The text of the directive states:

"In line with the obligations set out in higher-level legislation, such as the 2010 Law on Support for Knowledge-Based Companies and Institutions and the Commercialization of Innovations and Inventions, the 2019 Law on Maximum Utilization of the Country's Production and Service Capacities and Support for Iranian Goods and its executive bylaws, and the 2022 Law on Leaping Knowledge-Based Production, the Ministry of Petroleum's Deputy Ministry for Engineering, Research and Technology, centered on the Directorate General for Technical and Executive Systems and Project Evaluation, took up the development of a three-part set of documents for innovative goods manufacturing, services, and software production.

Following the issuance of the first and second standard documents, titled the "Innovative Product Development Agreement (PDA)" and the "Innovative Service Agreement (ISA)" under circulars No. 396-20/2 dated December 20, 2025 and No. 2145-20/2 dated August 22, 2026 respectively, and in support of knowledge-based companies that develop innovative software for the oil industry, the standard document "Innovative Software Development Agreement (SDA)" was prepared. It drew on a technical/executive working group of legal, contractual, financial, and technical experts from the main companies, along with the Ministry of Petroleum's Directorate General for Legal Affairs, and incorporated specialist input from consultants outside the industry. It was issued under Circular No. 2251-20/2 on November 10, 2026, and, by virtue of the powers granted under the 1991 Law on the Duties and Powers of the Ministry of Petroleum, the caretaker oil minister made it binding on the main companies and their subsidiaries.

The document file has been uploaded to the Deputy Ministry for Engineering, Research and Technology portal, under Documents / Standard Documents, for stakeholders' review and use."