Kickoff meeting agenda template

Send this agenda a day before the call so the client comes prepared. Aim for 30–45 minutes. The goal is a shared plan and a clear first step, not a friendly chat.

KICKOFF MEETING AGENDA

Project: [NAME] Date / time: [DATE, TIME, TIMEZONE] Attendees: [WHO SHOULD BE THERE — include the decision-maker]

1. Introductions (5 min)

• Who’s who and who does what
• Confirm the day-to-day contact and the final approver

2. Goals and success (10 min)

• Restate the goal in one sentence, agree it’s right
• Define what success looks like and how we’ll measure it
• Surface any constraints or non-negotiables

3. Scope and deliverables (10 min)

• Walk through what’s included
• Confirm what’s out of scope
• Agree how change requests get handled

4. Timeline and milestones (5 min)

• Confirm start date and key dates
• Agree feedback turnaround (e.g. within [X] business days)
• Flag any dates that are firm and why

5. Logistics (5 min)

• Where files and updates will live: [TOOL]
• How we’ll communicate and how often
• Materials/access needed from the client, and by when

6. Next steps (5 min)

• Confirm the immediate first action and who owns it
• Set the next check-in date
• Confirm deposit / paperwork status

After the meeting: send a short recap with decisions, action items, owners, and dates.

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How to use this agenda

The kickoff is where you agree how you will work, not what you will build — that was the contract and the statement of work. Spend the time on decision-makers, response times, and what happens when feedback is late.

Run a kickoff meeting covers the facilitation. Confirm the agreed points in writing the same day; a kickoff nobody wrote down did not happen.

This template is a starting point, not legal advice.