Self-hosting is an Enterprise option, on request, for institutions whose policy asks for IdeaScore to run on infrastructure they own. Most organisations use IdeaScore as a service and never need it. This guide shows what to prepare, in about six minutes.
Related: Security, the Trust Centre and plans.
Before You Start
- It comes with Enterprise, arranged on request by a separate order form and priced by quote. There is nothing to download or install yourself.
- Our team does the technical work: installation, updates and support. Your side provides the servers, the access and the decisions.
- Start early. Servers, approvals and network changes take longest inside an institution.
Who to Involve
Bring three people to the first conversation, each with a deputy:
- The programme owner, who knows the dates that matter: windows, scoring, results.
- Someone from IT, who can provide servers, grant access and change network rules.
- Whoever signs off on data and policy, often an information security lead.
What Your IT Team Provides
We send the exact specification for your release and the size of your programmes. In plain terms:
- Servers you own or control, sized for your largest call, with room for uploaded files.
- Access for our team to install and update, by whatever route your policy allows.
- A web address, with a security certificate for it.
- Network rules so people can reach IdeaScore, and it can reach the few outside services it needs, such as email. We give you the list.
- A backup location that is not the same server.
A call is quiet for weeks, then takes most of its applications in the final hours. Size for that day, not the average.
How Installation Works
- A planning call to confirm the servers, the web address, access and your dates.
- Installation by our team, at a time that suits your IT team.
- A check together that sign-in, a form, file uploads and scoring work at your address.
- A handover, with a short record of what was installed and who to contact.
Your programme owner then sets up programmes exactly as on the hosted service.
Updates and Support
Our team applies updates, with release notes, at times agreed with you so that none lands while a call is open or scoring is under way. For help, contact a support executive as on the hosted service. Some fixes need your IT team to grant access, so keep the named owner and deputy current.
Your Data and Backups
Your programme's data lives on your servers: submissions, scores, decisions, the audit log and every uploaded file.
- Backups: agree what is backed up, how often and where. Include both records and files; one without the other cannot be restored.
- A restore rehearsal before your first call opens, so everyone knows how long recovery takes.
- Access: roles inside IdeaScore work as on the hosted service; server access follows your own policy.
- IdeaScore AI: names and contact details are never sent to it. Raise any institutional rules on AI use at the planning call.
How to Ask for Self-Hosting
Talk to a support executive through the contact page, or book a demo with a product specialist. Tell us your institution, your largest programme, the date of your first call, and who owns IT and data policy. We reply with next steps, the order form and a quote.
Checklist Before You Ask
- Programme owner, IT contact and policy sign-off named, each with a deputy
- The date of your first call on the new installation
- Your largest call, in applications and evaluators
- Servers available, or a date for them
- A web address and certificate
- A route agreed for our team's access
- A backup location off the server
- Institutional rules on data or AI use written down
