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Free Template · Updated March 2026

Free Project Charter Template
Word & PDF Download

A sponsor-ready project charter with all 11 sections laid out for you: scope, SMART objectives, stakeholders, a high-level timeline, budget, top risks and a sign-off block. Download it in Word, fill it in and get it signed.

✓By Syed Mujeeb Ur Rehman, PMP
✓Updated March 2026
✓11 sections · 4 pages
✓Free: no signup
What's Inside

This template includes every section required by PMI/PMBOK standards: project overview, purpose & background, SMART objectives & success criteria, in/out of scope, stakeholder register, milestone timeline, budget summary with reserves, risk register, resource plan, change control note and formal approval signatures.

Download Free Template

Word (.docx): edits in Word, Google Docs & LibreOffice

.DOCX FREE
  • 11 fully structured sections
  • SMART objectives table
  • Stakeholder register grid
  • Milestone timeline table
  • Budget summary with reserves
  • Risk register (5 rows)
  • Three sign-off blocks
  • Document version history
  • Header, footer & page numbers
↓ Download Free (.docx) Open in Google Docs →
11
Sections in the template
4+
Pages when completed
100%
PMBOK / PMI aligned
Free
No account or payment required

Quick answer

A project charter is the document that formally authorises a project and gives the project manager authority to use resources. This free 11-section template covers scope, SMART objectives, stakeholders, a high-level timeline, the budget summary, top risks and a sponsor approval block, ready to fill in.

If you want to understand what a charter is for, who owns it and how it is tested on the PMP exam, read my project charter guide. This page is the practical part: download the template, see a filled-in example and avoid the mistakes I see most often.

Project Charter template preview: 11 pre-structured sections, SMART objectives and scope, Stakeholders, timeline and budget, Top risks and sponsor approval
What is inside the free project charter template.

Project Charter template at a glance

FormatWord (.docx), 4 pages
Sections11, from purpose and scope to formal approval
Lifecycle phaseInitiating
Owned byProject sponsor (issues it); project manager (drafts it)
Best forGetting a project formally approved before planning starts
01 · Template Contents

What are the 11 sections of a project charter?

Each section has guidance text that tells you what to write. Replace it with your own project details. The formatting, tables and layout are already done.

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From my experience: On my UAE construction projects, the trouble almost never came from what was written in the scope. It came from what was not written. Every time a client said "we assumed that was included", the real fix was a clear out-of-scope list signed at the start. When I teach the charter to my PMP students, I tell them the same thing: keep it short, get the sponsor to sign it, and be very clear about what the project will not do.
1
Project Overview
Project name, code, sponsor, PM, department, priority, start/end dates and total budget: all in a clean reference table for quick scanning by executives.
2
Purpose & Background
Business need and problem statement, plus strategic alignment to company OKRs, programmes or regulatory requirements. Answers: why does this project exist?
3
Objectives & Success Criteria
5-item SMART objectives list plus a success criteria table with measurement method and target for each criterion. Directly linked to how benefits will be measured post-delivery.
4
Scope (In, Out, Assumptions, Constraints)
Four distinct sub-sections: what's in scope, what's explicitly out of scope, key assumptions and project constraints. The out-of-scope section is the single most important scope creep prevention tool in the charter.
5
Key Stakeholders
Stakeholder register table with name, role/title, responsibility description and engagement level (Lead / Consult / Inform / Approve). Pre-populated with sponsor and PM rows.
6
High-Level Timeline & Milestones
Phase-by-phase milestone table from kick-off through post-implementation review. Includes target date and owner columns. Pre-populated with 10 standard project phases as a starting framework.
7
Budget Summary
Cost breakdown by category (labour, external, software, materials, travel, other) plus contingency reserve, management reserve and total authorised budget row highlighted in violet. Consistent with PMI EVM terminology.
8
Top Risks & Dependencies
5-row risk register table with description, probability, impact and response plan. Plus a separate dependencies section for things the project needs from outside its control.
9
Project Team & Resource Plan
Team table with name, role, department/organisation and percentage allocation. Pre-populated with sponsor and PM rows. Add up to 8 additional team members.
10
Change Control
A formal paragraph establishing the change control process: all scope/budget/timeline changes require a Change Request Form and sponsor approval. Protects the PM and sets expectations from day one.
11
Approval & Authorisation
Three formal signature blocks, Project Sponsor, Project Manager and Steering Committee Chair, each with name, role, signature line and date. The signed charter is the PM's authority to act.
02 · How to Use This Template

How do you fill in a project charter?

