fix: fix consultancy page

pages/consulting/index.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ title: Consulting
 description: >
   Discuss consulting for open-source software, scientific and research
   workflows, technical education, and community-focused projects.
-date: 2026-07-26
+date: 2026-08-06
 authors: ["OSL Team"]
 template: main.html
 section_label: Work with OSL
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ A consulting engagement is formal, scoped work. Before work begins, the parties
 must agree on the intended outcomes, responsibilities, timeline, budget,
 delivery structure, and an approved contracting and payment route.
 
+Open Science Labs is a fiscally hosted project of Open Source Collective (OSC).
+OSL coordinates technical discussions, preliminary scoping, contributors, and
+delivery. Formal agreements involving OSL are subject to OSC review and
+approval.
+
 ## Areas of interest
 
 The following examples describe areas in which OSL is interested in
@@ -49,14 +54,98 @@ capacity, and the appropriate legal and delivery arrangements.
 
 A defined engagement has an agreed scope, deliverables, schedule, budget, and
 review process. It may be appropriate for an assessment, implementation,
-documentation project, workshop, or other time-limited body of work.
+maintenance project, documentation project, workshop, or another time-limited
+body of work.
+
+When an external organisation is purchasing defined services, deliverables,
+deadlines, continuing support, confidentiality, or other contractual
+commitments, OSL discusses the request and may prepare a preliminary scope.
+
+Before OSL accepts the engagement or makes a binding commitment, the proposed
+arrangement must be sent to OSC for review. OSL will contact OSC as part of this
+process; prospective clients can continue to use OSL as their point of contact.
+
+For an approved formal engagement involving OSL, OSC is the legal organisation
+entering into and signing the agreement on behalf of the hosted Open Science
+Labs project.
+
+[Learn how Open Source Collective handles legal agreements](https://docs.oscollective.org/for-hosted-member-projects/signing-and-entering-into-legal-contracts)
 
 ### Continuing support
 
 Some projects may need maintenance, technical advice, documentation, training,
 or community support over a longer period. Any continuing arrangement must
 define priorities, response expectations, available capacity, and how either
-party may change or end the work.
+party may change or end the work. A continuing arrangement involving paid
+deliverables, response commitments, reserved capacity, confidentiality, or other
+enforceable obligations follows the formal OSC contract-review process.
+
+### Paid open-source contributions
+
+When sufficient funds are available in OSL's Open Collective budget, OSL may
+compensate individuals for approved work that directly supports its open-source
+projects and programmes.
+
+Examples may include:
+
+- mentoring;
+- project maintenance;
+- bug investigation and bug fixes;
+- documentation;
+- packaging and distribution;
+- testing and continuous integration;
+- implementation of new features;
+- research software improvements;
+- public bug-bounty programmes.
+
+A separate formal consulting contract is not necessarily required for each
+OSL-funded contribution task. After the approved work has been completed, the
+contributor may submit an expense of type **Invoice** through OSL's Open
+Collective page.
+
+The invoice should clearly describe:
+
+- what work was completed;
+- when it was completed;
+- how it supported the relevant open-source project or programme;
+- the approved payment amount;
+- links to issues, pull requests, commits, releases, documentation, reports, or
+  other evidence where practical.
+
+An authorised OSL administrator reviews the expense. OSC then performs its own
+compliance review and processes an eligible payment.
+
+Paid tasks may only be offered when:
+
+- sufficient funds are available in OSL's hosted budget;
+- the work supports OSL's open-source mission;
+- the expected work and payment are documented;
+- the completed work can be reviewed;
+- the resulting expense complies with OSC policies.
+
+[Read Open Source Collective's payment and expense guidance](https://docs.oscollective.org/for-hosted-member-projects/spending-money-and-getting-paid)
+
+[Review Open Source Collective's expense policies and limitations](https://docs.oscollective.org/for-hosted-member-projects/spending-money-and-getting-paid/expense-policies-and-limitations)
+
+#### Invoice or Reimbursement?
+
+An **Invoice** is used to request payment for completed work or services. A
+**Reimbursement** is used when someone has already paid an eligible project cost
+personally and is requesting repayment. Professional services must not be
+submitted as reimbursements.
+
+Invoices must be for completed work, and expenses cannot normally be paid in
+advance. Invoice descriptions should be specific and itemised rather than vague
+or undetailed lump sums, and relevant evidence should be included where
+practical.
+
+[Review the difference between invoices and reimbursements](https://docs.oscollective.org/for-hosted-member-projects/spending-money-and-getting-paid/invoice-and-reimbursement-examples)
+
+Paid contribution programmes and bug bounties are mechanisms through which OSL
+can fund approved open-source work. They are not an alternative contracting
+route for an external organisation purchasing a defined result. When payment is
+exchanged for client-specific deliverables or other contractual commitments, the
+formal OSC review and contracting process applies.
 
