openDesk Partner Programme
To accelerate the roll-out across the board, the Centre for Digital Sovereignty is looking for openDesk partners. In addition to public-sector IT service providers, private-sector cloud service providers and IT service providers can also develop their own openDesk Enterprise offerings.
Alongside the intensification of cooperation with public-sector IT service providers, ZenDiS is now also opening the way for private-sector companies by establishing the partner programme. The public administration still has options to procure openDesk without going through a tender process.
ZenDiS is wholly owned by the federal government. Partners are therefore sought via an official accreditation process (Open House). Participation is now open and will remain so initially until 31 January 2027. In the coming weeks, ZenDiS plans to introduce further partner categories.
Detailed information can be found in the accompanying ZenDiS press release (only aviable in German).
Partner categories
Official Distributor
Value-added distributors authorised by ZenDiS who supply private-sector cloud providers and IT service providers with openDesk subscriptions and manage the future openDesk reseller ecosystem. The distributors must have proven experience in marketing open-source solutions.
Approved Sovereign Service Provider
Cloud service providers (CSPs) that offer openDesk as a high-quality Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution. Partners are subject to strict security and sovereignty requirements, such as a BSI C5 certificate and SEAL Level 3 under the European Cloud Sovereignty Framework.
Approved System Integrator
This category is intended for full-service IT service providers with proven expertise in open source and Kubernetes, as well as experience in setting up and operating openDesk (on-premises, managed service).
Reseller
Even without meeting the highlighted eligibility criteria for Approved Partners, private-sector IT service providers will in future be able to build their offerings around the Enterprise Edition of openDesk. These IT resellers are supported by the official value-added distributors (‘Official Distributors’), who also sell openDesk subscriptions. Participation in the open-house process is not required.
No items for this category.
Application documents should be submitted to the following address. Please note that this address cannot be used for general enquiries.
The contract procedure is as follows:
The interested IT partner sends ZenDiS a letter of accession in writing (by email to opendesk-partner@zendis.de), thereby submitting a binding offer to enter into the agreement. ZenDiS provides a template for the letter of accession on this page in the ‘Downloads’ section.
In this letter, the interested IT partner makes the self-declarations set out in the criteria catalogue, insofar as the relevant evidence is to be provided in the form of a self-declaration.
As an annex to this letter, the interested IT partner submits the certificates, test reports and other documents required in the criteria catalogue.
ZenDiS checks the submitted self-declarations and supporting evidence for completeness and to ensure that the criteria are met in terms of content.
If all criteria are met and the required supporting evidence has been provided in full and in the correct manner, ZenDiS accepts the offer from the interested IT partner by means of a written notification; the agreement comes into effect upon receipt of the declaration of acceptance by the IT partner. No signature is required.