GÉANT has announced the OCRE 2024 Tender for European R&E cloud services procurement, now live in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). This third iteration is poised to bring a host of advantages to Research and Education (R&E) institutions across Europe, with Jisc among the 42 buyers across 39 countries.
The OCRE 2024 Tender presents a great opportunity for R&E institutions to achieve significant cost savings in cloud services. By consolidating the purchasing power of over 10,000 institutions, the tender commands a formidable collective bargaining advantage, resulting in substantial discounts. This unified approach simplifies the procurement process, making it easier for institutions to access a broad range of cloud services, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, tailored to their specific needs.
Furthermore, the framework agreement established by the tender ensures that the terms of service, including price, quality, and quantity, are pre-negotiated and set out clearly, offering institutions a reliable and regulation-compliant means of acquiring cloud services. This not only streamlines the acquisition process but also minimises legal and administrative hurdles that individual institutions might face when procuring such services independently.
Anticipated to be operational by the end of 2024, the OCRE 2024 Framework agreements are set to span a five-year period. Jisc, representing the UK’s NREN, is dedicated to providing unwavering support to its members and suppliers throughout the implementation of the new framework and the transition from the existing one. This commitment ensures a seamless evolution and continued excellence in cloud provision and capability for the R&E community.
