Project & PMO · Power BI template

Project Portfolio Power BI template

Power BI project portfolio (PMO) dashboard template with RAG status KPIs, roadmap Gantt slot, value vs effort matrix, status register and budget by programme.

By · Founder & Reliability Engineer · Updated

Free for commercial use

Dark version: same layout, colours re-solved and checked for WCAG AA contrast.

Project Portfolio Power BI dashboard template: 4 KPI cards, a custom visual, a scatter chart, a table, a bar chart and 2 slicers on a 1280×720 page

BetaOpens in Power BI Desktop with 4 tables of sample data and every built-in visual bound; 1 slot left for a custom visual (Portfolio roadmap). See what’s inside

Free, no sign-up. The PBIP with sample data includes the background, theme and a README. 1920×1080 fits a new page in a Fluent 2 report; 1280×720 and 2× fit Classic pages. Downloads carry a small “Made with VizForge” mark (sign in to the studio to remove it).

Customise in the design studio →
Layout
Logo header, 4 RAG KPIs, roadmap + value/effort scatter, register + budget bars
Page size
1280×720 px (16:9, Power BI default)
Theme
Paper & Clay

Open the sample-data PBIP in Power BI Desktop

Checked against Microsoft Learn's Power BI Desktop projects documentation (as of Nov 2026).

  1. 1

    Unzip to a short path and open the .pbip

    Extract the zip to a short local folder such as C:\PBI (Windows limits project paths to 260 characters, and Desktop can't save a project straight to OneDrive or SharePoint), then double-click the .pbip file or use File → Open in Power BI Desktop. Microsoft still lists projects and TMDL as preview features (as of Nov 2026): if Desktop won't open the project, go to File → Options and settings → Options → Preview features, tick “Power BI Project (.pbip) save option” and “Store semantic model using TMDL format”, then restart Desktop.

  2. 2

    Select Refresh once

    The project ships without the local data cache (.pbi/cache.abf), so Desktop opens the full model definition without data. Select Home → Refresh: every table is built from values written into its Power Query step, so there is no data source to sign in to.

  3. 3

    Save as .pbix or connect your data

    Use File → Save as to keep a single .pbix file, or open Transform data and replace each table's Source step with your own query, keeping the column names so the measures and visuals keep working.

What’s inside the Project Portfolio sample model

Rendered from the same definition the download writes as TMDL, so this list always matches the file.

Tables
4
Fact rows
181
DAX measures
8

A 24-project change portfolio in four programmes: status, dates, budget and value/effort scores per project, plus monthly actual cost from Nov 2025 to Oct 2026. Units: US dollars; value and effort scored 1–10.

Tables and columns

Calendar

Date table · 2025–2026, one row per day

Date table generated in Power Query (List.Dates), marked as the model's date table.

  • Date (date)
  • Year (whole number)
  • Quarter (text)
  • Month (text)
  • Month Name (text)
  • Week Start (date)
  • Weekday (text)
  • Fiscal Year (text)

Programme

Dimension · 4 rows

Programmes and their executive sponsor.

  • Programme (text)
  • Sponsor (text)

Project

Dimension · 24 rows

Project register: one row per project with RAG status, dates, approved budget and scoring.

  • Project (text)
  • Programme (text)
  • Sponsor (text)
  • Project Manager (text)
  • Status (text)
  • Start Date (date)
  • End Date (date)
  • Budget (decimal)
  • Value Score (whole number)
  • Effort Score (whole number)

Project Cost

Fact · 181 rows

Actual cost per project per month.

  • Date (date)
  • Project (text)
  • Actual Cost (decimal)

Relationships

Many-to-one, single direction. Inactive relationships are switched on inside a measure with USERELATIONSHIP.

  • 'Project Cost'[Date] → 'Calendar'[Date]
  • 'Project Cost'[Project] → Project[Project]
  • Project[Programme] → Programme[Programme]

DAX measures

All measures live in a dedicated Key Measures table. Copy any of them into your own model; rename the table and column references to match.

