Support and maintenance agreement template
A software support and maintenance agreement sets out the support a supplier provides for a live system after it has been built: how problems are reported, how quickly they are answered, and what is and is not covered. It has standard and premium plans, an optional hours bank and optional service credits. A supplier uses one for each system it keeps running.
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What changes each time
17 values. Everything else is your wording, kept exactly.
The parties and the system
- Supplier's company name, number and registered office
- Client's company name, number and registered office
- Name of the system
- Start date
- Hosting
Support
- Reporting channel
- Support hours
- Response times by priority
- Next scheduled release
Plan and fees
- Plan chosen
- Hours bank
- Unused hours
- Fee and billing
Term and service credits
- Initial term
- Notice period
- Missed targets before a credit
- Credit percentage and cap
The rules it usually needs
Written in plain English when the template is set up.
- One of several wordings
“Report incidents by portal, email or phone, during standard hours or other stated hours.”
The help desk clause reads as the chosen option.
- Only when…
“Include an hours bank only when the plan includes development hours”
The clause appears with the number of hours and the number of months unused hours roll over.
- One of several wordings
“Let unused hours expire at the end of each month, or roll over for up to a number of months.”
The hours bank wording reads as the chosen option.
- Only when…
“Include the premium plan terms only when the plan is premium”
The out-of-hours cover terms appear.
- One of several wordings
“Charge fees monthly in advance, or annually in advance.”
The fees clause reads as the chosen option.
- Only when…
“Include service credits only when they are agreed”
The clause appears with the number of missed targets, the credit percentage and the monthly maximum.
- One of several wordings
“Record the system as hosted by the supplier, by the client or by a third party.”
The hosting line reads as the chosen option.
- One of several wordings
“Choose the Standard plan, or the Premium plan with out-of-hours cover.”
The plan line reads as the chosen option.
- Only when…
“Include data processing terms only when the supplier processes personal data”
Schedule 3 appears.
Questions people ask
What is a software support and maintenance agreement?
A contract under which a supplier keeps a client's live software working: fixing problems, answering questions and, where included, making small changes.
What does it cover?
The supported system, support hours and response times, fees, what is not covered, the client's responsibilities and how the agreement ends.
What is an hours bank?
A set number of hours each month for small changes and improvements. The agreement says whether unused hours roll over or expire.
What are service credits?
A reduction in the monthly fee if the supplier misses its response targets more than a set number of times. They are optional.
Does it cover hosting?
It can record who hosts the system, but hosting terms depend on who provides it.
Use this template
It opens in DocuWeave as a template you can check, change and publish. Nothing is used until you do.