Concept Life Sciences | Call Off Contracts At Concept

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Today, let’s talk about contracts—a fundamental part of your relationship with a CRO.

Our partnerships always start with a scientist-led discussion to ensure that the best solutions are identified and implemented.

Our contracts can be customized to meet customers 'needs, and we can help you find the right balance of flexibility and control.

Faster, Flexible, Efficient

One type of contract that customers of our ADME Services highly value is our call-off model. Here, study pricing and service levels are agreed up-front, and a Purchase Order to cover the project is put in place. As studies are requested, these are scheduled and invoiced monthly.

The call-off contract shows both sides' intent to have a collaborative, longer-term relationship.

This option combines some of the benefits of the Fee-for-Service (FFS) and Full Time Equivalent (FTE) contracts in that it offers:

Adaptability to Project Variability: Each drug candidate demands a unique ADME cascade. As you pass each milestone, the contract covers the alternatives for the next step so you can choose and proceed quickly.
‍Flexibility and Cost Control: Drug development is inherently uncertain. With a Call-Off contract, our customers are not required to commit to spending the total value of the PO.

Faster ADME turnaround means more Design-Make-Test-Analyse cycles per year, enabling faster access to better candidates. Who doesn’t need that at the sharp end of drug discovery?

Being brilliant to work with isn’t just about personal interactions; it’s about making our customers’ lives easier, working together to reduce the admin so we can concentrate on the science. So, let’s embrace call-off contracts, which are one part of the solution to delivering value in drug development services.

The Goldilocks Zone

When comparing different contract types, one typically comes across Full Time Equivalent and Fee-for-Service models. See here for why our Call Off is the sweet spot between the two:

Criteria	FFS Model	Call-Off Model	FTE Model
Best for	Short-term, defined-scope projects	Small to mid-sized projects fluctuating needs	Large, complex, long-term projects
Workload	Well-defined tasks with clear milestones	Routine or sporadic/irregular task needs	Consistent, continuous work
Cost Structure	Per-task or per-service fee	Pay-as-you-go for specific services	Fixed monthly costs based on staff time
Flexibility	Low flexibility; each service requires new terms	High flexibility for task requests	High for scope changes
Cost Efficiency	Cost-efficient for small, specific tasks	Efficient for on-demand needs	Cost-efficient for large-scale work
Staff Continuity	Varies per task, less continuity	Staff may vary based on availability	Dedicated, continuous team
Budget Control	High control (pay by milestone or task)	High control (only pay for services used)	Moderate control (committed to FTEs)