Key takeaway
An inquiry, an introduction, a sample, a license and a payment are separate events. Each needs its own evidence.
Start with a descriptive inventory.
Describe categories, source systems, dates, approximate volumes and what links a task to an outcome. Identify the business entity and the person who can approve the discussion. This allows a potential route to be explored before a record leaves the business.
System access is not the same as authority to license. The administrator who can export data may need approval from a director, legal team or other decision-maker.
Make the introduction a defined event.
Choose the receiving program and exact information to disclose. Explain any potential referral compensation. Record approval before the handoff. A broad expression of interest should not become permission to send details to several recipients.
- Named recipient and purpose
- Exact business details and metadata fields
- Authorizing person and entity
- Compensation disclosure and attribution expectations
- A clear statement that later records and licenses need separate review
Agree on an evaluation plan.
If the program asks for a sample, establish the question it should answer and the minimum necessary scope. Review confidentiality, rights, access, retention and the permitted evaluation use before delivery.
Evaluation permission should not silently include production use, AI training, onward transfer or indefinite retention. Ask whether these uses are prohibited until a later license is signed.
Negotiate the actual license with the right advisers.
The agreement should define the material and permitted uses, rather than simply calling it “company data.” Review exclusivity, sublicensing, trained-model treatment, warranties, liability, termination, reporting and payment. A redline is a better place to resolve ambiguity than an onboarding call.
A right to terminate future deliveries may not require retraining or destroying a model already trained under the agreement. Ask explicitly what happens to raw records, derived material and trained models.
Close the loop after delivery.
Keep acceptance evidence, package versions and payment records together. Assign an owner for refreshes and reporting. Confirm deletion or return obligations at the relevant stage. VOID’s initial role is referral coordination; export management or seller representation needs a separate scope and agreement.