Framework Agreements
If you do the same kind of work for the same customers again and again, negotiating every project from scratch wastes time on both sides. A framework agreement fixes the terms that don’t change, so each new piece of work can be set up quickly with a short order or statement of work rather than a full contract.
Framework agreements started out as a public-sector way of buying from approved suppliers, and they work just as well for technology businesses that supply software, cloud services, IT consultancy, managed services or hardware. You agree the important terms once, up front, and let the individual projects run off simpler paperwork after that.
A framework agreement usually covers:
- the scope of services
- pricing and payment terms
- orders and statements of work
- intellectual property
- service levels, where they apply
- confidentiality
- security controls
- liability and indemnities
- termination and exit terms
- change control
Because this is a document you’ll use over and over, it’s worth getting right. We draft framework agreements built around how your business works, worded so the terms stay clear and workable as you scale. We can also review an agreement you’ve been asked to sign, or one you already have in place.
Agree the hard parts once, and every project after that gets easier.
We work with businesses on both sides of a framework: one setting up its own so it can take on repeat work without renegotiating every time, or one being asked to sign a customer’s and wanting to know what it’s agreeing to. Whichever is closer to yours, here’s where our technology and software work applies.
If you’re not sure which of these fits your situation, call us, and we’ll point you in the right direction.
