Statement of work for a consultancy engagement

A statement of work is where a consultancy engagement is defined: the framework agreement sets the legal terms once, and each statement of work says what will be done, by when and for how much. The structure fails when the statements of work contradict the framework, when scope is written loosely enough to argue about, and when nobody signs the change that extended the project. I draft the statement of work template and the clauses that tie it to the framework, for the business or for the consultant, for a fixed fee of £595, delivered in five working days, or the full framework and statement of work as a template set.

Who this is for

Businesses in England and Wales that engage consultants for successive projects under one framework, and consultancies that want a statement of work they can issue for every engagement without renegotiating the legal terms.

What matters in a statement of work

The structure and which document prevails

The framework agreement should contain the terms that do not change (status, IP, confidentiality, liability, termination, boilerplate), each statement of work should contain the terms that do (scope, deliverables, timetable, fees, named people), and the agreement should say that the framework prevails on conflict unless a statement of work expressly varies it for that engagement, that a statement of work is formed only when signed by both parties, and that each statement of work is a separate contract under the framework so that one can be ended without the others.

Scope, deliverables and assumptions

The statement of work should describe the services and deliverables precisely (what will be produced, in what form, to what standard), the assumptions the price depends on, the exclusions, and the client's dependencies (information, access, decisions, people), so that the question whether something is in scope is answered by the document; where the engagement is time-based rather than deliverable-based, the statement of work should say so and state the estimate as an estimate.

Timetable, milestones and acceptance

The statement of work should set the start date, the milestones and their dates, the review and acceptance process for deliverables (criteria, period, deemed acceptance, correction), and the consequences of the client's delay (the timetable moves, fees for idle resources at stated rates), with the consultant's obligation to perform with reasonable care and skill under section 13 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and to meet dates subject to the client's dependencies.

Fees, expenses and invoicing

The statement of work should state the fee (fixed, by milestone, or by day rate with an estimate), the invoicing points, payment terms with interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, expenses and their approval, and VAT; a fixed fee should be tied to the scope and assumptions so that a change to either reopens it through change control, and a day-rate engagement should state the rates and the unit.

Change control and the client's dependencies

The framework should contain a change control procedure and each statement of work should use it: changes proposed in writing, their effect on fees and timetable priced, agreement before work starts, and no change binding without signature; requests outside the scope, incorrect assumptions and client delay should all be routed through it, because an unsigned change is unpaid work for the consultant and an unbudgeted cost for the client.

Signature, termination and what survives

Each statement of work should be signed by people with authority, should say how it may be terminated (on notice, for breach, or on completion) and what is paid on termination (work done, committed costs, a stated proportion for early termination of a fixed fee), should assign intellectual property in its deliverables under the framework's clause and section 90 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 on payment, and should state which provisions survive its end, with the framework's liability cap, tested under section 11 of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, applying to each statement of work separately or to all of them, as the framework decides.

What it costs

Consultancy or contractor agreement, £595. Drafted for your business. Five working days.

Template set for repeat use, £895. One master agreement plus a short-form schedule you can reuse for every engagement. Five working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the consultancy and contractor agreements page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A clear, express assignment of intellectual property to your business
• Confidentiality provisions that protect your business information
• Restrictive covenants drafted at a scope a court will uphold
• Clear treatment of status, so the arrangement is not accidentally something else
• Payment, deliverables and termination provisions that match how you work
• A reusable structure, so the next engagement costs you nothing

What is not included

• Employment status determinations and off-payroll working assessments, which need your accountant
• Tax advice
• Disputes with a contractor you have already engaged
• Immigration and right to work compliance

Questions I am often asked

Can a statement of work override the framework agreement?

Only where it says expressly that it varies the framework for that engagement, and the framework allows it. The usual rule is that the framework prevails, which stops a loosely written statement of work undoing the liability clause.

The client keeps asking for extras under the current statement of work. What should we do?

Route them through change control: price the change, get it signed, then do the work. The statement of work defines the scope and the framework provides the procedure; the discipline is in using it.

Do we need a new framework for each project?

One framework is enough, signed once, with a statement of work for each project. The template set provides both, and the marginal cost of the next project is filling in the statement of work.

Related guidance and services

• Consultancy and contractor agreements, £595, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Employment contracts and handbooks, £595
• Consultancy agreement for a project with milestones
• Getting an AI-drafted statement of work checked

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: October 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.