INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT

Contractor Contract

An agreement from Northwind Studio covering services, deliverables, and contractor status.

PREPARED FOR

Acme Co

PREPARED BY

Northwind Studio

DATE

August 18, 2026

Northwind Studio

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT

Parties and Overview

This agreement is entered into by Northwind Studio (the "Client") and Acme Co (the "Contractor") for the services described below. The Contractor operates as an independent business, provides its own tools and equipment, and is responsible for its own taxes, insurance, and benefits.

TERM

6 months

Initial retainer term with monthly renewal after.

STATUS

Independent

Contractor sets hours, tools, and place of work.

OWNERSHIP

Milestone

IP transfers on payment of each deliverable.

Objectives

Reserve monthly Contractor capacity for the Client.
Deliver accepted work products on the milestone dates.
Preserve Contractor independence in how work is performed.
Transfer Client-specific IP on payment of each deliverable.

Northwind Studio

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT

Scope and Deliverables

The engagement runs across two tracks: reserved monthly capacity and accepted deliverables.

TRACK 1 · CORE DELIVERABLES

Core deliverables

The specific work products agreed in the scope appendix, delivered on the milestone dates. Each deliverable is accepted in writing before the next begins.

TRACK 2 · ONGOING CAPACITY

Ongoing capacity

Reserved monthly capacity for the Client to run tasks that fall outside the core deliverables, prioritized against the Contractor's other engagements.

TRACK 3 · INDEPENDENCE AND OWNERSHIP

Independence and ownership

The Contractor controls how the work is performed. On receipt of final payment for a deliverable, all Client-specific IP in it transfers to the Client.

What is included

Reserved monthly Contractor capacity
Milestone-based deliverable acceptance
IP transfer on payment of each deliverable
Onboarding and access setup

Not included: employee benefits, tax withholding, equipment, and exclusive availability. Contractor sets own hours as long as milestones are met.

Northwind Studio

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT

Fees and Payment

The engagement combines a monthly retainer with milestone payments tied to accepted deliverables.

Item	Rate	Qty	Amount
Monthly retainer (reserved capacity)	$5,500	6	$33,000
Onboarding and access setup	$1,200	1	$1,200
Approved out-of-scope hour	$150	0	$0
Total			$34,200

Payment Schedule

Milestone	Share	Amount
On signature (onboarding + month one)	Setup + month 1	$6,700
Monthly on the 1st, months 2 through 6	Monthly retainer	$5,500
Out-of-scope hours, if any	Hourly	Billed month end

Invoices are due within 15 days. After the initial term the engagement renews monthly and either party may cancel with 30 days' written notice.

Northwind Studio

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT

Acceptance

To proceed, complete the fields below and sign. This contract is valid for 30 days from the date on the cover.

PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER

Enter your PO number

PREFERRED START DATE

e.g. October 2026

I confirm I am authorized to approve this engagement.

CLIENT

Sign here

Acme Co

PROVIDER

Sign here

Northwind Studio

About this template

The Contractor Contract Template is a five-page document for locking in an independent contractor engagement before work starts. It covers deliverables, capacity, IP ownership, a fee table with a computed total, and a signature page ready for both sides.

It is intentionally simple: rename what needs renaming in Bonsai, set your retainer, and confirm the milestone dates. Merge fields handle the client details and date, and the last page collects a PO number, kickoff month, and both signatures.

Details

Format: Doc · 5 pages

Recipients: Client + Provider

Signature: Client + Provider

Merge fields: Sender, Receiver, Date