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Data partners across the global seed conservation network

Become a data partner

Choose the route that matches your role, then follow the staged, partner-approved workflow SeedPOD uses to make collection and test data discoverable while protecting provenance, rights and sensitive information.

Small seeds spread across a blue work surface during seed processing
Small seeds on a seed-processing work surface by Jim Holden © RBG Kew

Choose a route

How would you like to participate?

Data partners

Share collection and test data

Follow the workflow below to discuss data scope, permissions, attribution, sensitive records, mapping and quality assurance with the SeedPOD team.

Read the sharing workflow

Seed suppliers

Increase the visibility of supply

Help users find the organisations that collect, produce, hold or distribute native seed, while keeping enquiries and transactions outside SeedPOD.

About seed supply

Collaborators

Discuss a use case

Contact the team about research, restoration, training, interoperability or a potential institutional collaboration.

Email the SeedPOD team

Start with governance

Four principles for data partners

  • Permission – publish only fields the data partner is authorised to share, under agreed terms.
  • Provenance – keep source identifiers, original values and attribution connected to transformed records.
  • Proportionate protection – withhold, generalise or restrict data where legal, ethical, cultural or conservation risk requires it.
  • Reviewability – give data partners a clear opportunity to review mappings, restrictions and presentation before release.

Proposed workflow

From first conversation to maintained records

  1. ScopeDescribe the collection, record types, purpose, users and update frequency.
  2. Authority and termsConfirm ownership, licence, attribution, sensitive-data rules and decision-makers.
  3. Secure transferAgree an appropriate transfer route and file format. Do not send sensitive exports by ordinary email without agreement.
  4. Profile and mapInspect fields, controlled values, identifiers, dates, coordinates, taxa and test structures.
  5. ValidateRun structural, logical and taxonomic checks; separate errors from legitimate unknowns.
  6. Partner reviewReturn a mapped preview and QA summary for correction and approval.
  7. PublishRelease only the approved fields with data partner attribution and record-level conditions.
  8. MaintainAgree update, correction, restriction and takedown routes.

Prepare a data inventory

Useful information to identify

Data area Examples Key checks
Identifiers Accession, collection, test and organisation identifiers Stable, unique, documented and not silently regenerated
Taxonomy Scientific name, author, original name, identification status Name source, uncertainty and verification retained
Collection Date, country, locality, coordinates, collectors, population notes Sensitivity, coordinate quality, permissions and consistent dates
Banking Processing, drying, storage, quantities and availability Units, methods, current status and meaning of missing values
Tests Germination, viability, treatments, replicates and counts Methods, denominators, dates, outcomes and linked accession
Rights Data partner, attribution, licence, restrictions and agreements Field-level or record-level conditions are explicit

Before you contact us

Information that helps the first conversation

  • Your organisation, collection and database contact.
  • Approximate number and types of records.
  • Available fields and export formats.
  • Ownership, licence and attribution requirements.
  • Known sensitive data, legal restrictions or access and benefit-sharing considerations.
  • How often records change and who can approve publication.

This is not a submission form or a commitment to publish. The team will confirm scope and next steps with each prospective data partner.

Next step

Email seedpod@kew.org with a short description of your organisation and data. Do not attach a full or sensitive export until a transfer route has been agreed.

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