 ### Partner-supported engagement
 
@@ -77,6 +166,10 @@ warranty, or promise about an independent provider's quality or availability.
 OSL may not be involved in the resulting contract, delivery, payment, or
 supervision.
 
+Any formal agreement in which OSL participates remains subject to OSC review.
+When an independent provider contracts directly with the client, OSL and OSC may
+not be parties to that agreement.
+
 ### Other consulting and collaboration needs
 
 The services described on this page represent the areas in which OSL is most
@@ -106,21 +199,68 @@ Contact: [team@opensciencelabs.org](mailto:team@opensciencelabs.org)
 
 ## Consulting, support, and paid contribution programmes
 
-Formal consulting is different from general community support. Questions and
-discussions in OSL's public community channels are informal and provided on a
-best-effort basis; they do not include agreed deliverables, response times,
-confidentiality, or an obligation to continue support.
+### Formal consulting arrangements
+
+Formal consulting is used when an external organisation expects defined
+deliverables, a delivery schedule, dedicated capacity, confidentiality,
+maintenance obligations, or other enforceable commitments. It requires OSC
+review and, when approved, an agreement signed by OSC.
+
+### General community or financial support
+
+Questions and discussions in OSL's public community channels are informal and
+provided on a best-effort basis; they do not include agreed deliverables,
+response times, confidentiality, or an obligation to continue support.
+
+General financial support does not purchase defined services or create a
+guaranteed client-specific deliverable. OSL allocates it according to its
+mission, available budget, priorities, and OSC policies. Organisations
+interested in general support can learn more about
+[sponsoring OSL](/about/sponsorship/).
+
+### Paid contribution programmes
+
+When funds are available, OSL may pay contributors for completed, approved,
+mission-aligned open-source work through **Invoice** expenses. A paid
+contribution opportunity is not automatically created when someone contacts OSL:
+it depends on available funding and an approved, documented task, and it remains
+subject to OSL and OSC review.
 
 Paid internships, fellowships, and other contributor opportunities are separate
 programmes with their own eligibility, selection, funding, and supervision
 requirements. Contacting OSL about consulting does not create a paid
 contribution opportunity, and participation in a community or contributor
 programme does not create a consulting relationship.
 
+Volunteer work, internships, fellowships, paid open-source contributions, and
+formal consulting are separate programmes and workflows.
+
 When a request needs accountable delivery, a defined schedule, confidential
 handling, or dedicated capacity, the work should be discussed as a formal
 consulting engagement before it begins.
 
+## How the workflows differ
+
+### Formal consulting
+
+Client inquiry → preliminary OSL discussion and scope → OSC review and
+signature → delivery → approved contributor or provider invoices
+
+### OSL-funded open-source work
+
+Available OSL budget → documented task or bounty → completed
+contribution → OSL review → **Invoice** expense → OSC compliance
+review and eligible payment
+
+### Independent partner referral
+
+Client inquiry → possible introduction → independent provider and
+client determine their own agreement
+
+These workflows are not interchangeable. In particular, the OSL-funded
+contribution workflow must not be used to avoid a formal agreement when an
+external client is purchasing defined services.
+
 ## How an engagement is considered
 
 OSL considers each enquiry individually. An initial discussion usually covers:
@@ -140,6 +280,25 @@ An initial conversation is exploratory. No work, partnership, referral, or
 contract is promised until the appropriate parties have reviewed and approved
 the arrangement.
 
+## Fiscal hosting and contracting
+
+Open Science Labs is a [fiscally hosted project](/about/fiscal-sponsor/) of Open
+Source Collective.
+
+OSL coordinates project discussions, preliminary scoping, technical planning,
+contributor participation, and delivery.
+
+When a formal agreement involving OSL is required, OSC reviews the proposed
+arrangement and, if approved, is the legal organisation entering into and
+signing the agreement on behalf of the hosted project.
+
+OSL may also use available project funds to compensate contributors for
+completed, approved open-source work through **Invoice** expenses administered
+by OSC.
+
+The precise contract, payment, intellectual-property, confidentiality,
+acceptance, and delivery terms are determined for each engagement.
+
 ## Start a conversation
 
 Tell us about the project, repository, research workflow, or technical problem
@@ -150,6 +309,12 @@ the services described on this page. We can discuss whether OSL can support the
 work directly, develop a customised engagement, collaborate with an appropriate
 partner, or suggest another route.
 
+Prospective clients may contact OSL about standard consulting services, unusual
+or custom technical needs, research software, educational or community work, and
+possible partner-supported arrangements. You do not need to determine the
+contracting route before contacting us; OSL and OSC will identify the
+appropriate route after the initial discussion.
+
 Helpful information includes:
 
 - a link to the repository, project, or relevant documentation;