MAKE YOUR FREE Distribution Agreement
What we'll cover
What is a Distribution Agreement?
A Distribution Agreement is a contract between two businesses: a supplier of goods and an independent distributor. Distribution Agreements appoint a distributor to market and sell a supplier’s goods, while the distributor must purchase the goods and trade under their own name.
When should I use a Distribution Agreement?
Use this Distribution Agreement:
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when one business is appointing an independent distributor to buy their products and resell them in a defined geographical area
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to set out which products the distributor will sell and their sales targets and conditions
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for businesses located in England, Wales, or Scotland
Sample Distribution Agreement
The terms in your document will update based on the information you provide
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT IS MADE ON THE DATE OF THE LAST SIGNATURE SET OUT BELOW.
Meanings
- These words and phrases have defined meanings:
Agreement this document including any amendments; Effective Date ; Confidential Information all confidential information (however recorded or preserved) disclosed by either party to the other party concerning the disclosing party's (a) business, affairs, customers, clients, Suppliers, plans, intentions, or market opportunities; (b) operations, processes, product information, know-how, designs, trade secrets or software; and (c) information developed by it under this Agreement; Intellectual Property any patent, copyright, registered design, unregistered design right, trade mark or other industrial or intellectual property owned or used by the Supplier in or for the Products in the Territory and any applications for these; Target the minimum aggregate value of the purchases to be made by the Distributor from the Supplier as set out in Schedule 3 or as the parties agree in writing; Products the Products described in Schedule 1 and any other Products which the Supplier allows the Distributor to sell under this Agreement; Quarter each period of three months starting on the Effective Date and each consecutive period of three months ending on 31 March, 30 June, 30 September or 31 December for the period of this Agreement; Supplier's Conditions the Supplier's terms and conditions of sale set out in Schedule 4 as changed by the Supplier from time to time after written notice of the change to the Distributor; Territory the countries or areas allocated to the Distributor as specified in Schedule 2; Working Day any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in England and Wales. Year each period of 12 months from the Effective Date and each consecutive period of 12 months for the period of this Agreement. - Unless the context requires a different interpretation:
- all singular words include plural ones and vice versa;
- all references to sub-paragraphs, paragraphs, schedules or appendices are to the ones in this Agreement;
- all references to a person includes firms, companies, government entities, trusts and partnerships;
- the term 'including' does not exclude anything not listed;
- all references to statutory provisions include any changes to those provisions;
- no headings or sub-headings form part of this Agreement.
Life of Agreement
- This Agreement commences on the Effective Date and continues until the expiry of a notice to end it, served as permitted under this Agreement.
Distributor's Obligations
- The Distributor must:
- act conscientiously and in good faith, and follow all the Supplier's reasonable instructions and not allow its own interests to conflict with its duties to the Supplier;
- use its best endeavours to promote and sell the Products throughout the Territory with all due care and diligence;
- buy the Products only for use or resale by it and negotiate and enter into contracts for the sale of the Products in its own name and for its own account at such prices and terms as it chooses;
- buy from the Supplier all its requirements of the Products and not buy similar ones from any other source;
- refer to itself "a distributor" of the Supplier in all dealings with the Products and in any associated promotional material, vehicles and premises;
- maintain, at its own expense, appropriate premises, offices, stores, display and administration facilities and any vehicles and systems necessary to carry out its duties under this Agreement;
- employ a sufficient number of suitably qualified, dedicated personnel to carry out its duties under this Agreement, including attending trade exhibitions and other sales outlets which the Supplier considers appropriate, and making regular and frequent calls on customers or potential customers to promote and sell the Products;
- ensure that the Products are stored and transported in optimum condition;
- attend regular meetings with the Supplier to discuss the marketing and selling of the Products;
- comply with all laws, regulations and applicable to the Products in the Territory, and advise the Supplier of them so far as is relevant;
- on request, give the Supplier access to all premises, papers, materials, information and records relevant to the Distributor's activities in the Territory and send to the Supplier any of them, so far as reasonable, including:
- the previous, current and anticipated volumes of sales;
- the state of the market;
- any complaints or after sales enquires;
- any leads outside the Territory;
- up-to-date customer lists including names, addresses and Product details so that Products can be, for instance, traced or recalled;
- any overdue payments from customers; and
- any policy of insurance or claims.
