This stock option plan template has 9 pages and is a MS Word file type listed under our legal agreements documents.
Sample of our stock option plan template:
STOCK OPTION PLAN This Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") is given by [COMPANY NAME] (the "Company"), having its registered office at [SPECIFY ADDRESS] to its Employees. This Plan was approved and adopted by the Board of Directors and by the stockholders on [DATE]. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE [COMPANY NAME] has formulated this Plan, in furtherance of the corporate policy of the Company, for creating an environment conducive to higher growth opportunities for its Employees and the Employees of its Affiliates, and with a view to align the interests of such Employees and those of the shareholders by creating a common sense of purpose towards creating sustainable shareholder value. DEFINITIONS Administrator shall mean the Compensation Committee of the Board (or a subcommittee thereof) acting in its capacity as Administrator of the Plan. Applicable Laws shall mean the legal requirements related to the Plan and the option under applicable provisions of the securities laws of [STATE/PROVINCE]. Board shall mean the Company's Board of Directors. Company shall mean [NAME OF COMPANY]. Option Shares shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock subject to the option as specified in the attached Exhibit A. Optionee shall mean the person eligible to avail the Stock Option Plan. Permanent Disability shall mean the inability of the Optionee to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is expected to result in death or to be of continuous duration of [NUMBER OF MONTHS] months or more. Plan shall mean this Stock Option Plan. GRANT OF OPTION The Company hereby grants to the eligible person (the "Optionee") an option to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Plan. The date on which this option is granted (the "Grant Date"), the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable under this option (the "Option Shares"), the exercise price payable per share (the "Exercise Price"), the applicable vesting schedule by which this option shall vest and become exercisable incrementally for the Option Shares (the "Vesting Schedule") and the date to be used to measure the maximum term of this option (the "Expiration Date") are indicated on the attached Exhibit A to this Plan. The remaining terms and conditions governing this option shall be as set forth in this Plan. ELIGIBILITY FOR THE GRANT OF OPTIONS The criteria to be fulfilled by an Employee for being considered an Eligible Employee may be prescribed by the Committee from time to time. Only Employees fulfilling such criteria and who are not Disqualified Employees shall be considered Eligible Employees for the purposes of this Plan. An option can be granted only to an Eligible Employee who has been selected by the Committee. While selecting Eligible Employees for the award of grants and for deciding the number of options to be granted to such Eligible Employees, the Committee may be guided by the following considerations (i.e. eligibility criteria): Number of years of service Job profile and grade Performance rating or key result area appraisal Any other factors the Board of Directors or the Committee may deem appropriate. OPTION TERM The term of this option shall commence on the Grant Date and continue to be in effect until the close of business on the last business day prior to the Expiration Date specified in the attached Exhibit A, unless sooner terminated in accordance with this Plan. LIMITED TRANSFERABILITY This option shall be neither transferable nor assignable by the Optionee other than by will or the laws of inheritance following the Optionee's death and may be exercised, during the Optionee's lifetime, only by the Optionee. DATE OF EXERCISE This option shall vest and become exercisable for the Option Shares in a series of installments in accordance with the Vesting Schedule set forth in the attached Exhibit A. As the option vests and becomes exercisable for such installments, those installments shall accumulate, and the option shall remain exercisable for the accumulated installments until the last business day prior to the Expiration Date or any sooner termination of the option term. CESSATION OF SERVICE The option mentioned above shall terminate (and this option shall cease to be outstanding) prior to the Expiration Date should any of the following provisions become applicable: Except as otherwise expressly provided in subparagraphs 8.1.2 through 8.1.7 of this Paragraph 8, should the Optionee cease to remain in Continuous Service for any reason while this option is outstanding, then the Optionee shall have until the close of business on the last business day prior to the expiration of the [NUMBER OF MONTHS]-month period measured from the date of such cessation of Continuous Service during which to exercise this option for any or all of the Option Shares for which this option is vested and exercisable at the time of the Optionee's cessation of Continuous Service, but in no event shall this option be exercisable at any time after the close of business on the last business day prior to the Expiration Date. In the event the Optionee ceases Continuous Service by reason of his or her death while this option is outstanding, then this option may be exercised, for any or all of the Option Shares for which this option is vested and exercisable at the time of the Optionee's cessation of Continuous Service, by (i) the personal representative of the Optionee's estate or (ii) the person or persons to whom the option is transferred pursuant to the Optionee's will or the laws of inheritance following the Optionee's death. However, if the Optionee dies while holding this option and has an effective beneficiary designation in effect for this option at the time of his or her death, then the designated beneficiary or beneficiaries shall have the exclusive right to exercise this option following the Optionee's death. Any such right to exercise this option shall lapse, and this option shall cease to be outstanding, upon the close of business on the last business day prior to the earlier of (a) the expiration of the twelve (12)-month period measured from the date of the Optionee's death or (b) the Expiration Date. Upon the expiration of such limited exercise period, this option shall terminate and cease to be outstanding for any exercisable Option Shares for which the option has not otherwise been exercised. Should the Optionee cease Continuous Service by reason of Permanent Disability while this option is outstanding, then the Optionee shall have until the close of business on the last business day prior to the expiration of the twelve (12)-month period measured from the date of such cessation of Continuous Service during which to exercise this option for any or all of the Option Shares for which this option is vested and exercisable at the time of such cessation of Continuous Service. In no event, however, shall this option be exercisable at any time after the close of business on the last business day prior to the Expiration Date. Except as otherwise precluded by Applicable Laws, should (i) the Optionee cease Continuous Service after completion of at least three (3) years of Continuous Service and (ii) the sum of the Optionee's attained age and completed years of Continuous Service at the time of such cessation of service equals or exceeds seventy (70) years, then the Optionee shall have until the close of business on the last business day prior to the expiration of the thirty-six (36)-month period measured from the date of such cessation of Continuous Service during which to exercise this option for any or all of the Option Shares for which this option is vested and exercisable at the time of such cessation of Continuous Service. In no event, however, shall this option be exercisable at any time after the close of business on the last business day prior to the Expiration Date.
