Free Project Intake Form Template (Excel)
What's in the project intake form template
The template is a single Project Intake sheet: one row per request, with fields for a request ID, the requestor's name, the project title or scope, and the estimated budget.
Two scoring columns — impact and effort, each rated 1-5 — feed a priority score, and a status column tracks each request from Submitted through Reviewing, Approved, or Rejected, with a decision notes field for the reasoning.
A summary block counts requests by status and totals the approved budget, giving you a quick rollup of everything that's come in without building a separate dashboard tab.
How the priority score is calculated
The priority score is impact times 2, minus effort — so a request scored 5 impact and 2 effort gets a priority score of 8, while a 5-impact, 5-effort request scores only 5. This weights impact more heavily than effort, on the logic that high-impact work is worth pursuing even if it takes more effort, but low-effort wins should still rank well.
Sort the sheet by priority score to see which requests deserve review first, without needing to eyeball impact and effort separately.
What this template doesn't do
Request IDs are typed in manually — there's no auto-incrementing ID formula. If you want a consistent numbering scheme, decide on one (like INT-001, INT-002) and type it in as you add each request.
The status counts and approved-budget total in the summary update as you fill in the sheet, but they're a rollup of this one sheet, not a separate multi-tab dashboard with charts.
Who this project intake form is for
PMOs, team leads, and anyone fielding ad-hoc project requests from stakeholders need a way to capture and triage what's coming in before committing resources — this template gives that a fixed, repeatable format instead of requests arriving as scattered emails or Slack messages.
It's a good fit for teams that are between a formal intake platform and no process at all: everyone submits into the same sheet, and the priority score gives you a defensible reason for what gets picked up first.
How to use it
- Add a row for each incoming request: requestor, project title/scope, and estimated budget.
- Score impact and effort 1-5 — the priority score calculates automatically.
- Sort by priority score to decide what to review first, and update status as each request moves forward.
- Check the summary for counts by status and total approved budget.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I use this project intake form in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the downloaded file to Google Drive, then open it and choose File > Save as Google Sheets. The priority score and summary formulas keep working.
Does the request ID number itself automatically?
No, request IDs are typed in manually. Pick a numbering convention (like INT-001) and enter it yourself for each new request.
Is this template really free?
Yes. You give an email address to download it, and then it's yours to use with no further cost.
How is the priority score calculated?
Priority score = impact x 2 minus effort, both scored 1-5. Higher impact weighs more than higher effort, so you can sort the sheet to see what deserves review first.
Can I customize the status options?
Yes, it's a standard Excel/Google Sheets file. You can edit the status dropdown list to match your own approval workflow.