Custom fields
Define project- and sponsor-specific fields such as grant ID, cost center, milestone percent, and retention amounts to ensure all required metadata is collected on every invoice.
Using a standardized progress billing template reduces billing errors, ensures consistent milestone tracking, and simplifies approvals for research projects and service contracts.
The PI uses the template to confirm milestone completion, sign approvals, and track expenditures against project budgets. The template helps communicate progress to funders and internal finance teams while preserving an audit trail for compliance with grant terms.
A grants administrator manages invoice submission to sponsors and reconciles billed amounts with award budgets. The template ensures consistency across invoices, simplifies documentation for audits, and reduces time spent on manual corrections.
Teams across research institutions, agricultural service providers, and contract facilities commonly need reliable progress billing templates to coordinate invoicing and approvals.
Adopting a clear template reduces administrative overhead, supports audit readiness, and helps teams meet institutional and sponsor billing policies.
Define project- and sponsor-specific fields such as grant ID, cost center, milestone percent, and retention amounts to ensure all required metadata is collected on every invoice.
Use conditional fields to show or hide sections based on project type, contract clauses, or funding source, reducing clutter and preventing irrelevant billing lines.
Auto-calculate percentages, prorated amounts, taxes, and retention to reduce arithmetic errors and ensure consistent invoice totals across billing periods.
Set a required signer order for inspections, PI approval, and finance sign-off so each milestone passes through the correct review chain before release.
Maintain a detailed activity log with timestamps, IP addresses, and signer authentication details to support audits and dispute resolution.
Keep a centralized library of approved templates for different project types to speed setup and ensure compliance with institutional policies.
Import and export template content directly from Google Docs to maintain a single source of preparatory documents, enabling collaborative editing before converting to a billing template for signing and archival.
Link templates with a CRM to auto-populate client details, billing addresses, and contract references, reducing manual errors when issuing progress invoices to institutional or external sponsors.
Store signed templates and supporting documents in Dropbox folders to ensure secure backups and consistent file organization accessible to finance and project teams.
Sync billing line items and milestone percentages with spreadsheets to automate calculations and keep accounting records updated without duplicate data entry.
| Feature | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Reminder Frequency | 48 hours |
| Signer Order Enforcement | Strict order |
| Document Expiration | 90 days |
| Auto-archive Signed Files | Enabled |
| Notification Channels | Email and SMS |
For secure signing on mobile, ensure apps are up to date, use device-level security, and confirm electronic ID options meet institutional authentication requirements.
A university research team used a progress billing template to bill staged fieldwork and laboratory analyses, standardizing milestone descriptions and invoicing cadence
Resulting in shortened payment cycles and improved grant spend visibility.
A facilities manager implemented the template for phased barn upgrades and equipment installation, aligning contractor invoices with inspected milestones
Leading to timely contractor payment and documented compliance with institutional procurement rules.
| Capability | signNow (Featured) | DocuSign | Adobe Sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk Send / Bulk Send | |||
| API access | Available | Available | Available |
| HIPAA support | Business Associate Addendum | BAA available | BAA available |
| Offline signing | Limited offline mode | Limited offline mode |
7 years post closeout
5 to 10 years
Daily encrypted backups
90-day restore point objective
Retain for audit window
| Plan Comparison | signNow (Featured) | DocuSign | Adobe Sign | PandaDoc | HelloSign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price (approx) | From about $8/user/month | From about $10/user/month | From about $9.99/user/month | From about $19/user/month | From about $15/user/month |
| E-sign Included | Yes, unlimited documents | Yes, limited envelopes | Yes, included | Yes, included | Yes, included |
| Templates & Fields | Reusable templates and fields | Templates and fields | Form templates | Template library | Basic templates |
| API availability | Available on business plans | Available via API plans | Available on enterprise | Available with paid API | Available on paid plans |
| Enterprise features | Role-based permissions, SSO | Advanced admin controls | Enterprise admin & SSO | Team workspaces and SSO | Team controls and SSO |