# Data sharing agreement template

URL: https://aidataforsale.com/templates/data-sharing-agreement
Publisher: AI Data For Sale (Marketing Signals Ltd)
Updated: 2026-11-10

A free, editable data sharing agreement for joint AI projects, research and partnerships, with notes on each clause and how it differs from a training data license.

For sharing data with a partner on a defined project, such as a pilot, research collaboration or co-development, rather than licensing it for a fee.

## In short

- A data sharing agreement governs data exchanged for a defined joint purpose, often in both directions.
- It sets roles, purpose, security, publication rights and who owns results.
- Use a data use agreement instead when one party licenses data to another for model training.
- This template is a starting point for discussion, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review any agreement before you sign it.

## Downloads

- Download the agreement (Word): free, unlocked with an email address at https://aidataforsale.com/templates/data-sharing-agreement

## When to use a data sharing agreement

Use one when organizations exchange data for a shared project: a pilot to test whether data improves a model before a full license, an academic collaboration, or a partnership where each side contributes data. If one side is paying to train models on the other's data, use the [AI training data use agreement](https://aidataforsale.com/templates/data-use-agreement).

## Clause by clause

### Parties and roles

States who provides which data and, for personal data, whether each party acts as a controller or processor (or business and service provider under the CCPA).

### Project and purpose

Describes the project in enough detail that any other use is clearly outside it. Purpose limitation is the core protection.

### Data description

Lists each party's data in a schedule. A [data manifest](https://aidataforsale.com/templates/data-manifest-template) works well.

### Security and access

Where data is held, who can access it, and breach notification.

### Results and intellectual property

Who owns models, findings and derived data. Common options are joint ownership, ownership by the party that created the result with a license back, or ownership by the data provider.

### Publication

For research, the right to publish findings, subject to a review period and a ban on publishing the underlying data.

### Term, return and deletion

Data is returned or deleted at the end of the project, with certification.

### Privacy compliance

Each party confirms it has a lawful basis and appropriate notices for sharing personal data, and data is de-identified where possible. See [de-identification](https://aidataforsale.com/glossary/de-identification).

## Pilot to license

A short data sharing agreement for a paid or unpaid pilot lets a buyer test a sample before committing to a full license. Keep the sample small and the deletion obligation firm. Read [how to evaluate a data sample](https://aidataforsale.com/learn/how-to-evaluate-a-data-sample).

## Read next

- [Data sharing agreement (glossary)](https://aidataforsale.com/glossary/data-sharing-agreement)
- [AI training data use agreement](https://aidataforsale.com/templates/data-use-agreement)
- [How to evaluate a data sample](https://aidataforsale.com/learn/how-to-evaluate-a-data-sample)

## Questions

### What is the difference between a data sharing agreement and a data use agreement?

A data sharing agreement usually covers exchange for a joint purpose, often both ways. A data use agreement licenses one party to use the other's data, usually for a fee. See [data sharing agreement](https://aidataforsale.com/glossary/data-sharing-agreement).