2016 Senior Executive Short Term Incentive Plan (STIP) Compensation Committee Approval January 28, 2016 2016 Goals Approved 3/24/16 Original Plan Adopted January 28, 2010

Primary objectives of the executive short-term incentive Plan are to motivate and reward executives for achieving specific Bank, department and individual goals that support the Company’s strategic plan.

CEO, President, COO and Senior EVPs are eligible to participate. The participants are recommended by CEO and approved by the Compensation Committee of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.

Performance below 75% of Core Net Income target will result in the plan not being funded for that year. Once the trigger/gate is achieved, the plan payouts will be determined based on performance measures as defined below.

CEO, President, COO and Senior EVPs are eligible to participate in the Executive Short-Term Incentive Plan (“EIP”). The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) approves participants based on recommendations from the CEO. Participants must be employed or promoted by October 1st of the plan year and actively employed on the payout date to receive an award. In the event that an individual, who is due an incentive payout under the plan terminates their employment with the Bank between January 1, 2016 to the date the incentive is paid, that individual’s incentive will be included in the pool and allocated to other participants of the plan.

    

This Plan is effective January 1, 2016 for the performance period of January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016 and shall continue thereafter until modified by the Compensation Committee. The Plan will be reviewed annually by the Compensation Committee to ensure proper alignment with Berkshire’s objectives. Berkshire’s Compensation Committee retains the right as described below to amend, modify or discontinue the Plan at any time during the specified period. The Plan will remain in effect until earned incentive compensation is paid to participants.

Berkshire has developed the Plan on the basis of existing business, market and economic conditions; current philosophy and staff assignments. If substantial changes occur that affect these conditions, philosophy, assignments, or forecasts, Berkshire may add to, amend, modify or discontinue any of the terms or conditions of the Plan at any time. The Compensation Committee may, at its sole discretion, waive, change or amend any of the Plan features as it deems appropriate.

If a Plan participant is terminated by the Company or resigns, no incentive award will be paid. (See exception for death, disability and retirement below.)

In the event of Death, Disability and Retirement, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, approve a pro rata payout to such Participant.

If there is any ambiguity as to the meaning of any terms or provisions of the Plan or any questions as to the correct interpretation of any information contained therein, the interpretation expressed by the Compensation Committee will be final and binding.

The altering, inflating, and/or inappropriate manipulation of performance/financial results or any other infraction of recognized ethical business standards, will subject a participant to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. In addition, any incentive compensation under the Plan to which the participant would otherwise be entitled will be revoked.

Participants who have willfully engaged in any activity, injurious to Berkshire, will upon termination of employment, death, or retirement, forfeit any incentive award or payment earned during the Plan year in which the termination occurred.

Incentive awards will be subject to applicable federal (including FICA), state and local tax withholding requirements. The Bank shall have the right to deduct from the incentive awards paid in cash or from other wages paid to the participant any federal, state or local taxes required by law to be withheld with respect to such incentive awards. In the case of incentive awards paid in Bank stock, the Bank may require the participant or other person receiving such shares to pay to the Bank the amount of any such taxes that the Bank is required to withhold with respect to such awards, or the Bank may deduct from other wages paid by the Bank the amount of any withholding taxes due with respect to such awards. If the Compensation Committee so permits, a participant may elect to satisfy the Bank’s income tax withholding obligation, with respect to awards paid, in Bank stock by having shares withheld up to an amount that does not exceed the participant’s minimum applicable withholding tax rate for federal (including FICA), state and local tax liabilities. The election must be in a form and manner prescribed by the Compensation Committee.

In order to help insure the Company's safety and soundness, the committee reserves the right to modify or adjust payments to reflect material regulatory findings and/or asset quality deterioration. A portion of the company's strategic plan modifier concerns asset quality soundness. A review/comparison of the company's asset quality results vs. trends, tolerance level ranges and the peer group will be provided to the committee prior to payout.

The Plan will not be deemed to give any participant the right to be retained in the employ of Berkshire, nor will the Plan interfere with the right of Berkshire to discharge any participant at any time.

In the absence of an authorized, written employment contract, the relationship between executives and Berkshire is one of at-will employment. The Plan does not alter the relationship.

The Plan and the transactions and payouts hereunder shall, in all respect, be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Massachusetts.