- To ensure business continuity, in the months before this Agreement ends, the Supplier can: refuse to accept any orders from the Distributor, appoint a successor to the Distributor, introduce the successor to customers and potential customers, and allow the successor to market itself as the Supplier's distributor or agent.
Supplier's Obligations
- The Supplier must:
- make reasonable efforts to supply the Products to the Distributor;
- give the Distributor reasonable notice of any changes (which the Supplier can choose from time to time) in the Supplier's prices of the Products or the Supplier's intention to extend the range of, withdraw, modify or discontinue the Products; and
- inform the Distributor within a reasonable time of any problem in meeting the Distributor's orders.
Target
- The Distributor must use best endeavours to continue to meet each Target.
Risk, Default and Retention of Title
- Risk of loss or damage to the Products will pass to the Distributor at the time of delivery of the Products.
- The Supplier will still own the Products, regardless of delivery, until the Distributor has paid the Supplier in full for those Products and all other sums due from the Distributor to the Supplier at that time. The Supplier can attribute money received from the Distributor as being payment for whichever Products as the Supplier chooses, regardless of the circumstances.
- While the Supplier still owns any of the Products, the Distributor:
- will hold those Products on a fiduciary basis as the Supplier's property and on the Supplier's behalf as bailee for the Supplier;
- use or resell those Products only in its ordinary course of trade, but (in addition to the Supplier's other rights) this right will end immediately if any step occurs towards the Distributor's bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership, administration, liquidation, winding up or dissolution (Insolvency Event); and
- must not otherwise deal with, pledge, encumber (except by floating charge) sell or dispose of those Products.
- If any step is taken toward any Insolvency Event or if the Distributor is overdue in any payment due, all sums will become immediately due and payable and the Supplier can choose, by immediate notice to the Distributor: to end the Distributor's right, if still continuing, to use or resell the Products still owned by the Supplier, enter any place to recover those Products, and suspend or cancel any deliveries. The exercise of any of those choices will not cancel the Distributor's obligation to pay the price for those Products, provided that the Supplier must make a fair allowance for the value of any Products which the Supplier has recovered.
Orders and Supplier's Conditions
- The Distributor must give at least three months' written notice of its estimated orders for each month. It must make each order in writing and, subject to its acceptance, the Supplier must tell the Distributor the estimated delivery date and must use reasonable efforts to meet this, but time of delivery is not of the essence. The Supplier's Conditions apply to all of the Distributor's orders for and the Supplier's sales of the Products, but this Agreement prevails if there is any inconsistency between them and this Agreement.
Sales and Marketing
- Unless the Supplier agrees otherwise, the Distributor can only make the representations, warranties or promises about the Products contained in the Supplier's literature or as allowed by the Supplier's Conditions.
- The parties will agree any stock levels to be maintained by the Distributor for the next Quarter, so that it can meet orders and contracts from customers promptly, but failing agreement, the Distributor will maintain the stock as specified by the Supplier.
- The Supplier must, at its own cost, provide the Distributor with information on advertising and promotion and any materials, information and support reasonably needed for the Distributor to carry out its duties under this Agreement. The Distributor must use for the Products only such advertising and sales matter approved by the Supplier and must display advertising materials and other signs provided by the Supplier.
- The Supplier is entitled to participate with the Distributor in fairs and exhibitions in the Territory.
Prices and Payment
- The prices of the Products payable by the Distributor are set out in Schedule 1 and otherwise are the prices which the Supplier can, from time to time by at least days written notice, notify to the Distributor. Prices are exclusive of any applicable VAT and other sales taxes and duties, for which the Distributor must be liable.
- The Products are sold on an "ex works" basis so prices are exclusive of delivery, and where delivery is provided by the Supplier, the Distributor must pay for all transport costs, including transit insurance.
- Payment must be made no later than days after the date of the Supplier's invoice. The Supplier can issue an invoice upon notifying the Distributor that the Products are ready for collection.
Compliance with Laws, Regulations and Insurance
- The Supplier warrants to the Distributor that the Products will comply with any regulations in force in the Territory at the date the Supplier makes them available for collection, except to the extent that the Distributor fails to comply with its above obligations to keep the Supplier informed of the regulations.
