Knowledge exchange

We are part of several international networks in which knowledge and expertise are shared. We participate in projects and attend meetings of the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) and Knowledge Exchange. This way, we always stay abreast of the latest developments.

Knowledge exchange: Foundational Requirements for IT procurement

Within SURF, members join forces for the joint procurement of IT services. Knowledge sharing is an essential pillar of this process. That is why WUR, TU/e and Tilburg University, facilitated by SURF and with contributions from many other institutions, developed the Foundational Requirements: a shared set of basic non-functional IT requirements.

The Foundational Requirements project (formerly Non-Functionals) was completed in May 2025. Version 1.2 was published in September 2026. The result of the expertise pooled within the working group is a set of standard documents. All institutions affiliated with SURF can use this set of standard documents when procuring IT facilities:

• User Guide v1.2
• Foundational Requirements v1.2
• Template – Guideline for using the Foundational Requirements v1.1
• SLA – Institution version v1.0
• Public Values

Links to the documents are available at Dienstverlening | Inkoop bij SURF | Mijn SURF (accessible via login for your institution’s SURF software contact persons). For further information, see:

News item 7 May 2025 | Mijn SURF – history of the Foundational Requirements working group, the application of the report and the distinction between functional and non-functional requirements (behind login).
News item 9 October 2026 | Mijn SURF – Foundational Requirements version 1.2 with a new category of AI requirements (behind login).