Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Template

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a formal document that outlines the intentions, expectations, and preliminary agreements between two or more parties. Unlike a contract, an MOU is typically non-binding and serves as a framework for future cooperation before a formal agreement is finalized.

MOUs are commonly used in business partnerships, academic collaborations, government agency cooperation, joint research initiatives, and strategic alliances. They signal serious intent without creating enforceable legal obligations, making them ideal for exploratory phases of complex relationships.

This MOU template includes: identification of parties and their roles, purpose and objectives of the collaboration, scope of the understanding, responsibilities of each party, timeline and key milestones, resources to be contributed by each party, confidentiality and non-disclosure provisions, termination conditions, and transition to formal agreement provisions.

The template clearly states that the MOU is non-binding (except for specific clauses like confidentiality, which can be binding if desired). This protects parties from unintended obligations while documenting their shared understanding and good-faith intentions.