- The Supplier must maintain adequate product liability insurance for any Products which it supplies and must indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor against any costs, claims, expenses or losses reasonably incurred by the Distributor, arising out of claims made by customers or third parties in connection with defective Products sold by the Supplier to the Distributor.
- The Distributor must obtain all licences, registrations, permits or approvals necessary or advisable for the import, promotion, sale and supply of the Products in the Territory. The Supplier must provide the Distributor with reasonable assistance and support (including technical advice and information) to this end.
- The Distributor must, at its own expense, insure and keep insured to its full replacement value the Supplier's property which is at any time in the Distributor's possession, custody or control. The Distributor must maintain an adequate level of insurance in connection with its activities, including any insurances set out in Schedule 5.
- The Distributor must indemnify and hold harmless the Supplier against any costs, claims, expenses or losses incurred by the Supplier, as a result of the Distributor, its employees or representatives, breaching any law or other regulation in force during the period of this Agreement or acting in default of a term of this Agreement.
- The Distributor and its employees and representatives, must comply with all applicable laws, statutes, regulations and codes relating to anti-bribery and anti-corruption, including the Bribery Act 2010.
Intellectual Property
- The Distributor acknowledges that the Intellectual Property in the Products and the Supplier's business and goodwill are the Supplier's property. The Distributor can only use the Intellectual Property for the purposes of, and during, this Agreement, and only as authorised by the Supplier.
- The Distributor must:
- not do, or fail to do, or authorise anyone else to do, anything which could invalidate the Intellectual Property;
- not use any trademarks, trade names or get-up which resemble those of the Supplier; nor alter remove, or otherwise tamper with any trademarks, trade names or get-up which would be likely to confuse or mislead the public;
- notify the Supplier as soon as it becomes aware of any actual, threatened or suspected infringement in the Territory of the Intellectual Property; and
- at the request and expense of the Supplier, take all steps during this Agreement as the Supplier reasonably requires, to assist in maintaining and enforcing in the Territory the Intellectual Property. This may include bringing or defending any court or other legal proceedings concerning Intellectual Property matters.
Confidentiality
- Each party must at all times (a) keep confidential and not disclose to any person any Confidential Information and (b) only use such Confidential Information for the purposes of performing its obligations under this Agreement.
- A party may disclose Confidential Information to its employees, officers, sub-contractors, representatives or advisers (Permitted Disclosees) who need to know such information for performing the party's obligations under this Agreement. That party must ensure that the Permitted Disclosees comply with the confidentiality provisions of this Agreement.
Termination
- Either party can end this Agreement by written notice to the other to expire at any time .
- Either party can end this Agreement by immediate written notice if the other party commits a material breach of this Agreement and fails to remedy it within days after being given written notice giving full particulars of the breach and requiring it to be remedied.
- Either party can end this Agreement by immediate written notice to the other if:
- that other party commits a material breach of this Agreement which is not capable of remedy;
- that other party is dissolved, wound up or becomes unable to pay its debts as they fall due;
- a receiver is appointed, of any of the property or assets of that other party;
- that other party makes any voluntary arrangement with its creditors or becomes subject to an administration order (within the meaning of the Insolvency Act 1986);
- that other party has a bankruptcy order made against it or goes into liquidation;
- that other party, being an individual, dies or as a result of illness or incapacity becomes incapable of managing their own affairs; or
- that other party suspends or ceases, or threatens to suspend or cease, to carry on all or a substantial part of its business.
- The Distributor can end this Agreement if the Supplier stops producing or supplying all the Products.
Consequences of Ending
- This Agreement's end will not affect either party's accrued rights at the end.
- Other than as set out in this Agreement, neither party will have any further obligation to the other under this Agreement after its end.
- On this Agreement's end, the Distributor must immediately stop:
- describing itself as a distributor of the Supplier; and
- using any trademarks, trade names and brand names of the Supplier (including on stationery, premises and vehicles).
- The Distributor must, at its own expense within 30 days, return to the Supplier all stocks of the Products (other than any for which it has paid, or accepted orders from customers, before this Agreement's end), samples and any advertising, promotional or sales material in its possession. The Distributor must destroy any of that material as directed by the Supplier.
