Using framework agreements for services

Produced in partnership with Tim Wright of Fladgate

Practice notes

Using framework agreements for services

Produced in partnership with Tim Wright of Fladgate

Practice notes

Framework agreements (sometimes referred to as master services agreements) are essentially umbrella agreements which provide standard terms and conditions for goods or services requested under individual 'call-off' contracts, often called statements of work or work orders.

This Practice Note focuses on the use of framework agreements for the provision of services. Framework agreements can, however, be used effectively for the provision of any goods or services where the buying party is likely to require repeat goods or services over a period of time.

Framework agreements can also be useful when entering into agreements for the provision of goods and services across a number of jurisdictions. While the framework agreement can set out the standard terms and conditions, a call-off contract (sometimes called a local enabling agreement, or local services agreement, in such circumstances) can set out country-specific terms.

Framework agreements are used in both the public and private sectors; however, public bodies should be aware of and comply with applicable public procurement laws when entering into framework agreements. This Practice Note does not cover public

Tim Wright

Partner, Fladgate

Tim Wright is a partner in the corporate department at Fladgate.

He specialises in commercial, outsourcing and technology transactions across various sectors such as banking, insurance, healthcare and technology. Services include outsourcing, cloud computing, digital platforms and e-commerce, web development and hosting, software development and licensing, system integration projects, business transformation and digital projects, joint ventures, artificial intelligence and robotic process automation contracts, and wide-ranging procurement, commercial contracts and privacy issues.

Tim has acted for a number of pharmaceutical, banking and insurance companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, UBS, BNP Paribas, Cooperative Financial Services, Old Mutual, RSA, Phoenix Life, AXIS Capital, UBS and Goldman Sachs, as well as service providers such as Aon Hewitt, HCL Insurance, Storm Technologies, Company Watch and DST Systems, delivering a broad range of outsourcing and technology deals including information technology, facilities management, pensions administration, employee benefits administration, logistics, finance and accounting, and HR, as well as cloud computing, data processing agreements, and Workday, ERP (SAP, Oracle) and Office 365 implementations.

Since 2009, he worked extensively with GlaxoSmithKline on its global integrated facilities management outsourcing arrangements which has included strategy, extensive negotiations, scope expansions, service level agreements, service changes and re-procurements with GSK’s key FM vendors including CBRE and Sodexo.

Tim is a member of the Law Society of England & Wales, the Law Society of Ireland, ITechLaw, the Global Sourcing Association, the International Bar Association and the Society for Computers & Law.

He qualified in 1992, joining Fladgate in January 2019 from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. Tim is also qualified in Ireland.

Jurisdiction(s):

United Kingdom

Key definition:

Framework agreement definition

What does Framework agreement mean?

An agreement put in place between two parties which sets out the basic agreed rules by which the parties will work together on numerous projects.

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