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COMMISSIONING TERMS

How commissioned work operates at Unities CIC. You fund the research. The output becomes a shared resource. Everyone benefits.

THE MODEL

Organisations commission Unities to conduct research, build tools, produce analysis, or investigate specific questions related to AI adoption and digital transformation in complex organisations.

The commissioner gets the answer they need. The output — a tool, a framework, a research report, an evidence review — becomes part of the cooperative's shared library, freely available to every leader who needs it.

This means every piece of commissioned work makes the commons richer. You're not buying proprietary advice. You're funding the creation of a public good — and getting first access to it.

The commissioner funds the work. Unities controls the findings. The output belongs to everyone. This is the deal, and it's non-negotiable — because it's what makes the cooperative trustworthy.

WHAT YOU CAN COMMISSION

Any work that falls within Unities' focus areas and produces a shared asset. Examples:

  • Research — investigating a specific question about AI governance, adoption, procurement, workforce impact, or institutional readiness
  • Assessment tools — AI readiness diagnostics, governance maturity frameworks, or decision tools designed for a specific sector or context
  • Evidence reviews — systematic analysis of what the evidence says about a particular AI adoption challenge
  • Sector analysis — how AI adoption is playing out in a specific sector (e.g. local government, NHS, financial services, education) with practical recommendations
  • Pattern documentation — capturing and codifying what works and what doesn't from documented AI implementations
  • Guidance materials — practical guides for boards, senior leaders, or specific professional groups navigating AI decisions

WHAT YOU GET

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Early access to findings before public release. Your organisation acknowledged as commissioner (unless you prefer anonymity). Direct engagement with the research team throughout the project. A finished output designed to be genuinely useful — not a shelf document. The knowledge that your investment created a resource that will help leaders across the country.

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

Editorial control over findings or recommendations. Exclusivity — the output becomes a shared asset. The right to suppress or delay publication. Use of Unities' name or work in commercial marketing without written permission. Any implication that Unities endorses the commissioner's products or services.

EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE

This is the most important section of this document.

Unities maintains absolute editorial independence on all commissioned work. The commissioner does not review, approve, or influence findings before publication. The commissioner does not control the research questions, methodology, or recommendations. If the findings are uncomfortable for the commissioner, they are published anyway.

This is not a negotiable term. It is the foundation of the cooperative's credibility. If a commissioner is not comfortable with this arrangement, Unities is not the right partner for them.

The commissioner may suggest the initial research question and provide context, data, or access that helps the research. But once the work begins, Unities controls the process and the output.

PAYMENT

Commissions are funded through one of three mechanisms:

  • Direct fee — agreed in advance based on scope, complexity, and timeline. Unities provides a written proposal and quote before work begins.
  • In-kind contribution — the commissioner provides research access, data, staff time, venue, or other resources equivalent to a fee. The arrangement is documented in writing.
  • Grant funding — where the commissioner is a grant-making body funding Unities to conduct specific research. Standard grant terms apply alongside these commissioning terms.

All funding relationships are publicly disclosed on the Unities website, in accordance with our Statement of Principles.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The output of commissioned work is published under Creative Commons (CC-BY-NC-SA) or an equivalent open licence, consistent with the cooperative's other resources. This means:

  • Anyone can use, share, and adapt the work for non-commercial purposes with attribution
  • The commissioner can use the output freely within their own organisation
  • Neither party can restrict the other's use of the published output
  • If the commissioner provides proprietary data or confidential information as part of the research, that material remains confidential — it is the findings that are published, not the raw inputs

PROCESS

A typical commission follows this path:

  • Conversation — you tell us what question you need answered. We discuss scope, feasibility, and timeline.
  • Proposal — Unities provides a written proposal covering the research question, approach, deliverables, timeline, and cost.
  • Agreement — both parties sign a short commissioning agreement confirming scope, fee, timeline, and these terms.
  • Research — Unities conducts the work, with regular check-ins to keep the commissioner informed of progress.
  • Review — the commissioner sees the output before publication for factual accuracy only (not editorial approval).
  • Publication — the output is added to the shared library, with the commissioner acknowledged.

Interested in commissioning work? Contact us at info@unities.net to start a conversation. No obligation, no pitch deck — just an honest discussion about whether we can help.

Unities Community Interest Company
Company number: 12033339
Registered address: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX
Contact: info@unities.net

These terms were adopted on [DATE] and are subject to annual review.
Read our full Statement of Principles.