Circumstances Beyond the Control of the Parties
- Neither party will be liable for any failure or delay in performing an obligation (including a delivery delay or failure) resulting from any cause beyond its reasonable control, but it must as soon as reasonably practicable notify the other party accordingly. In that case, either party can then suspend or end its obligations under this Agreement.
Entire Agreement
- This Agreement contains the whole agreement between the parties relating to its subject matter and supersedes all prior discussions, arrangements or agreements that might have taken place about this Agreement.
General
- The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 does not apply to this Agreement and no third party will have any right to enforce or rely on any provision of this Agreement.
- Unless otherwise agreed, no delay, act or omission by a party in exercising any right or remedy will be deemed a waiver of that, or any other, right or remedy.
- Provisions which by their intent or terms are meant to survive the end of this Agreement, will do so.
- If any court or competent authority finds that any provision of this Agreement (or part of any provision) is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that provision or part provision will, to the extent required, be deemed to be deleted, and the validity and enforceability of the other provisions of this Agreement will not be affected.
- Unless specifically provided by the parties, nothing in this Agreement will establish any partnership or joint venture between any of the parties, or mean that any party becomes the agent of another party, nor does this Agreement authorise any party to enter into any commitments for or on behalf of any other party.
- Any notice (other than in legal proceedings) to be delivered under this Agreement must be in writing and delivered by pre-paid first class post to or left by hand delivery at the registered address or place of business of the notified party, sent by fax to the other party's fax number or by email to the business email address of the other party.
Notices:- sent by post will be deemed to have been received, where posted from and to addresses in the United Kingdom, on the second Working Day and where posted from or to addresses outside the United Kingdom, on the tenth Working Day after the date of posting;
- delivered by hand will be deemed to have been received at the time the notice is left at the proper address;
- sent by fax will be deemed to have been received on the next Working Day after transmission;
- sent by email will be deemed to have been received on the next Working Day after transmission.
- The Supplier can assign, or deal in any other manner with any of its rights under this Agreement or sub-contract all or any of its obligations under it. The Distributor cannot assign or otherwise deal with any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement, or subcontract any of its obligations under it and cannot appoint any agents or sub-distributors, without prior written consent.
Governing Law and Jurisdiction
- This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted according to the law of England and Wales and all disputes arising under the Agreement (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts.
The parties have signed this Agreement on the day(s) and year set out below:
SCHEDULE 1
The Products and Prices
Revised prices will be attached to this agreement on release.
SCHEDULE 2
Territory
Territory allocated to the Distributor
SCHEDULE 3
Targets
*Excluding VAT and other taxes and duties
The figures in column 2 above will be revised with effect from the first day of each Year (after the fifth Year) by agreement of the parties, failing which, the Target will from that day be increased or decreased by the same percentage as the percentage increase or decrease in the Index then last published over the immediately preceding twelve-month period. The "Index" means the All Items Retail Price Index as published monthly by the Office for National Statistics.
SCHEDULE 4
Supplier's Conditions
SCHEDULE 5
Insurances to be Maintained by the Distributor
About Distribution Agreements
Learn more about making your Distribution Agreement
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How to make a Distribution Agreement
Making your Distribution Agreement online is simple. Just answer a few questions and Rocket Lawyer will build your document for you. When you have all the information about the distribution relationship prepared in advance, creating your document is a quick and easy process.
You’ll need the following information:
The supplier and the distributor
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What is the supplier’s name, address, and legal structure? If it’s a company, what is its company number?
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Who is the supplier’s signatory, if it’s a company or a partnership? This is the person who will sign the Agreement on the company’s or partnership’s behalf.
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What is the distributor’s name, address, and legal structure? If it’s a company, what is its company number?
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Who is the distributor’s signatory, if it’s a company or a partnership?
The distribution arrangement
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Is the distributor being appointed as an exclusive, sole, or non-exclusive distributor?
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In which geographical areas can the distributor sell the supplier’s products?
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Is the distributor restricted from selling in certain areas? If so, which areas?
Restrictions and obligations on the distributor
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Is the distributor restricted from engaging in competing business during the life of this Agreement?
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Is the distributor restricted from engaging in competing business for a specified period after this Agreement ends? If so, for how many months?
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Is the distributor required to provide after-sales repair and maintenance services for the products?