Actual CostCost booked to date.
Actual Cost =
SUM ( 'Project Cost'[Actual Cost] )

Format string: $#,0

BudgetApproved budget.
Budget =
SUM ( Project[Budget] )

Format string: $#,0

Budget Spent %Actual cost over approved budget.
Budget Spent % =
DIVIDE ( [Actual Cost], [Budget] )

Format string: 0%

Projects On TrackProjects reporting green.
Projects On Track =
CALCULATE ( COUNTROWS ( Project ), Project[Status] = "On track" )

Format string: #,0

Projects At RiskProjects reporting amber.
Projects At Risk =
CALCULATE ( COUNTROWS ( Project ), Project[Status] = "At risk" )

Format string: #,0

Projects Off TrackProjects reporting red.
Projects Off Track =
CALCULATE ( COUNTROWS ( Project ), Project[Status] = "Off track" )

Format string: #,0

Value ScoreBusiness value, 1–10.
Value Score =
AVERAGE ( Project[Value Score] )

Format string: 0.0

Effort ScoreDelivery effort, 1–10.
Effort Score =
AVERAGE ( Project[Effort Score] )

Format string: 0.0

What each visual is bound to

The PBIP opens with these fields already on each visual.

Field bindings per visual
VisualFields
ProgrammeSlicerProgramme[Programme]
SponsorSlicerProgramme[Sponsor]
On trackCard[Projects On Track]
At riskCard[Projects At Risk]
Off trackCard[Projects Off Track]
Budget spentCard[Budget Spent %]
Portfolio roadmapCustom visualPlaceholder for a custom visual
Value vs effortScatter chartProject[Project], [Effort Score], [Value Score], [Budget]
Project status registerTableProject[Project], Project[Programme], Project[Project Manager], Project[Status], Project[End Date], [Budget], [Actual Cost], [Budget Spent %]
Budget by programmeBar chartProgramme[Programme], [Budget], [Actual Cost]

Questions this dashboard answers

Each one is answered by a visual on the page, from the sample model's own tables and measures.

About this dashboard layout

A PMO portfolio page has to work in the steering committee, where it is often printed. The warm Paper & Clay theme and a plain header with the logo make it look like a document rather than a control panel. The four KPI cards are the RAG summary: projects on track, at risk, off track, and percentage of portfolio budget spent.

The roadmap slot is the centrepiece. Power BI added a native Gantt chart in October 2026 (still in preview as of November 2026), so try that first. When it does not cover what the committee asks for (dependency arrows, custom milestone markers, baseline bars), this slot is a good candidate for the AI hand-off: open the template in the design studio, select the roadmap slot and use “Generate this visual with AI” to build a Gantt custom visual sized to the slot. Alternatively use a certified Gantt visual from Microsoft Marketplace (formerly AppSource).

Next to it, a value against effort scatter places each project in a 2×2 (quick wins, big bets, fillers, money pits). Add constant lines at the portfolio medians to draw the quadrants. Below, a status register lists each project with sponsor, phase, RAG, next milestone and budget variance, and a bar chart shows budget by programme.

Store RAG as a status code (1 = green, 2 = amber, 3 = red) in the project table and drive icons and colours from it. Sorting by the code then puts the problem projects first in every visual.

Visuals on the page

Positions are Power BI page pixels. Enter them in Format → General → Properties → Size and position, or use the PBIP download where they are already set.

Visual positions in the Project Portfolio template
VisualTypeXYWidthHeight
ProgrammeSlicer9202416040
SponsorSlicer10962416040
On trackCard4012022472
At riskCard35212022472
Off trackCard66412022472
Budget spentCard97612022472
Portfolio roadmapCustom visual40240784232
Value vs effortScatter chart872240368232
Project status registerTable40520784160
Budget by programmeBar chart872520368160

Custom visuals for this layout

Built-in Power BI visuals cover most slots above. These slots also suit a custom visual; each page covers the data shape, DAX and a prompt to generate it as a .pbiviz.

Already have a report?

Brand Makeover tries Project Portfolio first on every page of your Power BI project (.pbip zip) where it fits: the page's visuals have to go into its 8 data slots without overlaps. Pages it can't seat get another catalog layout or a brand grid. Queries, filters and bookmarks are left as they are. Free, in your browser.

Opens with the Analyst / Dense preset, because the Executive preset doesn't use this layout (8 data slots; this preset uses templates with at most 7).

Restyle my report into this

Swap a slot for a custom visual

Pick any slot and VizForge AI writes a custom visual (.pbiviz, with TypeScript source) sized to it, in this template's colours and shaped for the fields it is bound to.

Generate one that fits this layout.

Custom visual · 784×232 px · custom-visual placeholder

1, 2 or 5 credits depending on the brief · 5 free on signup. Sign in or create a free account on the next screen; the brief is saved for 30 minutes.

Brief sent to the generator (you can edit it there)

A Power BI custom visual titled "Portfolio roadmap". Purpose: Gantt chart: project bars by start and end date, milestones as diamonds, grouped by programme. It sits in a 784×232 px slot on a designed report page. Match the report's brand: data colours #B23A32, #3B4A8C, #A97E27, #6F8F6A, #7C5C8A, #C1734F; background #FFFFFF; text #27211B; font Segoe UI. Transparent visual background so the page design shows through; no visual border.

