Ordnance Survey licences and agreements explained

Our policy and practice

Ordnance Survey is committed to operating its pricing and licensing policy in a fair, open and transparent way. We encourage the use and exploitation of mapping and data by providing a wide range of licences that focus on how our customers wish to use our data and the rights we grant for those uses.

We have a series of Framework licences covering the supply of Ordnance Survey digital information direct from Ordnance Survey for use within our customers' businesses, or details for operating as a commercial partner.

The Framework licences define the general trading relationships we may have between ourselves and our customers, who will sign a Framework Licence for each particular type of relationship only once. Each framework is underpinned with a more detailed contract that deals with the rights being granted for use of Ordnance Survey products.

Which licence or agreement might you need?

Framework Direct Licence
This is required if you receive data products directly from us for day-to-day use within your business. It is underpinned with Product Schedules for each data product being licensed.

Licences covering commercial partnerships

We have several categories of commercial partnership, which cover trading data or maps as part of our customer's business, or incorporating them within the products or services they offer:

Specific Use Framework Partner Licence
This is required if you wish to exploit Ordnance Survey data commercially in your own value-added products and services. This licence is underpinned with Specific Use Contracts to cover each type of value-added product or service developed.

Distributor Framework Agreement
This is for customers wishing to distribute (resell) some of our data products without mandatory value adding. This licence is underpinned with Data Distribution Agreements for the products being distributed.

Ordnance Survey Mapping and Data Centre Non-exclusive Distribution Agreement
For customers wishing to make large scale mapping and map data available and accessible to all citizens as branded published products.

Framework Trade Agreement
This is required if you wish to wholesale or retail our paper mapping.

We also offer a range of licences other licensing situations:

Developer Programme Agreement
This is required if you wish to develop products or services using Ordnance Survey data products.

Copyright Licences
You'll need one if you wish to copy our paper maps or undertake certain other activities.

Pilot Data Licence This is for customers who are thinking of licensing our data and need something more than our standard sample data in order to conduct evaluation or testing.

Copyright licensing for education
If you represent a school, college or university, please see our Copyright for Education page.

Licensing under collective purchasing agreements
Please refer to the relevant sector page if you represent a central goverment department, a local authority or a utility. If you are a member of the NHS pilot agreement, or wish to become a member, please refer to the Health sector pages.

If you are a member of the Greater London Authority contract, which covers the Greater London Authority, Transport for London and the London Development Agency, please call the Collaborative Agreements Team on 02380 792706 or e-mail msa@ordnancesurvey.co.uk.

See also our pages explaining your information rights. They cover:

Licences and agreements explained

Our policy and practice