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Which types of insurance must the distributor hold? For example, product liability and environmental liability? For each type, what is the insurance cap (ie maximum for a claim or a series of connected claims)?
Sales targets, products, and prices
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What are the distributor’s sales targets (ie the minimum value of purchases they must make from the supplier)? You can set separate targets for each year of the Agreement.
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If the distributor fails to meet a sales target, can the supplier:
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Appoint other distributors in the territory to sell the products?
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Sell products directly to customers in the territory?
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End the Distribution Agreement? If so, within what period of time following the distributor’s failure to meet targets must notice to end the Agreement be given? How much notice must be given?
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Will a list of products to be distributed and their prices be set out within the Distribution Agreement? Or will this be attached as a schedule?
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If the supplier wants to change products’ prices later, how much notice must they give of a change?
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Within how many days of the supplier’s issuing an invoice must the distributor pay the Invoice?
The Distribution Agreement
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What is the date of the Agreement (ie the date of signing or a specified date)?
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Is there a ‘lock-in period’ (ie a length of time that must pass from the start of the contract before it can be ended)? If so, how long is it?
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How much notice must either party give if they want to end the Agreement?
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How long does a party have to remedy a material breach of the Agreement before the other party may end the Agreement?
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If the Agreement ends, during how many months before it ends may the supplier appoint a new distributor?
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If the supplier or the distributor is based in Scotland, will the contract be governed by the laws of England and Wales or the laws of Scotland?
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Common terms in a Distribution Agreement
Distribution Agreements set out the terms of an intended distribution arrangement. To do this, this Distribution Agreement template includes the following terms and sections:
This Agreement is made on the date of last signature…
The Agreement starts by identifying when the contract is formed (it may be effective from this date (ie its provisions may start from this date) or from another date, if specified). The supplier and the distributor (ie the parties to the Agreement) are also clearly identified.
Meanings
This definition table assigns specific meanings to key terms used throughout the Agreement. When these terms (eg ‘Effective Date’, ‘Excluded Areas’ or ‘Territory’) are used capitalised throughout the Agreement, they carry the meaning they’re given in this table.
Basis of appointment
This section sets out the distributor’s appointment as a distributor of the supplier’s products. It identifies whether this is a sole, exclusive, or non-exclusive appointment and clarifies the implications of this.
Life of Agreement
This section explains when the contract starts and ends, by reference to other sections of the Agreement.
Distributor’s obligations
This section contains various things that the distributor is, by signing this Agreement, committing to do. For example, the distributor must:
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sell the products in its own name for prices that it specifies
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use its best endeavours to promote and sell the supplier’s products throughout the territory that’s been assigned
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not buy similar products from a different supplier
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employ suitable staff to be able to meet its obligations under this Agreement
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give the supplier, on request, access to premises, records, information, and similar relevant to the distributor’s relevant activity in the territory
You may also choose to include obligations on the distributor to:
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not actively market to or solicit sales from customers in the excluded areas
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provide after-sales repair and maintenance services for the products
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not manufacture or sell competing products during the Agreement and, optionally, for a specified period after the Agreement
This section also sets out the supplier’s right under the Agreement to do certain things to ensure business continuity for a specified period before the Agreement is to come to an end. For example, they may appoint a new distributor and stop accepting orders from the distributor.
Supplier’s obligations
Certain obligations on the supplier are set out here. For example, its obligation to give the distributor reasonable notice of any intended price changes.
Target
This section states the distributor’s obligation to use its best endeavours to meet sales targets and what the supplier may do if they don’t (and when they may do it).
Risk, default and retention of title
This section explains at which point during a sale the ownership of the products transfers from the supplier to the distributor (ie once the distributor has paid for them and other conditions have been met).
It also explains that the risk of loss or damage to the goods may pass to the distributor at a different time to ownership of them (eg the distributor must generally bear losses suffered as a result of damage to the goods from the time of delivery). Certain rules apply to products while the distributor holds them but the supplier owns them. For example, the distributor holds them on the supplier’s behalf and may not sell them.
This section also explains what happens if a payment is overdue or if the distributor is taking certain steps towards insolvency.
Orders and supplier’s conditions
This section explains the distributor should give at least 3 months’ notice of intended orders and sets out how orders should be made. It makes provisions for delivery timeframes and states that the supplier’s conditions (ie standard terms and conditions) apply to all sales under this Agreement.
