Company General Meetings

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE ECONOMIC CRIME & CORPORATE TRANSPARENCY ACT 2023 IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN PHASES AND MAY CHANGE SOME OF THE TEMPLATES BELOW.

This Company General Meetings section contains template documents for the different stages of holding a company general meeting of shareholders.

It includes:

notices of general meetings and annual general meetings (AGMs), setting out the date, time, place and business of the meeting
chairman’s scripts for use at the meeting
minutes to record what happened at the meeting and the resolutions passed
general meeting resolution formats to capture the decisions formally

When To Use These Templates

Use these templates when you are:

convening a general meeting of shareholders to approve specific business
holding an AGM for a public company or a private company that chooses to have one
recording the proceedings and decisions taken at a general meeting or AGM
running a hybrid general meeting with both in-person and online attendance
updating the articles to allow hybrid or virtual meetings and explaining these changes to shareholders

AGMs and Private Companies

All public companies must hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM). Private companies are no longer required to hold an AGM, but may choose to do so.

For companies that wish to hold an AGM, this section provides:

a Notice of Annual General Meeting, setting out the proposed business
a Chairman’s Script for the AGM
Minutes of Annual General Meeting to record the business conducted and resolutions passed

Hybrid and Virtual Meetings

This section also includes templates to support hybrid general meetings (where some shareholders attend in person and others join electronically), such as:

notices, chairman’s scripts and minutes for hybrid meetings
a form of proxy for hybrid meetings
an explanatory letter to shareholders about hybrid general meetings
a shareholders’ special resolution to amend the articles of association to allow hybrid/virtual meetings

📁 Templates In This Section

Conventional general meetings

Annual general meetings (AGMs)

Hybrid and virtual meetings

🔀 Document Toolkit: Typical Sequence (may vary)

Step 1 - Use board minutes to convene the general meeting (including any hybrid meeting).

Step 2 - Send the relevant notice of general meeting or AGM to shareholders, together with any proxy forms or explanatory letters.

Step 3 - Use the chairman’s script at the meeting itself.

Step 4 - Complete the minutes and, where appropriate, the resolutions format to record the decisions that were taken.

Each document in the Company General Meetings section is drafted to comply with the Companies Act 2006.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do private limited companies have to hold an AGM? +

No. Private companies have not been required to hold an AGM since the Companies Act 2006 took effect, unless their articles require one, which is common in companies formed under earlier law. Public companies must hold an AGM within six months of their financial year end. If you choose to hold one, use the Notice of Annual General Meeting, Chairman's Script For Annual General Meeting and Minutes of Annual General Meeting templates.

How much notice do we have to give shareholders of a general meeting? +

At least 14 clear days for a private company general meeting, excluding the day the notice is given and the day of the meeting. A public company AGM needs at least 21 days. Your articles can require longer. The meeting can be held on shorter notice if a majority in number of members holding at least 90% of the voting shares agree (the articles can raise that to up to 95%). Start with the Notice of General Meeting template.

Can we run our general meeting online or as a hybrid meeting? +

The Companies Act does not prevent meetings where members attend, speak and vote by electronic means (section 360A), but your articles must support the format, so check them and amend by special resolution if needed. This section provides a full hybrid pack: board minutes convening a hybrid meeting, hybrid notices and minutes, a hybrid proxy form, an explanatory letter to shareholders and the special resolution amending the articles to allow hybrid or virtual meetings.

What is the correct sequence for calling and holding a general meeting? +

The board convenes the meeting (record it with Board Minutes - Convening A General Meeting), the notice goes to members with any proxy forms, the chairman runs the meeting using the Chairman's Script, and the decisions are recorded in the Minutes of General Meeting and the General Meeting Resolutions Format. File any special resolutions at Companies House within 15 days as separate copies. The section's Document Toolkit follows this exact order.

What records do we need to keep after the meeting, and for how long? +

Keep the minutes and copies of all resolutions for at least ten years from the meeting (section 355). Failing to do so is an offence committed by every officer in default, and members are entitled to inspect the records and request copies. Use the Minutes of General Meeting or Minutes of Annual General Meeting template so the record covers attendance, quorum and each resolution passed.

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