What you get
The SoW Standard is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. Copyright is held by Jamie Gannaway. The open licence covers:
- Cover Page templates for Time and Materials and Fixed Price engagements (Outcome-Based and Managed Services follow)
- The Lite SoW
- The Full SoW with 11 sections and 51 elements
- Plain-language guidance notes for every section and element
- AI legal review prompts
- The machine-readable schema: the element register and JSON Schema published at /schema
Commercial Standard content sold by subscription (pricing frameworks, commercial playbooks, and the Scope Reference Class Forecast) is licensed separately under its subscription terms and is not covered by the open licence.
What you can do with it
- Use the standard for any engagement, in any organisation, commercial or otherwise
- Apply it across all departments: procurement, HR, legal, finance, IT, operations
- Share the materials inside and outside your organisation, provided the copyright notice and licence text travel with them
- Adapt and modify the standard, provided your changes are stated prominently in what you distribute
- Build products, services, tools, and integrations on the standard and its schema
- Reference the Standard Terms by URL in your agreements with suppliers and customers
What you cannot do
- Remove or alter the copyright, attribution, or licence notices from anything you redistribute
- Distribute a modified version without prominently stating that you changed it
- Use the statementofwork.org, SoW Standard, VSOWP, or CSOWP marks without written permission. The Apache 2.0 licence grants no trademark rights.
- Claim that a document, product, or service conforms to the SoW Standard when it does not satisfy the canonical schema
- Misrepresent the standard, including by claiming accreditation, certification, or endorsement that does not exist
- Use the standard for any unlawful purpose
You do not need our permission to use, adapt, or build on the standard, including in consulting, advisory, or training work. If you want to partner, integrate against the schema, or discuss certification, contact hello@statementofwork.org.
Account and accuracy
To download the SoW Standard you must create an account using a valid work email address that belongs to the organisation on whose behalf you are using the standard. By downloading the standard you represent that you are acting for that organisation, that you are authorised to accept this agreement on its behalf, and that the organisation is bound by these terms. You agree to:
- Provide accurate, current, and complete information at registration
- Keep your contact details up to date
- Use the standard only on behalf of the organisation associated with your work email
- Not share your account credentials
- Notify us promptly if you believe your account has been compromised
We may suspend or terminate your account if we have reasonable grounds to believe these terms have been breached.
Intellectual property
The SoW Standard is protected by copyright, held by Jamie Gannaway, and licensed to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0. The licence text governs where it and this summary differ. Commercial Standard subscription content remains licensed to you, not sold, with all rights not expressly granted reserved.
statementofwork.org, SoW Standard, Verified SoW Professional, and CSOWP are trademarks owned by us. Use of these marks requires our written permission; the open licence grants no rights in them. Conformance claims require the document to satisfy the canonical schema published at /schema.
No warranty
The SoW Standard is provided "as is" and "as available". To the maximum extent permitted by law, we make no warranties, conditions, or representations, whether express or implied, including but not limited to:
- Fitness for any particular purpose
- Non-infringement of third-party rights
- That use of the standard will produce any specific commercial, legal, or operational outcome
- That the standard reflects the law of any particular jurisdiction
You are responsible for ensuring that any use of the SoW Standard complies with the law applicable to your engagements and that you take legal advice where appropriate.
Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability to you in connection with the SoW Standard, this agreement, or your use of statementofwork.org is limited to GBP 100.
We are not liable for any:
- Loss of profit, revenue, or business opportunity
- Loss of contracts, goodwill, or commercial reputation
- Loss of data or information
- Wasted management time
- Indirect, consequential, special, or punitive losses
Nothing in this agreement limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
Indemnity
You will indemnify and hold us harmless against any losses, damages, costs, claims, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your breach of these terms or your unlawful use of the SoW Standard.
Updates to the standard
We may update the SoW Standard from time to time. Updates will be published on statementofwork.org with a version number and brief description of changes. Your continued use of any updated version is governed by this agreement, unless we publish replacement terms, in which case those will govern from the date they become effective.
Termination
This agreement continues until terminated. We may terminate it immediately if you breach these terms, if your account is inactive for an extended period, or for any other reasonable cause. You may terminate it at any time by closing your account. Termination ends your account and your access to Commercial Standard subscription content, and on termination you must destroy any copies of that subscription content in your possession or control. The Apache 2.0 licence to the standard is perpetual and survives termination of this agreement.
Sections 5 (Intellectual property), 6 (No warranty), 7 (Limitation of liability), 8 (Indemnity), and 11 (Governing law) survive termination.
Governing law
This agreement is governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or in connection with these terms or the SoW Standard, except that we may bring proceedings in any jurisdiction where you or your organisation are located if necessary to protect our intellectual property.
Contact
For questions about these terms, to request permissions, or to report a breach, contact hello@statementofwork.org.
For privacy and data protection matters, contact privacy@statementofwork.org.