obviously identifiable and the CMA can now fine businesses for hidden advertising, so a proposal that already specifies the label and placement looks professional and removes a common late obstacle.

Can I use this for a brand-to-brand partnership?

Yes. The structure works for co-marketing between two businesses — replace the audience section with your channel and customer-base data, and drop the disclosure section if no paid endorsement is involved. The subject-to-contract framing and the separation of deliverables, rights and costs are just as useful there.

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Disclaimer

This template and guide are general information about UK practice, not legal, advertising-compliance or tax advice, and nobody has reviewed your pitch. The document is designed to be non-binding; if you edit it, take care not to turn it into an offer capable of acceptance.