Sales and marketing
This section imposes limits on which promises and similar the distributor may make about the relevant products. Other obligations are also included, for example, that the supplier must provide advertising information that the distributor requires to sell the products.
Prices and payment
This section makes various provisions regarding payments. For example, dates for changing prices and paying invoices.
Compliance with laws, regulations and insurance
This section sets out multiple provisions regarding parties’ obligations to comply with certain laws and to cover each other’s risks in relation to possible breaches of the Agreement. For example:
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the supplier provides a warranty (ie a promise) that the products are legally compliant within the territory (to the extent that the distributor has notified them of relevant laws)
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the supplier must hold adequate product liability insurance and must indemnify the distributor against the costs of any relevant legal claims (eg claims based on faulty products causing harm)
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the distributor must hold relevant licences and similar and must hold adequate insurance
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an indemnity provided by the distributor, covering the supplier for any losses it suffers due to the distributor’s conduct relevant to the Agreement
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the distributor’s promise to comply with anti-bribery laws
Intellectual property
This section starts with recognition that the supplier owns any intellectual property (IP) used in the products and the distributor is only authorised to use this IP for the purposes of this Agreement.
This is followed by various things that the distributor must do to help uphold the supplier’s IP rights. For example, they must not alter or remove any of the supplier’s trade marks that are part of the products.
Confidentiality
This section sets out both parties’ obligations to protect and not disclose the other’s confidential information, except in specified rare circumstances.
Termination
The various ways in which the Agreement may be ended are set out here. They include a specified amount of written notice and termination due to certain things the other party has done.
Consequences of ending
This section sets out some things that will happen when the Agreement ends. For example, the distributor must stop describing itself as a distributor of the supplier and should return any remaining stocks of products to the supplier.
Circumstances beyond the control of the parties
This force majeure clause explains what happens (eg the parties’ liabilities) if an event beyond the control of either party occurs (eg a natural disaster or a pandemic). Essentially, the parties are not liable for any failure to perform their obligations under the Agreement if such events occur and prevent performance, and they may suspend or end their obligations under the Agreement.
Entire Agreement
This section essentially states that this Agreement is the whole agreement between the parties (ie there are no additional terms). This helps avoid confusion if, for instance, other terms were in contemplation during negotiations.
General
This section deals with various other points of law that govern how this Agreement operates. For example:
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restricting how the parties can deal with the Agreement. The distributor cannot assign or otherwise deal with (eg by subcontracting) their rights or obligations under the Agreement without the supplier’s permission. The supplier can deal with any of its rights and obligations under the Agreement
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excluding the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 or the Contract (Third Party Rights) (Scotland) Act 2017. This essentially means that third parties (ie not the supplier or the distributor) that would otherwise be able to enforce obligations under this Agreement under the Act cannot do so
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setting out how any notices or other similar communications that are given under the Agreement should be delivered
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clarifying that the Agreement does not create a partnership, joint venture, or agency relationship between the supplier and the distributor
Governing law and jurisdiction
This section sets out which country’s legal system must be used to resolve any disputes (ie the Agreement’s ‘jurisdiction’). This is necessary as the legal systems of England and Wales and of Scotland are different.
The parties have signed this Agreement…
The Agreement ends with spaces for both parties to sign the contract to make it legally binding.
Schedule 1 - The products and prices
The products the distributor will be authorised to sell are set out here, alongside the purchase price for each product.
Schedule 2 - Territory, or Schedule 2 - Territory and excluded areas
This schedule sets out the geographical areas in which the distributor should sell the products and any specified areas in which they generally should not.
Schedule 3 - Targets
The minimum sales targets that the distributor should meet each year are set out here in GBP.
Schedule 4 - Supplier’s conditions
This is where the supplier’s terms and conditions of supply should be attached.
Schedule 5 - Insurances to be maintained by the distributor
If the distributor must have any types of insurance in place during the Agreement, these are set out here alongside the minimum cap required.
If you want your Distribution Agreement to include further or more detailed provisions, you can edit your document. However, if you do this, you may want a lawyer to review the document for you (or to make the changes for you) to make sure that your modified Distribution Agreement complies with all relevant laws and meets your specific needs. Use Rocket Lawyer’s Ask a lawyer service for assistance.
