diff --git a/client/MANIFEST b/client/MANIFEST
index 4a58821e..35cc16e4 100644
--- a/client/MANIFEST
+++ b/client/MANIFEST
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 ./pdo/client/builder/shell.py
 ./pdo/client/builder/state.py
 ./pdo/client/commands/__init__.py
+./pdo/client/commands/collection.py
 ./pdo/client/commands/contract.py
 ./pdo/client/commands/eservice.py
 ./pdo/client/commands/ledger.py
diff --git a/client/pdo/client/commands/__init__.py b/client/pdo/client/commands/__init__.py
index 55fa9464..b259693d 100644
--- a/client/pdo/client/commands/__init__.py
+++ b/client/pdo/client/commands/__init__.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 __all__ = [
+    'collection',
     'context',
     'contract',
     'eservice',
diff --git a/client/pdo/client/commands/collection.py b/client/pdo/client/commands/collection.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cf7771af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/pdo/client/commands/collection.py
@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+# Copyright 2024 Intel Corporation
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import argparse
+import copy
+import logging
+import os
+import toml
+import typing
+
+from zipfile import ZipFile
+
+import pdo.client.builder.shell as pshell
+import pdo.client.builder.script as pscript
+import pdo.client.builder as pbuilder
+from pdo.common.utility import experimental
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+__all__ = [
+    'export_contract_collection',
+    'import_contract_collection',
+    'script_command_export',
+    'script_command_import',
+    'do_collection',
+    'load_commands',
+]
+
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------
+def __find_contracts__(context : dict) -> typing.List[str] :
+    """Find all contract save files in a context dictionary
+
+    @type context : dict
+    @param context : the export context
+    """
+    save_files = []
+    for k, v in context.items() :
+        if k == 'save_file' :
+            save_files.append(v)
+        elif isinstance(v, dict):
+            save_files.extend(__find_contracts__(v))
+
+    return save_files
+
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------
+@experimental
+def export_contract_collection(context, context_paths : typing.List[str], contract_cache : str, export_file : str) :
+    """Export the context and associated contract files to a zip file that
+    can be shared with others who want to use the contract
+
+    @type context: pdo.client.builder.context.Context
+    @param context: current context
+    @param context_paths : list of path expressions to retrieve values from a context
+    @param contract_cache : name of the directory where contract save files are stored
+    @param export_file : name of the file where the contract family will be written
+    """
+
+    # the context we create is initialized, mark it so
+    export_context = {
+        'contexts' : context_paths,
+        'initialized' : True,
+    }
+
+    # copy the portions of the context specified in the context_paths
+
+    # note: while there are fields in the context that are unnecessary for future use of the
+    # contract, it is far easier to simply copy them here. at some point, this may be smarter about
+    # only copying the fields that are necessary.
+
+    for c in context_paths :
+        # since the incoming contexts are paths, we need to make sure
+        # we copy the context from/to the right location
+        (*prefix, key) = c.split('.')
+        ec = export_context
+        for p in prefix :
+            if p not in ec :
+                ec[p] = {}
+            ec = ec[p]
+        ec[key] = copy.deepcopy(context.get(c))
+
+    # now find all of the contract references in the exported context
+    save_files = __find_contracts__(export_context)
+
+    # and write the contract collection into the zip file
+    with ZipFile(export_file, 'w') as zf :
+        # add the context to the package, this has a canonical name
+        zf.writestr('context.toml', toml.dumps(export_context))
+
+        # add the contract save files to the package
+        for s in save_files :
+            contract_file_name = os.path.join(contract_cache, s)
+            zf.write(contract_file_name, arcname=s)
+
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------
+@experimental
+def import_contract_collection(context_file_name : str, contract_cache : str, import_file : str) -> dict :
+    """Import the context and contract files from a collections zip file
+
+    @param context_file_name : name of the file to save imported context
+    @param contract_cache : name of the directory where contract save files are stored
+    @param import_file : name of the contract collection file to import
+    @rtype: dict
+    @return: the initialized context
+    """
+    with ZipFile(import_file, 'r') as zf :
+        # extract the context file from the package and save it
+        # in the specified file
+        import_context = toml.loads(zf.read('context.toml').decode())
+        with open(context_file_name, 'w') as cf :
+            toml.dump(import_context, cf)
+
+        # find all of the contract references in the exported context
+        save_files = __find_contracts__(import_context)
+
+        # extract the contract save files into the standard directory
+        for save_file in save_files :
+            zf.extract(save_file, contract_cache)
+
+    return import_context
+
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------
+class script_command_export(pscript.script_command_base) :
+    name = "export"
+    help = "Export a context and associated contract files to a contract collection file"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def add_arguments(cls, subparser) :
+        subparser.add_argument('--collection-file', help="file where the collection will be saved", required=True, type=str)
+        subparser.add_argument('--path', help="path to the context key", required=True, nargs='+', type=str)
+        subparser.add_argument('--prefix', help="prefix for new contract context", type=str)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def invoke(cls, state, bindings, path, collection_file, prefix='', **kwargs) :
+        data_directory = bindings.get('data', state.get(['Contract', 'DataDirectory']))
+        contract_cache = bindings.get('save', os.path.join(data_directory, '__contract_cache__'))
+        export_file = bindings.expand(collection_file)
+
+        context = pbuilder.Context(state, prefix)
+        export_contract_collection(context, path, contract_cache, export_file)
+
+        return export_file
+
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------
+class script_command_import(pscript.script_command_base) :
+    name = "import"
+    help = "Import a context and associated contract files from a contract collection file"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def add_arguments(cls, subparser) :
+        subparser.add_argument('--collection-file', help="file where the collection will be saved", required=True, type=str)
+        subparser.add_argument('--context-file', help="file where context will be saved", required=True, type=str)
+        subparser.add_argument('--prefix', help="prefix for new contract context", type=str)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def invoke(cls, state, bindings, collection_file, context_file, prefix='', **kwargs) :
+        data_directory = bindings.get('data', state.get(['Contract', 'DataDirectory']))
+        contract_cache = bindings.get('save', os.path.join(data_directory, '__contract_cache__'))
+        import_file = bindings.expand(collection_file)
+        context_file = bindings.expand(context_file)
+
+        if import_contract_collection(context_file, contract_cache, import_file) :
+            prefix = prefix or []
+            pbuilder.Context.LoadContextFile(state, bindings, context_file, prefix=prefix)
+            return True
+
+        return False
+
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------
+## Create the generic, shell independent version of the aggregate command
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------
+__subcommands__ = [
+    script_command_export,
+    script_command_import,
+]
+do_collection = pscript.create_shell_command('collection', __subcommands__)
+
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------
+## Enable binding of the shell independent version to a pdo-shell command
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------
+def load_commands(cmdclass) :
+    pshell.bind_shell_command(cmdclass, 'collection', do_collection)
diff --git a/python/pdo/common/utility.py b/python/pdo/common/utility.py
index 3cd371d1..26608b31 100644
--- a/python/pdo/common/utility.py
+++ b/python/pdo/common/utility.py
@@ -55,6 +55,18 @@ def new_func(*args, **kwargs):
 
     return new_func
 
+def experimental(func):
+    """decorator to mark functions as experimental, logs a warning
+    with information about the function and the caller
+    """
+    @functools.wraps(func)
+    def new_func(*args, **kwargs):
+        stack = inspect.stack()
+        logger.warn('invocation of experimental function %s by %s in file %s', func.__name__, stack[1][3], stack[1][1])
+        return func(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    return new_func
+
 class classproperty(property) :
     """decorator to mark a class method as a property, used for
     simplified access to module initiated variables