Before You Open the Template

Before you open the template, collect five things: the sponsor's name, a rough scope (even 3 or 4 bullet points), a budget range, the target finish date and 3 to 5 high-level objectives. You do not need perfect answers. The charter gets refined in early planning. What matters is that the sponsor signs it on the best information you have, so the project is officially approved.

Section 4: Scope Is the Most Important Section

Most people spend their time on the objectives and rush the scope. Do the opposite. The out-of-scope list is your best protection against scope creep. If something is not listed as out of scope, someone will assume it is in. Be specific: name the systems, locations, user groups and features that are not part of this project.

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Getting sponsor sign-off: Do not just email the charter. Book 30 minutes with the sponsor and walk through it together, especially objectives, scope and budget. A disagreement you find in that meeting costs you half an hour. The same disagreement found six months into delivery costs far more. Once it is signed, the charter is your authority to act.

Opening in Google Docs

The template downloads as a .docx file which opens natively in Microsoft Word. To use it in Google Docs: open drive.google.com, drag and drop the file to upload, then double-click it and select "Open with Google Docs." All formatting, tables and text will carry across. For PDF export from Google Docs: File → Download → PDF Document.

Worked example

Example: a project charter filled in for an office move

Here is how a few key sections look when filled in. This is an example only, for a simple office move. Use it to see the level of detail, then write your own.

Charter sectionWhat I would write
PurposeThe lease on our current office ends. We need to move all staff to the new floor with no more than one working day lost.
SMART objectiveAll staff working from the new office, with network, printers and phones live, on the Monday after the move weekend.
Out of scopeNew furniture, laptop replacement, changes to the phone system, any work on the old office after handover.
Top riskNetwork installation at the new floor finishes late. Response: ask IT to test it one week before the move, with a fallback date agreed with the landlord.

Mistakes I see when people fill this in

  • Objectives that cannot be measured. "Smooth move" is not an objective. "Everyone working from the new office on Monday" is.
  • An empty out-of-scope list. If you leave it empty, every extra request will land on your project.
  • A budget with no contingency. Put the contingency on its own line so the sponsor sees it and approves it.
  • The sponsor named but not signing. A name in the table is not approval. Get the signature block signed.
03 · Background

What Is a Project Charter?

A project charter is the document that officially starts a project. In PMBOK 6 terms it is created in the Initiating process group, and it gives the project manager authority to use the organisation's resources. Without a signed charter, you are managing a project nobody has formally given you.

The charter answers four questions a sponsor needs answered before releasing money: Why are we doing this? (purpose and business case), What exactly are we doing? (scope and objectives), How much and how long? (budget and timeline) and Who is responsible? (PM, sponsor, team).

A charter is not the detailed plan. Keep it short enough that a busy executive will read it and sign it. The WBS, detailed schedule, full risk register and communication plan come after the charter is approved.

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Common charter mistakes: (1) Writing it after work has started. It should be the first document, not paperwork you do later. (2) Keeping scope vague to avoid an argument. Being specific now saves bigger arguments later. (3) Not getting it signed. An unsigned charter has no authority. (4) Never updating it. If scope, budget or objectives change a lot, update the charter and get it approved again.
04 · FAQ

Project Charter: 5 Common Questions

A project charter is a short document that officially authorises a project. It names the project manager, sets out scope, objectives and budget, lists the key stakeholders and is signed by the sponsor. The signed charter is your authority to spend budget and assign people. In PMBOK 6 it belongs to the Initiating process group.
Include: project name and code, purpose and business reason, SMART objectives and success criteria, scope (in, out, assumptions, constraints), key stakeholders and their roles, high-level milestones, budget with contingency and management reserves, top risks and dependencies, a resource plan, how changes will be controlled, and approval signatures. This template has all of these in 11 sections.
Usually 2 to 5 pages for small and medium projects, and 5 to 10 for large programmes. It needs enough detail to approve the project and set expectations, but it must be short enough that the sponsor actually reads it. Detail belongs in the project management plan. This template comes to about 4 to 6 pages when filled in.
The project sponsor signs it. That is the senior person who owns the business result and the funding. The project manager also signs to accept responsibility for delivery. On bigger projects, a steering committee chair or programme director may sign too. Without the sponsor's signature, you have no formal authority to spend money or assign people.
A charter is a short approval document. It answers "should we do this, and who is accountable?" A project brief, a PID in PRINCE2, or a project management plan in PMBOK, is the more detailed document that comes after, and answers "how will we deliver it?" Some organisations mix up the terms. In PMI's approach, the charter always comes first.
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