In 2024, the international tender for the next Pan-European Framework Agreement for cloud services - OCRE 2024 - will begin. The expression of interest period is open until December 19.
GÉANT, which brings together Europe's national research and education networks, has signed successive Europe-wide Framework Agreements for commercial cloud services. In Portugal, the FCT has been promoting these Framework Agreements to the national higher education and research communities through its unit FCCN - in conjunction with the General Secretariat.
Framework agreement. Value and results
Framework Agreements are contractual arrangements provided for in European and national public procurement law. They allow for gains in administrative simplification and economies of scale in costs for the purchasing entities involved.
The current European Framework Agreement OCRE (Open Clouds for Research Environments) has achieved very significant results in Portugal: with 14 national contracting entities. At European level, there are already 800 entities in 27 countries.
At the beginning of 2024, the OCRE 2024 international tender will take place and - as in previous years - in order to benefit from the contractual conditions of the future framework agreement, all entities must signal their interest by sending an e-mail to:
InfoCloudOcre@fccn.pt
This expression of interest must take place by December 19th.
Advantages and limitations of the Framework Agreement
Membership of the Framework Agreement does not imply any financial commitment to contract services through the Framework Agreement, nor does it prevent the purchase of services similar to those in the Framework Agreement from suppliers outside the Framework Agreement.
However, the lack of initial interest prevents people from being able to buy under the Framework Agreement. This makes it impossible to benefit from its advantages, in particular the economies of scale that this Europe-wide agreement will bring, as well as the trust and security guaranteed.
If you have any questions, you can send them to the e-mail address above. You can also find more information about the Framework Agreement currently in force at:
