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Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia

build operate transfer software team

We build the team, run it, then hand it to you whole

You want your own engineering function but not the first year of hiring risk. We assemble the team, run it on your roadmap, and transfer people, code, tools and process to your company when you are ready.

3

phases: build, operate, transfer

12 to 24

months of operation before a typical transfer

30 to 90

days of structured handover at the end

Team assembled for youOperated on your roadmapTransfer terms agreed upfrontCode in your repositoryProcess documentedRiyadh working hoursStaged handoverKnowledge captureTransfer readiness review

The direct answer

Build-operate-transfer is an engagement model where a partner assembles a software team for you, runs it for an agreed period, and then transfers it to your company. You get the team's output from day one and a ready engineering function at the end. It fits companies that plan to own their engineering but lack the time or recruiting reach to build it alone.

Before and after

What this removes.

You want your own team but cannot build it fast

Today

Setting up recruitment, onboarding and management from zero takes a year, and the product waits meanwhile.

With the system

A working team ships from the first month while the ownership structure is prepared in the background.

Outsourcing leaves you dependent

Today

The vendor holds the knowledge, the tools and the people, and leaving them means starting again.

With the system

The contract names a transfer date and the knowledge, tools and people move to you on schedule.

A new engineering function has no process

Today

A newly hired team invents its own sprint rhythm, code standards and release routine, and it shows in quality.

With the system

You inherit a team that already runs reviews, tests, CI/CD and documented decisions.

Handover promises are vague

Today

Outsourcing agreements mention a handover but set no date, no checklist and no test of readiness.

With the system

The transfer is a defined phase with a checklist, a readiness review and a sign-off from you.

What we build

What lands in your hands.

Team formation

Roles, seniority and hiring plan agreed with you, with candidates you approve.

Operating model

Sprint cadence, code standards, release process and reporting set up and documented.

Transfer agreement

Dates, price, people and rights set out in writing at the start, not at the end.

Knowledge capture

Architecture notes, runbooks and decision records kept in your repository from day one.

Local readiness

Your management, HR and tooling prepared to receive the team.

Staged handover

Responsibility moves in steps, with shadowing and a final readiness review.

In depth

How it works, and what to decide.

The three phases and what each one costs you

The build phase assembles the team. We agree the roles with you, recruit against them, and you approve each person before they start. Expect a shape like a tech lead, three to five engineers, a QA engineer and a delivery lead, adjusted to your roadmap. The team ships from the first month, because the point is output, not setup.

The operate phase is the long middle. We manage the people and the process while you direct the product. Typical operation runs 12 to 24 months, long enough for the team to learn your business and for you to prepare a home for it. You pay a monthly rate per seat during this phase, which covers the people, equipment and our management.

The transfer phase moves the team to you. Employment contracts, tools, accounts and process documents change hands over a structured handover of 30 to 90 days, with the team shadowing your managers and your managers taking over decisions step by step. The price of transfer is agreed in the contract at the start, so it is a known figure and not a negotiation at the moment you are most dependent.

Setting up the transfer so it actually happens

Most build-operate-transfer arrangements fail at the transfer, not the build. The usual causes are no named owner on the client side, no entity ready to employ the people, and no tested process. We address each from the start. You name a sponsor who will receive the team, we agree the transfer date and conditions in writing, and we run a readiness review a few months ahead.

In Saudi Arabia the receiving entity needs to be ready to employ. That means a registered company with the right commercial activities, Qiwa and GOSI registration, and a payroll route. We outline those steps for your advisers early, and we do not give legal advice. Your lawyers confirm the employment mechanics, and we align our timeline to them.

Technical readiness is the part we control. Code lives in your repository from day one, infrastructure runs in your cloud accounts, and every runbook and decision record is written for a reader who was not in the room. At transfer, nothing important exists only in someone's head.

Ownership, hours, billing and exit

Everything the team produces belongs to your company from the first commit. The agreement assigns intellectual property to you, and the repository, cloud accounts and documentation are yours throughout. There is nothing to buy back at transfer except the people's employment, and that price is fixed in the contract.

The team works Sunday to Thursday across your office day, in Arabic and English. You set priorities and accept work, and we manage the team's conduct, performance, equipment and leave cover. If someone leaves, a replacement is proposed within 5 working days, with a handover note.

Billing is monthly in advance with VAT shown separately. You can scale seats with 30 days notice during the operate phase. If you decide not to transfer, you can stop at any time with the same notice and keep the code and documents. If you transfer early, the contract states the price. There is no hidden exit penalty and no minimum beyond the terms you have signed.

The delivery plan

Five stages. You sign off every one.

Read each stage as a small contract: what we need from you, what lands in your hands, and the sentence that has to be true before we move on.

01 / 04

Design and agreement

2 to 4 weeks

We agree the team shape, the operating period, the transfer terms and the receiving entity before hiring begins.

What you do
  • Name a sponsor for the transfer
  • Share the roadmap and budget
  • Review the draft agreement with your advisers
What we deliver
  • A team and hiring plan
  • A transfer agreement draft
  • A readiness checklist
Exit criteria

We move on when the agreement is signed, including the transfer date, price and conditions.

02 / 04

Build

4 to 8 weeks

We recruit against the plan, you approve each person, and the team starts on the first sprint.

What you do
  • Interview and approve candidates
  • Grant repository and cloud access
  • Brief the team on the product
What we deliver
  • A staffed and onboarded team
  • A working pipeline
  • A first accepted sprint
Exit criteria

We move on when the team has completed its first accepted sprint in your repository.

03 / 04

Operate

12 to 24 months

The team ships on your roadmap while you prepare the receiving entity and your internal management.

What you do
  • Direct the product
  • Prepare the receiving entity
  • Join monthly and quarterly reviews
What we deliver
  • Sprint releases
  • Monthly health reports
  • A readiness review before transfer
Exit criteria

We move on when the readiness review is passed and your receiving entity is ready to employ.

04 / 04

Transfer

30 to 90 days

People, tools and responsibility move to you in steps, with shadowing and a final sign-off.

What you do
  • Take over decisions step by step
  • Complete employment and tool changeover
  • Sign the transfer certificate
What we deliver
  • Contract and tool transfer
  • Final documentation set
  • A support period for questions
Exit criteria

We move on when you sign the transfer certificate and the team is fully under your management.

Buyer questions

Asked before signing.

How long does build-operate-transfer take end to end?

Usually 15 to 30 months in total: a few weeks to agree terms, 4 to 8 weeks to build, 12 to 24 months of operation, and a handover of 30 to 90 days. The operate period is the main variable, and you set it based on how soon your company can receive the team.

What does the transfer cost?

The transfer price is written into the agreement at the start, so you know it before the team ships anything. It covers the move of employment and the handover work. Code, repositories and documents are already yours, so there is nothing to buy back for those.

Who owns the code during the operate phase?

You do, from the first commit. The agreement assigns intellectual property to your company, and the code runs in your repository and cloud accounts throughout, so a decision not to transfer never leaves you without the product.

Do we need a Saudi entity to receive the team?

To employ the people locally, yes, and it needs the right registrations. We outline the steps for your advisers early and align our timeline to them. We do not give legal advice, so your lawyers confirm the employment mechanics.

Can we stop without transferring?

Yes, with 30 days notice. You keep the code, the documentation and the accounts, and we hand over the work in progress. The model is built so ending early never costs you the product, only the future value of the team.

Plan the team you will own in two years

Tell us the roadmap and the date you want to be independent. We will outline phases, price and transfer terms.