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Legal tips for suppliers and distributors
Make sure you comply with competition law
Competition law (or ‘antitrust’) prohibits businesses from engaging in certain types of behaviour that have the potential to restrict or otherwise impact competition between businesses within a relevant market. Whenever two businesses make an agreement with each other (eg to divide sales territories between them) or a business restricts another business from doing something, they should be considering whether they’re at risk of infringing competition law rules.
Keep this in mind when making your Distribution Agreement by, for example, not setting an unreasonably long period during which the distributor may not sell competing products. Note also that this Agreement is drafted in a way that helps the parties to avoid breaching competition law. For example, if you decide that the distributor is to be restricted from selling in certain areas, the term of the Agreement that sets this out will stop the distributor from actively selling to (ie by marketing to) customers in those areas - restricting passive selling as well would lead to a much higher risk of competition law infringement. This highlights the importance of reading and understanding your Agreement and of being careful if you make any changes.
For more information, read Competition law and distribution agreements.
Understand when to seek advice from a lawyer
In some circumstances, it’s good practice to Ask a lawyer for advice to ensure that you’re complying with the law and that you are well protected from risks. You should consider asking for advice if:
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you’re appointing a distributor to sell services or mixed goods and services
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you’re appointing a franchisor who has a licence to offer your products
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you have questions or concerns relating to competition law
This document contains complex competition law elements. If you are in doubt as to whether you are complying with competition law, Ask a lawyer for assistance.
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Distribution Agreement FAQs
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What should a Distribution Agreement include?
This Distribution Agreement template covers:
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the basis of appointment (ie whether an exclusive, sole or non-exclusive distributor is being appointed)
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the geographical area(s) the distributor may sell in
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products to be sold
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the distributor’s and the supplier’s duties
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minimum purchase targets
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sales targets
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the prices payable by the distributor
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ending the agreement
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Why do I need a Distribution Agreement?
If you’re a supplier that wants to expand its business into new markets or territories, creating or expanding a well-run distribution network (eg into new geographical markets), you should make Distribution Agreements with your distributors to clearly establish the parameters of your commercial relationship and to provide legal surety to both parties. Doing this enables you to implement your expansion with confidence that legal disputes or commercial misunderstandings and issues are unlikely to arise in future.
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What is the difference between exclusive, sole and non-exclusive distributors?
An exclusive distributor is appointed to be the only distributor within a specified territory. Even the supplier cannot make sales in that territory.
A sole distributor is the only distributor in a specified territory besides the supplier. Only this distributor and the supplier can make sales in that territory.
A non-exclusive distributor is not an exclusive or sole distributor within a territory. This means that the supplier can make sales in the specified territory and may also appoint other distributors to do so (or other distributors may already be active in the territory).
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What restrictions can a supplier place on a distributor?
A supplier can restrict a distributor from selling in areas that a supplier has reserved for itself or for a different distributor who is an exclusive distributor.
In this document, you may also choose to restrict the distributor from engaging in competing business during the life of this Agreement and for a period after the end of it.
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What are the distributor's obligations under this agreement?
The distributor is subject to various obligations under this Agreement, for example, they must:
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maintain adequate insurance
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purchase a minimum amount of the relevant products from the supplier
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act in a good faith
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promote the supplier’s products with due care and diligence
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not engage in selling similar goods to those they’re selling for the supplier
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Who is responsible for any loss or damage to the products?
A distributor will only be responsible for any loss or damage to the products after the products are delivered to them.
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How can this Agreement be ended?
This Distribution Agreement may be terminated (ie ended) by either party if they give the other party a specified amount of notice of their intention to end the distribution arrangement. You may choose to set a 'lock-in period' during which no termination notice can be given.
The Agreement may also be ended immediately (by written notice) in certain circumstances. For example, if either party is subject to administration or liquidation, if a receiver is appointed, or if the supplier or the distributor fails to remedy a material breach of the Agreement within a specified period of time. A material breach occurs if there is a breach of the Agreement that is not trivial and which has a serious effect on the benefit that the innocent party would have otherwise derived from the contract.
If the distributor fails to achieve the minimum sales targets, the distributor may end the Distribution Agreement after a certain period of time by giving a specified amount of notice.
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