By name: proposal-pricing description: > This skill should be used when the user asks to "estimate proposal cost", "calculate pricing", "build a cost estimate", "price this proposal", "what should we quote", "generate pricing", "calculate man-month rates", or needs to convert hourly billing rates into monthly/total project costs for engineering consultancy proposals. version: 0.1.0
Proposal Pricing & Cost Estimation
Calculate commercial proposal amounts for engineering consultancy services based on the company's rate card, staffing requirements extracted from client RFPs, and gap analysis results.
Input Requirements
Before pricing, ensure the following are available:
- Rate Card: Read from the company's rate card file (Excel or CSV in the user's folder). Expected columns: Category, Hourly Rate (~~currency), Description.
- Staff Requirements: Output from the RFP analysis (positions, man-months, rate categories). Each position must carry its source reference (file name + page/sheet/row from the original RFP documents).
- Gap Analysis: Which positions are in-house, new hire, or third-party. Source references must be preserved from the RFP Analysis Summary.
Rate Card Structure
The standard rate card has two sections:
Engineering Rates
| Code | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ENG-SE | Senior Engineer | Senior discipline engineers with 10+ years |
| ENG-E | Engineer | Mid-level engineers, resident engineers, QS, HSE |
| ENG-JE | Junior Engineer | Assistant engineers, officers, inspectors |
| ENG-SD | Senior Designer | Lead CAD/BIM designers |
| ENG-D | Designer | CAD operators, draftsmen |
Project Management Rates
| Code | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| PM-SE | PM Senior Engineer | Project managers, design leads |
| PM-E | PM Engineer | Planning engineers, project coordinators |
Calculation Method
Step 1: Monthly Rate Conversion
Monthly Rate = Hourly Rate x Standard Hours per Month
Standard Hours per Month = ~~working_hours_per_month (~~working_days_per_month working days x 8 hours)
Step 2: Position Cost Calculation
Position Total = Monthly Rate x Number of Months x Quantity
Step 3: Stage Totals
Group positions by consultancy stage:
- Stage A: Tender preparation (design team effort during tender phase)
- Stage B: Contract administration & design review (design team during EPC)
- Stage C: Site supervision (site team, man-month basis)
- Stage D: Warranty services (part-time support during defects period)
Step 4: Third-Party Markup
For positions identified as third-party/subcontract in gap analysis:
Third-Party Cost = Base Rate x Third-Party Markup Factor (~~third_party_markup)
Step 5: Grand Total
Subtotal = Stage A + Stage B + Stage C + Stage D
~~tax_name = Subtotal x ~~tax_rate
Grand Total = Subtotal + ~~tax_name
Important Notes
- Hourly rates are billing rates (all-inclusive of salary, benefits, overhead, and profit)
- Do NOT add additional overhead or profit markup on top of billing rates
- ~~tax_name at ~~tax_rate is applied per ~~tax_authority requirements
- All amounts in ~~currency
- Rates are firm and fixed — no escalation clauses
- For competitive bids, consider if any rates can be slightly reduced
Output Format
Generate an Excel workbook with these sheets:
- Rate Card — Company rates (linked from source file)
- Pricing Summary — Detailed line-by-line with formulas. Include an "RFP Source" column for each line item showing the original document reference (file name, page/sheet/row) where that position requirement was found. Carry these references from the RFP Analysis Summary.
- Client Submission — Clean summary matching client's BOQ format
- Source Traceability — A dedicated reference sheet listing every pricing line item with its source document, page/sheet, and the specific requirement text. This allows the user to verify every cost against the original RFP.
Use Excel formulas (not hardcoded values) so the client can adjust inputs.
Reference Material
For output formatting and Excel creation best practices, use the xlsx skill. For Word report formatting, use the docx skill. For PowerPoint presentations, use the pptx skill.