'Pre‑procurement: What you need to know before you buy' - DPC Supporter Spotlight Panel and Webinar Series

Whether you are scoping the market, refining your roadmap or preparing to procure, the DPC Supporter Spotlight Series offers the digital preservation community an opportunity to explore the products, services and experiences of our DPC Supporters. Comprising a Panel Discussion and individual Webinar Showcases, the series provides a practical view of what is available across the digital preservation marketplace and how to prepare for procurement.

The series will offer insights into:

• What to consider before entering procurement

• Common challenges and how to avoid them

• How vendors and practitioners navigate the procurement landscape

• A selection of digital preservation offerings from across the marketplace

• Practical advice to support better‑aligned, successful outcomes

"Pre‑procurement: What you need to know before you buy" - DPC Supporter Panel Discussion

Date/Time: Thursday 19 March 2026, 13:00–14:30 UTC (click for your local time)

This session will be recorded

DPC Supporters will share practical advice for buyers before embarking upon the tendering process: how to define needs, avoid common pitfalls and set up successful pilots, proofs of concept and implementations.

Outline Agenda*

1. Welcome and introductions 

2. Lightning talks from Supporters

   • Rob Buckton, Arkivum

   • Justin Simpson and Kelly Stewart, Artefactual

   • Martin Kunze and Steffen Hellmold, Cerabyte

   • Daniel Greenberg, Clarivate

   • Chanler Cox and Miguel Blanco, Libnova

   • Frank Owen, Stephen Mackey and John Mackey, Max Communications

   • Nathan Voogt, Preservica

3. Moderated discussion: The DPC will facilitate a discussion with Supporters about the best preparations to make, pre-procument including how to start the conversation with the community and solution providers early, as well as things to think about now. Our DPC Supporters will also share insights into the procurement process by discussing the questions thet are asked...and the questions they wish they were asked!

4. Questions from the audience

5. Wrap up and takeaways

 *Subject to change

DPC Supporter Spotlight Webinar Series

Following the DPC Supporter Panel Discussion, we will follow up with sessions on two focused days of DPC Supporter Spotlight Webinars, designed to showcase product and service demos, practical applications and offer direct Q&A with DPC Supporters.

Day 1 — Tuesday 24 March 2026

Timing (Americas‑friendly): 

15:00–18:15 UTC (click for your local time)

Day 2 — Thursday 26 March 2026

Timing (Australasia‑friendly): 

06:30–09:15 UTC (click for your local time)

Each DPC Supporter will share an overview of their digital preservation solution or service alongside case studies, success stories, tips for cost savings and lessons learned.

Registration

Registration is open to all, with no charge. Click BOOK NOW below to register your place.

Registration for each episode will close 48 hours before the advertised start. DPC events rely on having minimum numbers to run successfully and effectively. Low numbers may mean events may not be viable and will need to be canceled, so please check that you can attend before booking. If you register for this event and find that you can no longer attend, you are welcome to send a colleague in your place. If you need to cancel, please email eleanor.oleary@dpconline.org with the event name. If cancelling please try to provide more than 48 hours notice before the scheduled event time.

DPC Inclusion & Diversity Policy

The DPC Community is guided by the values set out in our Strategic Plan and aims to be respectful, welcoming, inclusive and transparent. We encourage diversity in all its forms and are committed to being accessible to everyone who wishes to engage with the topic of digital preservation, whilst remaining technology and vendor neutral. We ask all those who are part of this community to be positive, accepting, and sensitive to the needs and feelings of others in alignment with our DPC Inclusion & Diversity Policy.