Vendor Management Templates

Editable starting-point templates for building and documenting a vendor management program in-house. Designed for community banks and credit unions that manage third-party relationships without dedicated vendor management staff — free to download, no account required.

Important — Please Read Before Downloading

These are draft templates only. They are provided as a starting point to assist your institution in developing its own vendor management program and do not constitute legal or regulatory advice. No guarantee of regulatory acceptance, examiner approval, or compliance is expressed or implied. Vendor management requirements vary by institution size, risk profile, and applicable guidance — including NCUA, FFIEC, and OCC expectations that continue to evolve. Your institution is solely responsible for reviewing, adapting, and applying these templates to your specific third-party relationships and regulatory environment. CU Risk Advisors recommends that your vendor management program be reviewed by qualified legal counsel or a compliance professional before reliance on any document in an examination context.

A defensible starting point

Regulators expect documented evidence of a vendor management program. These templates give your institution a structured foundation that demonstrates due diligence before your next exam.

Right-sized for your team

Most community institutions don’t have a dedicated vendor management officer. These templates are designed to be managed by your compliance, operations, or IT staff alongside their existing responsibilities.

Covers the full vendor lifecycle

From initial due diligence through ongoing monitoring — templates address the complete third-party relationship lifecycle regulators expect to see documented.

Fully editable Word and Excel formats

Templates are delivered as Microsoft Word documents and Excel workbooks depending on their purpose. Add your institution name, vendor details, and risk ratings — and make it your own.

How to use these templates

1

Download the template for the vendor management function you need — no account or payment required.

2

Customize it for your institution — add your vendor inventory, adjust risk tiers, and fill in your specific oversight procedures and contact information.

3

Review the completed document with your compliance officer, senior management, or legal counsel before use in examinations or vendor negotiations.

4

Maintain it — vendor management documents should be reviewed at least annually and updated whenever a critical vendor relationship is added, changed, or terminated.

Free Download

All templates are free to download and use. If a template saved you time or helped your institution, please consider supporting CU Risk Advisors — a voluntary contribution helps us continue developing free tools for the community banking industry. Each template also includes a Support tab with contribution options.