Memorandum of Understanding Template
We’ve worked closely with lawyers and proofreaders to create a memorandum of understanding template (Word) for you to use in your joint agreements.
Free Memorandum of Understanding Templates
We’ve worked closely with lawyers and proofreaders to create a memorandum of understanding template (Word) for you to use in your joint agreements.
What’s in this template?
- • Description of purpose
- • Responsibilities of parties
- • Amendment clause
Click below to download our memorandum of understanding
What is a memorandum of understanding?
A memorandum of understanding, or MoU for short, is a broad outline of an agreement where two or more parties (usually organizations) express their intent in a negotiation.
Think of an MoU as a set of guiding principles, terms, requirements, and responsibilities that parties can voluntarily participate in.
A memorandum of understanding is commonly used in political negotiations, local clubs, and communities—although it can also be used in commercial dealings.
Under the law, a memorandum of understanding, a letter of intent, and a memorandum of agreement are essentially the same document.
DISCLAIMER: We are not lawyers or a law firm and we do not provide legal, business or tax advice. We recommend you consult a lawyer or other appropriate professional before using any templates or agreements from this website.
Get access to our Memorandum of Understanding
MoUs can be useful documents to bring many parties together and work towards a common goal. However, depending on the structure of your organization, you may need to repeatedly use a memorandum of understanding.
That’s why we’ve created a simple template so you can save time re-creating the same information over and over again.
Click below to get a copy of our memorandum of understanding sample
Advantages of a memorandum of understanding
The main benefit of using a document in between formal and informal contracts shines when dealing with agreements across different legislations.
For example, an MoU may be used in overseas agreements to avoid issues with compatibility between international and national laws. That’s why it’s common to see MoUs used to modify or adapt existing treaties.
The elements and format of a great memorandum of understanding
MoUs can be long and confusing; however, only a handful of components really matter. Below are five critical elements of an MoU agreement.
1. Parties
In this part of your MoU, you capture the names and addresses of the parties involved.
Unlike other types of agreements where it’s common to have just a couple of parties, a memorandum of understanding often has many parties participating.
If anything, this section of your MoU template will be the field that you’ll be editing the most based on the number of parties in the agreement.
2. Purpose
A memorandum of understanding is considered to be a high-level agreement between voluntary parties. So there’s no need to get ultra-specific with these descriptions. At the same time, you don’t want your purpose to sound ambiguous to the point where parties aren’t clear what they’re committing to.
It’s quite normal that an MoU is used as an agreement before an agreement—meaning, it’s in the early stages of outlining promises parties are willing to make to each other.
The best way to think of the purpose section of the memorandum of understanding is to consider what all parties are willing to pledge toward a common goal. For example, two government agencies may sign off on an MoU to minimize public safety risks. No promises are made at this point, just general commitments.
3. Responsibilities
Once you’ve established a purpose for your MoU document, it’s time to break that objective down into responsibilities for each party. Think about the strengths of each stakeholder on the agreement and how they could contribute toward your goal.
Your responsibilities section is a reflection of the delegated commitments for each party. Again, you want to keep the responsibilities relatively high-level; however, you also want to make the accountability points clear for each party.
4. Amendments
Sometimes, no matter how much preparation you do, circumstances may change the nature of your memorandum of agreement.
If, for example, your purpose or responsibilities significantly shift, you’ll need a clause in your template that ensures that all parties are to sign off on the new terms of the agreement.
5. Signatures
A memorandum of understanding is somewhere between a formal contract and a handshake. So while it’s an official document, an MoU is not legally binding. Nevertheless, it’s essential to capture signatures from all participating parties as the contents of an MoU can still be used in the court of law.
So when you draw up your MoU and get interest, be diligent in acquiring signatures from the relevant delegates as a point of reference.
Get access to our Memorandum of Understanding
MoUs can be useful documents to bring many parties together and work towards a common goal. However, depending on the structure of your organization, you may need to repeatedly use a memorandum of understanding.
That’s why we’ve created a simple template so you can save time re-creating the same information over and over again.
