The OCRE Cloud Framework, established by the GÉANT project consortium, aims to enhance cloud adoption in European education and research, encompassing IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS services from various providers until November 2024. With €3.7 million available for adoption funding, the framework offers significant cost benefits, a simplified procurement process, and a portfolio of essential cloud services for higher and further education institutions. Jisc is primarily acting as a referrer, facilitating purchases and providing administrative support for users of the framework.

1. The OCRE Cloud Framework
A more efficient way to buy cloud for education and research

2. Background
Set up by the GÉANT Open Clouds for Research Environments (OCRE)
project consortium to accelerate cloud adoption in the European education
and research community
Based on the previous GÉANT IaaS framework, but with an expanded
scope covering IaaS, PaaS and associated SaaS services
Runs for 4 years, 1 Dec 2020 until 31 Nov 2024, with maximum Call-off
contract length of four years
€3.7 million (Euro) adoption funds available to researchers in 2020 and
2021 for services included in the OCRE Cloud Framework

3. Platforms and Suppliers
Platform Supplier
100 Percent IT​ cloud platform 100 Percent IT​
Amazon Web Services​​ Jisc
Blue Safespring​ cloud platform Blue Safespring
City Network ​cloud platform City Network
CloudFerro ​cloud platform CloudFerro
CloudSigma cloud platform​ CloudSigma
Exoscale To be confirmed
Google Cloud Platform​​ Sparkle
IBM SoftwareONE ​
Ionos Bechtle
Layershift cloud platform Layershift
Microsoft Azure​​ Phoenix Software
Oracle Cloud​​ Quistor Enterprises
Orange cloud platform Orange
Proact cloud platform Proact
Setcor cloud platform​ Setcor
T-Systems cloud platform T-Systems

4. Benefits
• Easy, safe and cost-effective access to a portfolio of IaaS
providers
• Preferential pricing through aggregated demand, providing
significant discounts for the leading cloud platforms
• Procurement under EU rules with call-off process governed
by Irish/UK law
• Direct peering, high capacity and low-latency connectivity
• Support for the UK Access Management Federation
• Invoice billing, no credit card needed​

5. Available services
• Full range of cloud provider IaaS, PaaS and related SaaS services
available, covering:
Services available
Data analytics Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence Migration & Transfer
Blockchain Networking & Content Delivery
Compute Quantum Technologies
Containers Security, Identity & Compliance
Databases Serverless
Developer Tools Storage
Internet of Things Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality

6. Who can use the framework?
Higher Education
Institutions
Further Education
Colleges
Research Council
establishments
Other organisations
(Local Authorities and other bodies who are members
of higher and further education purchasing consortia)

7. Procurement options
• The customer enters into a Call-off Agreement, without reopening
competition
• Used where the customer’s full requirements are met by any one
of the framework suppliers listed
Direct Award
• The customer uses information contained in the suppliers' tenders,
GÉANT’s scoring and information from the supplier’s online cost
calculator
• Suppliers are not contacted for further input
Desktop Mini-Competition
• The customer organises a mini-competition, requesting further input from
suppliers
• Call-off T&Cs maybe be refined if necessary
Regular Mini-Competition

8. Research adoption funding
Open funding calls
• €3.7 million adoption funds available in 2021
• Focused on consumable commercial cloud and digital
services for researchers
• For projects which can become clear showcases for the
benefits of using cloud services to positively impact
research outcomes
Timetable
• November 2020 – 1st funding call closed
• January 2021 – €1.175 million awarded to 15 projects
across 12 countries, including 3 from the UK
• TBC – dates for second funding call

9. NREN delivery options
NREN options
• Referrer
▪ NREN acts as intermediary
▪ Facilitates purchase by customers directly from
suppliers/resellers
• Underwriter
▪ NREN makes purchases from suppliers/resellers
▪ Customers then purchase from NREN
Jisc’s role
• In the first instance, Jisc is taking a Referrer role and
will levy a 3.5% administration fee when customers use
the framework
• We may take the Underwriter role later if appropriate

10. Contacts
For more information
please contact
cloudframework@jisc.ac.uk
Alec Wright – primary contact – 07552 364231
Jessica Wu – secondary contact – 01235 822381