Step 2 · Prepare
Signing the contract
The archiving scenario chosen at scoping is translated into a written convention. It is this contract — not an online form, not a generic terms-of-service — that will fix for years who can access what, under which rule, and who decides at term.
Why a dedicated contract
Most digital service users today sign standardised general conditions, identical for millions of customers. That model fits generic storage perfectly. It does not fit post-cessation archiving: the nature of the data, the legal identity of the depositing entity, the named list of future decision-makers, the voting rule for arbitration, the default scenario — all those elements must sit in the convention itself, not in a generic schedule.
The Archivum contract is a French private-law document, signed in your name and in Archivum's name, enforceable. It claims no regulated evidential value; it does not present itself as an NF Z42-013 certification, nor as a qualified eIDAS service, nor as a regulated evidential vault. It is a straightforward bilateral commitment, framed by French general contract law and the GDPR.
What the contract sets
- The identity of the parties. You (or the entity you represent) as depositor, Archivum as the archive trustee. For an entity already removed from the register, the contract may be signed by former directors in their residual responsibility, or by the appointed liquidator.
- The exact archive perimeter. Volumes, types, legal categories (accounting, HR, intellectual property, public-facing communication, commercial prospecting). Each category may have its own retention period and its own arbitration.
- Named access grants. List of natural persons authorised to consult, request retrieval, propose a grant change, or vote at end-of-period arbitration. See our glossary entry on access grant.
- Collegial voting rule. If several successors are involved: simple majority, qualified majority, unanimity, veto right, quorum, voting deadline. Collegial voting is the cornerstone of multi-party cases.
- End-of-period arbitration scenario. Three default options — extension, deletion, transfer to the trustee — and the default scenario that applies if no decision is taken within the deadline. See end-of-period arbitration.
- Sovereignty commitments. Storage in France on Scaleway infrastructure, encryption, consultation register, operations log. See European digital sovereignty.
- Pricing and its evolution. Fixed cost over the initial period, indexation mechanism for extensions, possible fees for exceptional operations (mass retrievals, external expertise).
How signature unfolds
After validation of the scoping memo, we draft a first version of the contract within five to ten working days. You (and where relevant your lawyer, liquidator or notary) review it. One or two rounds are common to adjust the perimeter, the list of grantees, the voting rule or the price. Once the text stabilises, signature can be electronic (qualified procedure) or on paper depending on your preference.
For court liquidations, the contract is co-signed with the appointed administrator and, where applicable, submitted to the supervising judge for authorisation. We provide the necessary documents at no additional cost.
For post-mortem transmissions, the contract can be annexed to a deed of notoriety or to the estate-partition deed, depending on the complexity of the succession. The notary then centralises the successors' signatures.
What you walk away with
A signed copy of the contract (timestamped PDF and possibly paper), a copy of the initial register of access grants, a provisional migration calendar, and the associated invoicing. Once the contract is signed, we move on to the operational preparation of the migration.
Ask for a draft contract
The contract is drafted after initial scoping. If you have not had that first hour yet, that is where to begin.