POLYONE CORPORATION INCENTIVE AWARD Grant of Performance Units

Exhibit 10.3

Attn: [                    ]
PolyOne Corporation

POLYONE CORPORATION INCENTIVE AWARD

Grant of Performance Units

THIS AGREEMENT CONSTITUTES PART OF A PROSPECTUS COVERING SECURITIES REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED. THE COMMON SHARES OF THE COMPANY ARE LISTED ON THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.

Dear [                    ]:

          Subject to the terms and conditions of the [INSERT PLAN] (the “Plan”) and this letter agreement (this “Agreement”), the Compensation and Governance Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Committee”) of PolyOne Corporation (“PolyOne”) (or a subcommittee thereof) has granted to you as of [DATE], the following award:

     [                    ] performance units (the “Performance Units”), with each such Performance Unit being equal in value to $1.00, payment of which depends on PolyOne’s performance as set forth in this Agreement and in your Statement of Performance Goals.

          A copy of the Plan is available for your review through the Corporate Secretary’s office. Unless otherwise indicated, the capitalized terms used in this Agreement shall have the same meanings as set forth in the Plan.

1. Performance Units.

	(a)		Your right to receive all or any portion of the Performance Units will be contingent upon the achievement of certain management objectives (the “Management Objectives”), as set forth in your Statement of Performance Goals. The achievement of the Management Objectives will be measured during the period from January 1, 20___ through December 31, 20___(the “Performance Period”).
	(b)		The Management Objectives for the Performance Period will be based solely on achievement of performance goals relating to PolyOne’s earnings per share (“Earnings Per Share”), as defined in your Statement of Performance Goals.

2. Earning of Performance Units.

(a) The Performance Units shall be earned as follows:

	(i)		If, upon the conclusion of the Performance Period, Earnings Per Share equal or exceed the threshold level, but is less than the 100% target level, as set forth in the Performance Matrix contained in your Statement of Performance Goals, a proportionate number of the Performance Units shall become earned, as determined by mathematical interpolation and rounded up to the nearest whole unit.
	(ii)		If, upon the conclusion of the Performance Period, Earnings Per Share equal or exceed the 100% target level, but is less than the maximum level, as set forth in the Performance Matrix contained in your Statement of Performance Goals, a proportionate number of the Performance Units shall become earned, as determined by mathematical interpolation and rounded up to the nearest whole unit.
	(iii)		If, upon the conclusion of the Performance Period, Earnings Per Share equal or exceed the maximum level, as set forth in the Performance Matrix contained in your Statement of Performance Goals, 200% of the Performance Units shall become earned.

	(b)		In no event shall any Performance Units become earned if actual performance falls below the threshold level for Earnings Per Share.
	(c)		If the Committee determines that a change in the business, operations, corporate structure or capital structure of PolyOne, the manner in which it conducts business or other events or circumstances render the Management Objectives to be unsuitable, the Committee may modify such Management Objectives or the related levels of achievement, in whole or in part, as the Committee deems appropriate; provided, however, that no such action will be made in the case of a Covered Employee where such action may result in the loss of the otherwise available exemption of the award under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
	(d)		Your right to receive any Performance Units is contingent upon your remaining in the continuous employ of PolyOne or a Subsidiary through the end of the Performance Period. Following the Performance Period, the Committee shall determine the number of Performance Units that shall have become earned hereunder. For awards to Covered Employees, the Committee shall only have the ability and authority to reduce, but not increase, the amount of Performance Units that become earned hereunder.

3. Change of Control. If a Change of Control (as defined on Exhibit A to this Agreement) occurs during the Performance Period, PolyOne shall pay to you 100% of the Performance Units as soon as administratively practicable after, but in all events no later than 60 days following, the Change of Control.

