Provider evaluation framework
Compare a potential counterparty against the needs of your dataset. Ask for evidence of supply-model fit, permitted use, security and payment terms before sharing confidential material.
Criteria definitions
- Supply-model fit: does the counterparty license existing assets or commission new work?
- Contract transparency: are licence terms readable before data is shared?
- Provenance rigour: do they review chain of title and consent?
- Data security: transfer method, access control, deletion.
- Commercial clarity: how payment is calculated, without guaranteed figures.
- Counterparty identity: named entity, jurisdiction, dispute venue.
Questions for the counterparty
Supply-model fit
Does the business license existing assets, or sell commissioned services?
Contract transparency
Are permitted uses, exclusions and acceptance terms written down?
Provenance rigour
Can each source and permission be traced to the delivered version?
Data security
Who can access samples, and how will they be protected?
Commercial clarity
Are preparation, refresh and exclusivity priced separately?
Counterparty identity
Which legal entity signs, receives the data and pays?
Have a dataset worth discussing?
Tell us what you own, which rights you can license and the commercial scope you have in mind.