Skip to content
Kwalify
Menu
Join the waitlist

Minutes of meeting template and format

Checked against the Companies Act on by Timo van Deventer, Senior AI Product Specialist Word, Excel and PDF

Short answer

Minutes record a meeting: who attended, what was discussed, what was decided, and who will do what by when. For a company, the Companies Act adds more: every board resolution, dated and numbered, and minutes kept for seven years. Minutes signed by the chair are evidence of the meeting.
Get your minutes signed on WhatsApp Download Word, Excel and PDF

Free. The downloads come straight after you enter your email.

The templateFill in the highlighted fields

MINUTES OF MEETING

[Name of the company, committee or group] · [Board meeting, committee meeting, team meeting]

Date [DD Month YYYY] · Time [00:00] · Place [Venue or online link]

Present: [Names] · Apologies: [Names] · Chair: [Name] · Minutes taken by: [Name]

1. Opening. [The chair opened the meeting at 00:00.]

2. Minutes of the last meeting. [Approved, or approved with these changes: …]

3. [Agenda item]. Discussion: [a short summary]. Decision: [what was decided]. Resolution no.: [for a company board, number and date each resolution]

ActionWhoBy when
[What needs to be done][Name][Date]
[What needs to be done][Name][Date]

5. Next meeting: [DD Month YYYY, 00:00, venue]

Signed by the chair: ______________ Date: ______________

What minutes must include

The first six are good practice for any meeting. The lines marked "Companies" are the law for company board and shareholders' meetings, from sections 24 and 73 of the Companies Act.

  • The name of the group, and the date, time and place of the meeting
  • Who attended, who sent apologies, who chaired and who took the minutes
  • Whether the minutes of the last meeting were approved
  • Each agenda item: a short summary of the discussion and what was decided
  • Action items: what, who and by when
  • The date of the next meeting
  • Companies: every board resolution, dated and numbered (Companies Act s73(6)(b), s73(7)(a))
  • Companies: any director's declaration of a personal financial interest (s73(6)(a))
  • Companies: signed by the chair, so the minutes are evidence (s73(8))
  • Companies: kept for 7 years (s24(3)(f), s24(3)(d))

Get the minutes template in Word and PDF, and the Excel action tracker

Enter your email and the three files are ready to download straight away.

This template is general information, not legal advice.

We use your details as set out in our privacy policy and terms of use.

With Kwalify

Get documents signed on WhatsApp

Kwalify sends documents for signing on WhatsApp. Each person signs on their phone with a one-time code, and you get a sealed PDF with an audit trail of who signed and when.

  1. SendsThe document on WhatsApp.
  2. SignsEach person signs with a one-time code.
  3. SealsA sealed PDF, with who signed and when.
See how it works

Minutes questions

What should the minutes of a meeting include?
The name of the group, the date, time and place, who attended and who sent apologies, who chaired and who took the minutes, whether the last minutes were approved, a short summary of each item with what was decided, the action items with who and by when, and the date of the next meeting.
How do I write minutes of a meeting?
Follow the agenda. For each item, write a short summary of the discussion and what was decided, not every word said. Note each action with a name and a date. Send the draft to the chair soon after the meeting, and have the minutes approved at the next one.
How long must a company keep its minutes?
Seven years. A company keeps the minutes of directors' meetings and resolutions for seven years after the meeting or resolution, and the notice and minutes of shareholders' meetings, with their resolutions, for seven years (Companies Act, section 24).
What must board meeting minutes include?
Every resolution the board adopted, dated and numbered in sequence, and any declaration a director made about a personal financial interest under section 75 (Companies Act, section 73(6) and (7)). Minutes signed by the chair of the meeting, or of the next meeting, are evidence of what happened (section 73(8)).
What is the difference between minutes and notes?
Notes are what you write down for yourself during a meeting. Minutes are the group's official record, approved at the next meeting and usually signed by the chair.
Who confirms the minutes of a meeting?
The meeting itself, usually at the next meeting, when the members approve them or ask for changes. The chair then signs them.

This template is general information, not legal advice.

Related documents

Related tools

Download Sign on WhatsApp

Cookies

We use analytics and ad cookies only if you accept. The free tools and forms work the same either way. Privacy policy