EU solidarity with Ukraine

Call for tenders' details

Title:
Open Research Europe — The European Commission Open Research Publishing Platform
Contracting authority:
European Commission, DG Research and Innovation (RTD)
TED publication date:
18/07/2019
Time limit for receipt of tenders:
09/09/2019
Status:
Closed
Status
23/08/2019
28/08/2019
English (en)
Question details
Handover at end of the contract (part II)
Regarding the handover at the end of the contract, it is our understanding that the requirement to hand over “technology”, “processes”, “methodologies”, “documentation” and the other materials and elements referred to in Special Condition I.14 does not refer to software code or algorithms, or other proprietary materials forming part of the contractor’s (pre-existing or independently-developed) platform itself, other than the specific “look and feel” of the EU OA platform; that the type of materials to be handed over are only data relating to use of the EU platform by authors, other registered users and visitors: article content, article metadata, use data (aggregated visitor, article viewing and download data); registered-user database and general process descriptions; and materials which specifically create the look and feel of the EU platform; and that accordingly, the platform itself, its software and its algorithms, as well as the contractor’s platform-specific proprietary know-how, will not be transferred.
28/08/2019
The pre-existing materials are only licensed for the duration of the contract (importantly including the existing platform with its existing functionalities), they would thus no longer be used after termination. Regarding software elements, the handover should include the necessary information/documentation on how the newly created materials could be made interoperable with the platform (and the pre-existing materials) of another provider; this may thus need to include information about the interfaces between the newly created materials and the pre-existing materials of the first contractor. The above is also clear from the requirements of Task 1, which clearly distinguishes between the existing solution and customizations to it. Specifically, in the deliverable of the technical handover report (deliverable 1.17) the Commission explains that it ‘includes finalizing transfer of all content generated by the platform to another system, if so required. It also includes transfer of source codes of customizations done for the Commission, which the Commission licenses royalty free for the duration of copyright. It includes written transfer of any technical knowledge required by the Commission to secure that service is not interrupted if it decides to choose another provider’. Concerning data about the use of the platform, Article 1.14.1. mentions the following: Transfer of the content (data) of the technical infrastructure of the platform (publications, peer-reviews, logs and other data produced as a result of the use of the platform) to the Commission or to a party designated by it so that continuity of service with no interruption can be guaranteed, if required by the Commission. This does not include the source code of the pre-existing platform.