Home / Document templates / Contingency Plan

Business6 sections5 fields to fill

Contingency Plan

Free contingency plan template for preparing a backup approach if a primary plan or key assumption fails.

SSL-secured
No signup required
Free, always

This free contingency plan covers Primary Plan Assumption, Trigger Event, Contingency Actions, Resources Needed, Communication Plan with 5 clearly marked [placeholder] fields to fill in — built for founders, freelancers, and small business owners formalizing a business decision or agreement without paying a lawyer to draft it from scratch. Copy it into your own word processor, fill in the placeholders, and review it — or adapt it — before use. It's part of docstoc's free document template library, alongside business, legal, real estate, finance, and HR templates. Every template here is free to copy with no signup required, and each one carries a plain disclaimer: this is a starting point for informational purposes, not a substitute for advice from a licensed professional in your jurisdiction.

Template — click to edit

Contingency Plan: [Project/Risk Area]

Prepared by: [Name] · Date: [Date]

Primary Plan Assumption

[What the primary plan depends on — e.g. "key vendor delivers on schedule," "key employee remains available."]

Trigger Event

[What specific event or warning sign would activate this contingency plan — be concrete, not vague.]

Contingency Actions

Step	Action	Owner	Timeline
1	[Action]	[Name]	[Timeline]
2	[Action]	[Name]	[Timeline]

Resources Needed

[Budget, people, or tools needed to execute the contingency, ideally identified in advance.]

Communication Plan

[Who needs to be told if this plan activates, and how quickly.]

Decision Authority

[Who has the authority to declare the trigger event has occurred and activate this plan.]

*A contingency plan with a vague trigger ("if things go wrong") never actually gets activated in time — define the specific, observable event that starts it.*

Edit directly in the box above. Download PDF anytime — the docstoc.io footer is always included and cannot be removed.

What's included

Edit online — click the document, fill in placeholders, download a PDF
6 standard sections: Primary Plan Assumption, Trigger Event, Contingency Actions, Resources Needed, Communication Plan, Decision Authority
5 clearly marked [placeholder] fields for quick personalizing
Free to use — no account or signup required
Fully editable — adjust any clause to match your actual situation
Fixed docstoc.io footer on every PDF (not removable)

Who this template is for

Freelancers & solo founders

Handling routine business paperwork without commissioning custom legal drafting for every document.

Small businesses

Standardizing recurring documents — leases, agreements, notices — across a growing operation.

Anyone reviewing before signing

Using a clear starting structure to understand what a document should cover, even if a lawyer finalizes it.

Early-stage businesses

Getting the basics documented before things get more complex.

FAQ

Is this contingency plan template really free?

Yes. Like every template in docstoc's library, this contingency plan is free to use, with no account or signup needed to view, edit, or download it.

What does this contingency plan cover?

This business template includes Primary Plan Assumption, Trigger Event, Contingency Actions, Resources Needed. Fill in the [bracketed] placeholders, edit any clause online, then download a PDF — the docstoc.io footer stays on every export.

Is this legal advice?

No. This is a general-purpose starting structure, not advice for your specific situation. Business agreements can hinge on details — state of formation, industry-specific regulation, how a dispute would actually play out — that a template can't account for. Have a business attorney review anything that involves real money or real risk before you rely on it.

Can I edit the wording?

Yes — edit directly on the page, adjust any section or clause, and re-fill the 5 placeholder fields to match your situation before downloading a PDF. It's a starting structure, not a rigid script.

Where can I find more free templates like this?

Browse more free business and related document templates in the docstoc library at /document-templates/.

Five products, one platform

Document templates1,000+ free business & legal documents Invoice generatorCreate shareable invoices, then chase overdue ones AI collectionsTone-matched invoice follow-up drafts SSL / TLS automationLet's Encrypt for domains you control Document certificatesTamper-evident hash verification for any file

Why use this instead of a generic template

Security

Served over SSL from Cloudflare's edge network — no ad trackers, no third-party scripts on template pages.

Legality

Templates are drafted for general use, not a substitute for legal advice — check the note on each page for specifics.

Privacy

No account or signup needed to copy a template — nothing you type here is stored unless you choose to sign up.

Speed

Copy the subject and body directly — no form to fill in, no export step, no waiting on a download link.

Mobile-friendly

Every template page works the same on a phone as a desktop — copy on the go, no app required.

API available

Building your own tool? docstoc's API covers invoices, reminders, and templates directly.