Click below to get a copy of our memorandum of understanding sample
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Memorandum of Understanding
A memorandum of understanding and a memorandum of agreement is essentially the same document, and the terms are used interchangeably depending on the preference.
What separate MoUs to contracts is the intent of the document. When entering an agreement, the intention is to form a legal relationship between parties.
However, with an MoU, the intention is not to be legally bound by the terms, and instead, it’s about defining mutual goals and objectives amongst various stakeholders.
However, with an MoU, the intention is not to be legally bound by the terms, and instead, it’s about defining mutual goals and objectives amongst various stakeholders.
Generally speaking, an MOU should include:
- Parties involved
- Purpose of commitments
- Responsibilities of parties
- Amendments
- Section for signatures
There are no rules for how the purpose of an MoU is written. You can write a detailed statement defining the mission, or you could merely use dot points to reference key highlights.
You could even send an email to all parties with a summary of your purpose.
You can make your MoU as straightforward or as complicated as you want. In our form, we leave a blank section to make quick dot points as we find it keeps the messaging in your MoU more accessible to parties.
You could even send an email to all parties with a summary of your purpose.
You can make your MoU as straightforward or as complicated as you want. In our form, we leave a blank section to make quick dot points as we find it keeps the messaging in your MoU more accessible to parties.
We acknowledge that your MoU may need to be modified depending on your case. That’s why we’ve made our template available in Word so you can make modifications as needed.
If you intend to make significant changes to your MoU template, we recommend you consult with a legal professional to ensure your document remains compliant.
If you intend to make significant changes to your MoU template, we recommend you consult with a legal professional to ensure your document remains compliant.
document preview
Memorandum Of Understanding
Memorandum Of Understanding
Parties
– This Memorandum of Understanding (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”) is entered into on ______________ (the “Effective Date”), by and between __________________________, with an address of ______________ (hereinafter referred to as the “_____________”) and with an address of ______________ (hereinafter referred to as the “_____________”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties”).
Purpose
– This Agreement is entered into for the following reasons:
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
Responsibilities Of The Parties
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
Governing Law
– This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of ______________.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
– Any dispute or difference whatsoever arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be submitted to ______________ (Arbitration/mediation/negotiation) (Circle one) in accordance with, and subject to the laws of ______________.
Amendments
– The Parties agree that any amendments made to this Agreement must be in writing and they must be signed by both Parties to this Agreement.
– As such, any amendments made by the Parties will be applied to this Agreement.
Assignment
– The Parties hereby agree not to assign any of the responsibilities in this Agreement to a third party unless consented to by both Parties in writing.
Entire Agreement
– This Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding among the Parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings, inducements and conditions, express or implied, oral or written, of any nature whatsoever with respect to the subject matter hereof. The express terms hereof control and supersede any course of performance and/or usage of the trade inconsistent with any of the terms hereof.
Representation And Warranties
– The Parties agree and disclose that they are authorized fully for entering this Agreement. Both Parties’ performances and obligations are not to violate the rights of any third party or else violate other, if any, agreements made between them and/or any other organization, person, business or law/governmental regulation.
Limitation Of Liability
– Under no circumstances will either party be liable for any indirect, special, consequential, or punitive damages (including lost profits) arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions it contemplates (whether for breach of contract, tort, negligence, or other form of action) in case such is not related to the direct result of one Party’s negligence or breach.
Severability
– In an event where any provision of this Agreement is found to be void and unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then the remaining provisions will remain to be enforced in accordance with the Parties’ intention.
Signature And Date
– The Parties hereby agree to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and such is demonstrated throughout by their signatures below:
Name: ______________________
Signature: ___________________
Date: _______________________
Name: ______________________
Signature: ___________________
Date: _______________________
Related Proposals and Templates
Get access to our Memorandum of Understanding Templates
MoUs can be useful documents to bring many parties together and work towards a common goal. However, depending on the structure of your organization, you may need to repeatedly use a memorandum of understanding.
That’s why we’ve created a simple template so you can save time re-creating the same information over and over again.
Click below to get a copy of our memorandum of understanding sample