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4.		Retirement, Disability or Death. If your employment with PolyOne or a Subsidiary terminates before the end of the Performance Period due to (1) retirement at age 55 or older with at least 10 years of service or retirement under other circumstances entitling you to receive benefits under one of PolyOne’s (including its predecessors) defined benefit pension plans, (2) permanent and total disability (as defined under the relevant disability plan or program of PolyOne or a Subsidiary in which you then participate) or (3) death, PolyOne shall pay to you or your executor or administrator, as the case may be, after the end of the Performance Period, the portion of the Performance Units to which you would have been entitled under Section 2 above, had you remained employed by PolyOne through the end of the Performance Period, prorated based on the portion of the Performance Period during which you were employed by PolyOne. The pro-rata portion of the Performance Units required to be paid under this Section 4 shall be paid to you or your executor or administrator, as the case may be, as provided in Section 6 of this Agreement.
5.		Other Termination. If your employment with PolyOne or a Subsidiary terminates before the end of the Performance Period for any reason other than as set forth in Section 4 above and before a Change of Control, the Performance Units will be forfeited.
6.		Payment of Performance Units. Payment of any Performance Units that become earned as set forth herein will be made in cash. Payment will be made in the year following the end of the Performance Period as soon as practicable after the receipt of audited financial statements of PolyOne relating to the last fiscal year of the Performance Period, the determination by the Committee of the level of attainment of the Management Objectives and certification by the Board that such Management Objectives were satisfied, but payment shall in all cases be made within two and one-half months of the expiration of the Performance Period. If PolyOne determines that it is required to withhold any federal, state, local or foreign taxes from any payment, PolyOne will withhold the amount of these taxes from the payment.
7.		Non-Assignability. The Performance Units subject to this grant of Performance Units are personal to you and may not be sold, exchanged, assigned, transferred, pledged, encumbered or otherwise disposed of by you until they become earned as provided in this Agreement; provided, however, that your rights with respect to such Performance Units may be transferred by will or pursuant to the laws of descent and distribution. Any purported transfer or encumbrance in violation of the provisions of this Section 7 shall be void, and the other party to any such purported transaction shall not obtain any rights to or interest in such Performance Units.

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8. Miscellaneous.

	(a)		The contents of this Agreement are subject in all respects to the terms and conditions of the Plan as approved by the Board and the shareholders of PolyOne, which are controlling. The interpretation and construction by the Board and/or the Committee of any provision of the Plan or this Agreement shall be final and conclusive upon you, your estate, executor, administrator, beneficiaries, personal representative and guardian and PolyOne and its successors and assigns.
	(b)		The grant of the Performance Units is discretionary and will not be considered to be an employment contract or a part of your terms and conditions of employment or of your salary or compensation. Information about you and your participation in the Plan, including, without limitation, your name, home address and telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, any shares of stock or directorships held in PolyOne, and details of the Performance Units or other entitlement to shares of stock awarded, cancelled, exercised, vested, unvested or outstanding in your favor may be collected, recorded, held, used and disclosed by PolyOne and any of its Subsidiaries and any non-PolyOne entities engaged by PolyOne to provide services in connection with this grant (a “Third Party Administrator”), for any purpose related to the administration of the Plan. You understand that PolyOne and its Subsidiaries may transfer such information to Third Party Administrators, regardless of whether such Third Party Administrators are located within your country of residence, the European Economic Area or in countries outside of the European Economic Area, including the United States of America. You consent to the processing of information relating to you and your participation in the Plan in any one or more of the ways referred to above. This consent may be withdrawn at any time in writing by sending a declaration of withdrawal to PolyOne’s chief human resources officer.
	(c)		Any amendment to the Plan shall be deemed to be an amendment to this Agreement to the extent that the amendment is applicable hereto. The terms and conditions of this Agreement may not be modified, amended or waived, except by an instrument in writing signed by a duly authorized executive officer at PolyOne. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment shall adversely affect your rights under this Agreement without your consent.
	(d)		[FOR EMPLOYEES SIGNING EMPLOYEE AGREEMENT] It is a condition to your receipt of the Performance Units that you execute and agree to the terms of PolyOne’s current and applicable Employee Agreement (the “Employee Agreement”). If you do not sign and return the Employee Agreement to PolyOne Human Resources within 30 days of your receipt of this Grant of Performance Units, this Grant of Performance Units and any rights to the Performance Units will terminate and become null and void.
	[(d)/(e)]		By signing this Agreement, you acknowledge that you have entered into an Employee Agreement [(the “Employee Agreement”)] with PolyOne. You

