seed governance

Selecting Frameworks

How to choose, activate, and manage compliance frameworks in your workspace.

Framework limits by plan

The number of frameworks you can have active at any one time depends on your subscription plan:

Plan Active Frameworks Price
Starter Up to 3 $99/month
Pro Up to 10 $299/month
Enterprise All 33 Custom pricing

During your 14-day free trial, you have Pro-level access and can activate up to 10 frameworks.

How to choose the right frameworks

If you completed the Quick Assessment before signing up, your mandatory frameworks are already pre-selected. These are the ones driven by your industry, data types, and operating regions -- we recommend keeping all of them active.

Beyond the mandatory ones, consider these factors when deciding which additional frameworks to activate:

  • Customer requirements -- Do your enterprise customers ask for SOC 2 reports, ISO 27001 certification, or specific compliance attestations? Activate the frameworks that match their expectations.
  • Investor expectations -- Many VCs and institutional investors expect portfolio companies to demonstrate basic governance. SOC 2, ISO 27001, and NIST Cybersecurity Framework are commonly requested.
  • Upcoming audits -- If you are preparing for a specific certification audit (e.g., ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS), activate that framework first and focus on completing its assessment and document templates.
  • Overlap and efficiency -- Many frameworks share common controls. SeedGovernance maps control overlaps automatically, so activating related frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001 and SOC 2) means much of the work is shared. The gap analysis dashboard highlights these overlaps.

The 6 framework categories

SeedGovernance organises its 33 supported frameworks into six categories:

Data Protection & Privacy

Frameworks focused on personal data processing, privacy rights, and cross-border data transfers. Includes GDPR, UK GDPR, Saudi PDPL, NDMO, CCPA/CPRA, LGPD, and more.

Cybersecurity

Frameworks covering information security controls, risk management, and incident response. Includes NCA ECC, NCA CSCC, NIST CSF, CIS Controls, CMMC, and DORA.

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Sector-specific frameworks for organisations handling health data or regulated products. Includes HIPAA, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, and MHRA GxP.

Financial Services

Frameworks for financial institutions and fintech companies. Includes SOX, PCI DSS, SAMA Cybersecurity Framework, and DORA.

AI Governance

Frameworks addressing the responsible development and deployment of AI and machine learning systems. Includes NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, and EU AI Act.

General Governance & IT

Broad governance and IT management frameworks applicable across industries. Includes ISO 27001, SOC 2, COBIT, and ITIL.

For the full list of all 33 frameworks with detailed descriptions, visit the Frameworks page.

Activating and deactivating frameworks

Activating a framework

  1. Go to Settings → Frameworks in your dashboard
  2. Browse or search the framework catalogue
  3. Click the toggle or "Activate" button next to the framework you want
  4. SeedGovernance will generate the associated document templates and add them to your Document Library
  5. The framework's controls will appear in your Gap Analysis dashboard

Activating a framework typically takes a few seconds. For frameworks with a large number of templates (e.g., NDMO with 66 templates), it may take up to 30 seconds for all documents to appear.

Deactivating a framework

  1. Go to Settings → Frameworks
  2. Click the toggle or "Deactivate" button next to the framework
  3. Confirm the deactivation in the dialog

When you deactivate a framework:

  • Its templates are removed from your active Document Library
  • Its controls are removed from your Gap Analysis dashboard
  • Your customisations are preserved -- if you reactivate the framework later, all your edits, completed assessments, and uploaded evidence will be restored
  • Deactivating a framework frees up a slot, allowing you to activate a different one (relevant for Starter and Pro plans)

Framework limits and upgrades

If you reach your plan's framework limit and need to activate more, you have two options:

  • Deactivate a framework you no longer need to free up a slot
  • Upgrade your plan to increase your limit (Starter → Pro gives you 7 more slots; Pro → Enterprise unlocks all 33)

Plan upgrades take effect immediately and are prorated for the remainder of your billing cycle. See Subscription Plans for more information on upgrading.