# Finder's Fee Agreement Template: Clauses in Plain English > A free finder's fee and referral fee agreement template: the ten clauses that matter, what each should say, and a file to adapt with your lawyer. Canonical: https://origindatapartners.com/guides/finders-fee-agreement-template By: Origin Data Partners Status: Published Published: 2026-11-13 Updated: 2026-11-13 Sources checked: 2026-11-13 ## Quick answer A finder's fee agreement needs ten clauses: the parties; what counts as an introduction; the fee and the base it is calculated on; when the fee is earned; when it is paid; how long the introduction is protected; what happens if two people introduce the same company; non-circumvention; disclosure to the client and professional limits; and termination. The template below states each in plain English. Download it, fill the brackets and have a lawyer review it for your state. ## Key points - Define the fee base precisely: deal value, the payment to the company, or the payer's own fee. - Say when the fee is earned (signature, delivery, payment) and when it is paid. - Date every introduction and set a protection period. - Disclose the fee to the client, and carve out anyone whose rules bar it. ## The ten clauses, in plain English Fill each bracket. The wording is a starting point, not legal advice. | Clause | What it should say | | --- | --- | | 1. Parties | [Payer] and [Finder], with legal names and addresses. Say whether the finder acts personally or through a firm. | | 2. Introduction | An introduction is a written registration naming the company and a contact, made with the company's agreement, before the payer was already in contact with it. | | 3. Fee and base | The fee is [X]% of [the deal value / the amount paid to the company / the fee the payer receives], up to [cap] per company. Excludes taxes and reimbursed expenses. | | 4. When it is earned | The fee is earned only when [the company signs / delivers / is paid] and the payer has received payment. | | 5. When it is paid | Within [30] days after each payment the payer receives, with a statement of the amount received. | | 6. Protection period | An introduction is protected for [12] months from registration, and for any deal signed in that period. | | 7. Competing introductions | The first dated registration wins. The payer tells the finder promptly if the company was already known, with the date of the earlier contact. | | 8. Non-circumvention | The payer will not contact the company to avoid the fee or ask anyone else to. | | 9. Disclosure and limits | The finder discloses the fee to the company. No fee is paid where law or professional rules bar it (for example to a bankruptcy trustee or an auditor of the company); the finder may decline the fee. | | 10. Term and termination | Either party may end the agreement on [30] days' notice; protected introductions survive for their protection period. | ## Download the template [Download the finder's fee agreement template (Markdown)](https://origindatapartners.com/downloads/finders-fee-agreement-template.md). It holds the ten clauses above with brackets to fill, a signature block and a disclosure line for the client. Open it in any editor or word processor. ## What to check before you sign - The base: "10% of the deal" and "10% of our fee" are very different amounts. - Clawback: whether the fee is repaid if the deal is reversed, and for how long. - Who decides attribution, and whether you are told if the company was already known. - Your own rules: CPAs, attorneys, registered representatives and estate professionals have limits. See [can CPAs and attorneys accept referral fees](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/can-cpas-and-attorneys-accept-referral-fees). This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules vary by state and profession; check yours before you accept or pay a fee. ## Origin's own partner terms Origin's [partner programme](https://origindatapartners.com/refer) pays 50% of what Origin earns on the deal for a company you introduced, up to $100,000 per company, after the deal completes, and confirms your share in writing before the company signs. Its terms are on that page, not in this template. ## Questions and answers ### What is a finder's fee agreement? A contract in which one party agrees to pay another a fee for introducing a counterparty who then does a deal. It sets the fee, the base, when it is earned and paid, and how the introduction is protected. ### Is a referral fee agreement different? Mostly in name. A referral fee agreement covers the same clauses; professional rules sometimes use "referral fee" for a specific kind of payment. ### Does a finder's fee agreement need to be notarised? Usually not. It needs to be in writing and signed by both parties; check your state's rules for any deal type you work in. ### Can I use this template for a securities deal? Not without advice. A finder in a securities transaction can face broker-dealer registration questions; take advice before you agree a fee. ## Sources - [FINRA Rule 2040: Payments to Unregistered Persons](https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/rulebooks/finra-rules/2040) - [AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, 1.520.001 Commissions and Referral Fees Rule (PDF)](https://pub.aicpa.org/codeofconduct/ethicsresources/et-cod.pdf) - [ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.7 (conflict of interest: current clients)](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_1_7_conflict_of_interest_current_clients/) - [18 U.S.C. 152 (concealment of assets; false oaths and claims; bribery)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/152) ## Related reading - [/refer](https://origindatapartners.com/refer) - [Finder's Fee Percentage: What Introducers Are Paid (2026)](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/finders-fee-percentage) - [Can CPAs and Attorneys Accept Referral Fees? The Rules](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/can-cpas-and-attorneys-accept-referral-fees) - [Data licensing agreement: what to include](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/data-licensing-agreement)