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understand that, as set forth in Paragraph 5 and Attachment A of the Employee Agreement, you have agreed not to engage in certain prohibited practices in competition with PolyOne following the termination of your employment (hereinafter referred to as the “Covenant Not to Compete”). You further acknowledge that as consideration for entering into the Covenant Not to Compete, PolyOne is providing you the opportunity to participate in PolyOne’s long-term incentive plan and receive the award set forth in this Agreement. You understand that eligibility for participation in the long-term incentive plan was conditioned upon entering into the Covenant Not to Compete. You further understand and acknowledge that you would have been ineligible to participate in the long-term incentive plan and receive this award had you decided not to agree to the Covenant Not to Compete. You understand that the acknowledgment contained in this sub-section is a part of the Employee Agreement and is to be interpreted in a manner consistent with its terms.

9. Notice. All notices under this Agreement to PolyOne must be delivered personally or mailed to PolyOne Corporation at PolyOne Center, Avon Lake, Ohio 44012, Attention: Corporate Secretary. PolyOne’s address may be changed at any time by written notice of such change to you. Also, all notices under this Agreement to you will be delivered personally or mailed to you at your address as shown from time to time in PolyOne’s records.

10. Compliance with Section 409A of the Code.

	(a)		To the extent applicable, it is intended that this Agreement and the Plan comply with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code, so that the income inclusion provisions of Section 409A(a)(1) of the Code do not apply to you. This Agreement and the Plan shall be administered in a manner consistent with this intent.
	(b)		Reference to Section 409A of the Code will also include any proposed, temporary or final regulations, or any other guidance, promulgated with respect to such Section by the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the Internal Revenue Service.

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          This Agreement, and the terms and conditions of the Plan, shall bind, and inure to the benefit of you, your estate, executor, administrator, beneficiaries, personal representative and guardian and PolyOne and its successors and assigns.

Very Truly Yours,

POLYONE CORPORATION

By:

Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Senior Vice President

and Chief Human Resources Officer

Accepted:

                                                                                      (Date)

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Exhibit A

A “Change of Control” means:

(a) the acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) (a “Person”) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of voting securities of the Company where such acquisition causes such Person to own 25% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”); provided, however, that for purposes of this paragraph (a), the following acquisitions shall not be deemed to result in a Change of Control: (i) any acquisition directly from the Company that is approved by the Incumbent Board (as defined in paragraph (b) below), (ii) any acquisition by the Company, (iii) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any corporation controlled by the Company or (iv) any acquisition by any corporation pursuant to a transaction that complies with clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of paragraph (c) below; provided, further, that if any Person’s beneficial ownership of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities reaches or exceeds 25% as a result of a transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above, and such Person subsequently acquires beneficial ownership of additional voting securities of the Company, such subsequent acquisition shall be treated as an acquisition that causes such Person to own 25% or more of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities; and provided, further, that if at least a majority of the members of the Incumbent Board determines in good faith that a Person has acquired beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 25% or more of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of shares so that such Person beneficially owns (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) less than 25% of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities, then no Change of Control shall have occurred as a result of such Person’s acquisition; or

(b) individuals who, as of August 31, 2000, constitute the Board (the “Incumbent Board” as modified by this paragraph (b)) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to August 31, 2000 whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board (either by specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for director, without objection to such nomination) shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board; or

(c) the consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or the acquisition of assets of another corporation or other transaction (“Business Combination”) excluding, however, such a Business Combination pursuant to which (i) the individuals and entities who were the beneficial

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owners of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 60% of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, as the case may be, of the entity resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, an entity that as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries), (ii) no Person (excluding any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Company, the Company or such entity resulting from such Business Combination) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 25% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the entity resulting from such Business Combination and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board, providing for such Business Combination; or

(d) approval by the shareholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company except pursuant to a Business Combination that complies with clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of paragraph (c) above.

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