Not sure what to build? Browse the visual catalog or open the template in the design studio and hand off any slot from there. Or start in the AI generator with a blank brief.

Colours and theme

Paper & Clay

Warm beige Power BI theme with clay red, indigo and ochre data colours; a softer alternative to grey corporate themes for consulting decks and client reports.

See the Paper & Clay palette and contrast checks →

Use the background in an existing report

Prefer to keep your own report? Apply the design to it instead of opening the PBIP.

  1. 1

    Download the background

    Take the 1920×1080 PNG for a new page in a Fluent 2 report (the default size for new pages), or the 2× PNG (2560×1440) for sharp text on a 1280×720 Classic page. Power BI scales the image to the canvas.

  2. 2

    Set the canvas background

    Format page → Canvas background → Browse. Set Image fit to Fill and transparency to 0%.

  3. 3

    Import the theme

    Design ribbon → Import theme (in the Power BI service: View → Theme pane), then pick the downloaded JSON. Data colours and fonts now match the design. Older Desktop builds: View → Themes → Browse for themes.

  4. 4

    Place your visuals

    Size each visual to the positions above with background and border off, or open the PBIP project where they are already placed.

Questions about this template

Does the Project Portfolio template come with sample data?

Yes. The “PBIP with sample data” download contains a semantic model with 4 tables and 8 DAX measures, and every built-in visual on the page is already bound to it (Portfolio roadmap stays a placeholder for a custom visual you can generate). The sample: A 24-project change portfolio in four programmes: status, dates, budget and value/effort scores per project, plus monthly actual cost from Nov 2025 to Oct 2026. The data is written into each table's Power Query step, so there is no data source or sign-in.

Is it a .pbix file?

It is a Power BI project (PBIP): a folder of text files that Power BI Desktop opens like a .pbix. Open the .pbip file, select Refresh once to load the sample rows, then use File → Save as if you want a single .pbix.

What visuals are in the Project Portfolio template?

The page has 10 visual areas: 2 slicers, 4 cards, 1 custom visual, 1 scatter chart, 1 table, 1 bar chart. Their exact positions are listed on this page so you can match them in Power BI's Format → General → Properties panel, or skip that step by downloading the PBIP project.

Which theme does the Project Portfolio template use?

It ships with the Paper & Clay theme (light tone). Download the theme JSON here, or open the template in the design studio and switch to any other theme or your own brand colours.

Is there a dark version of the Project Portfolio template?

Yes. Switch the preview to Dark and every download (background, theme JSON and PBIP) comes in that version. The layout is identical; the page, card and text colours are re-solved for a dark page, and the accent, status and data colours keep their hues but are adjusted until text meets WCAG AA (4.5:1) and chart colours reach 3:1 against the cards.

How do I use the background image in Power BI Desktop?

Select the page, open Format page → Canvas background, choose Browse and pick the PNG, then set Image fit to Fill and transparency to 0%. Give your visuals a transparent background and no border so the designed panels show through.

Can I open the PBIP project in Power BI Desktop?

Yes. PBIR is the default report format in Power BI Desktop since September 2026, and the download is a PBIP project: unzip it and open the .pbip file, select Refresh once and the sample data loads into visuals that are already bound (the empty PBIP leaves the containers unbound for your own data). Microsoft still lists projects and TMDL as preview features (as of Nov 2026), so if Desktop won't open it, enable them under File → Options and settings → Options → Preview features.

Dashboard guides that use these visuals

Guides to the same dashboard job: which custom visuals it needs, the DAX behind them and prompts to generate them.

KPI cards for this layout

Headline numbers drawn by one DAX SVG measure each, for the Card visual or a table row.

Designs made for this template’s KPI slots: Completion ring. Browse all styles in the KPI card gallery or build your own in the SVG measure builder.

Related templates

Keep exploring

Dashboard templates

61 hand-designed Power BI page layouts by department.

Power BI themes

80 contrast-checked theme JSON files, light and dark.

Background images

Page backgrounds at 1280×720 and 1920×1080 with visual positions.

Power BI icons

3,034 icons in 40 categories as SVG, PNG, DAX or theme icon JSON.

Make the Project Portfolio template yours

Swap in your brand colours and logo, move panels, add icons and generate missing visuals with AI, then export the background, theme JSON and PBIP project.

Open in the design studio →Browse templates

The design studio for Power BI. Free, in your browser, no sign-up.