The Anatomy of an SAP Contract.
SAP contracts are more than cloud hosting. They are multi-layered commercial constructs with levers that require active governance.
How a RISE contract is structured
A RISE with SAP contract consists of multiple layers. The Order Form forms the individual core — it references standard documents that SAP publishes on the Trust Center. These reference documents define SLAs, responsibilities and scope. Both levels are relevant for sound contract governance.
Contract structure — layer by layer
The 8 building blocks in detail
Each area contains governance-relevant aspects that should be actively managed.
The Annual Contract Value (ACV) is the customer's annual payment obligation across the full contract term. It is the central financial figure of a RISE contract and the basis for many derived values, among them BTP credits, package budgets and maintenance reduction.
The Order Form is the core of the contract. It defines the solutions booked, the system sizing (tiers, vCPU, RAM, storage), the contractual term and the software subscriptions. In a migration from on-premise, existing licences are converted into cloud subscriptions with defined conversion dates.
SAP defines system availability at several levels, depending on the RISE option and the tier type (production vs. non-production). The standard SLA is 99.5% (PCE) or 99.7% (RISE). Upgrades to 99.9% are available.
Disaster recovery is not automatically part of RISE. DR has to be ordered explicitly as a separate SKU, with different RTO/RPO options that differ considerably in cost and recovery time.
SAP defines maintenance windows per system tier. These windows affect availability and need to be reflected in project planning and in day-to-day operations.
SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) is an integral part of every RISE contract and at the same time the area with the greatest governance need. BTP is billed through CPEA credits (Cloud Platform Enterprise Agreement).
Many RISE contracts include package budgets for migration, implementation or innovation, often split into phases. Maintenance reduction additionally governs which share of existing on-premise maintenance cost is credited against the RISE contract.
RISE contracts have defined terms (typically 3 to 7 years), notice periods and renewal conditions. Several transition options provide flexibility, provided they are reviewed in time.
RISE options overview
Contract components and scope vary depending on the chosen option.
Base Option
Standard S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition. Cloud infrastructure, basic support and defined SLAs.
Premium
Extended services, higher SLAs, additional cloud features and enhanced support.
Premium Plus
Maximum scope with Clean Core Enablement, extended BTP services and SAP Business AI.
Tailored Option (PtO)
Individual sizing, tailored configuration. For complex landscapes with specific requirements.
Discuss your contract building blocks in detail
In a confidential conversation, we assess together which areas are relevant for your situation.
Schedule a contract conversationWhat is where? — Quick Reference
All reference documents are publicly available on the SAP Trust Center.
| Your question | Look up in | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Which SLA applies to my system? | Service Description Guide (SDG) | SDG v9 → |
| Who does what for maintenance & updates? | Roles & Responsibilities | R&R v3 → |
| What is included for BTP? | Cloud Supplement + Pricing & Packaging | Supplement v11 → |
| How does Disaster Recovery work? | Roles & Responsibilities + SDG | R&R v3 → |
| What notice periods apply? | General Terms & Conditions (GTC) | SAP GTC → |
| How is my data protected? | Data Processing Agreement (DPA) | Trust Center → |
| How is the ACV defined? | Order Form + Cloud Supplement | Supplement v11 → |
Next step: Platform or Govern
If you want to govern your contract landscape yourself, start with the Platform. If accountability and ongoing governance are required from day one, explore Govern.