Terms of business

General

Beer Academic Consultancy Ltd (BAC) shall provide its services diligently, faithfully and in a professional and timely manner and shall use its best endeavours to promote the client’s interests.
Before commencing work, BAC requires that the client emails confirmation of their acceptance of their fee, the agreed deadline(s), the format for the final deliverable(s) and the project brief that will have been created together.
The client will provide a single contact person who has decision-making and approval authority.

BAC fees which will be advised and agreed in advance will follow one of these routes:
- Short projects: Started and completed within a period of 30 days of under £1000.00 will be invoiced on completion of the project, with payment due within 30 days following the date of invoice, unless otherwise agreed. The fee will not change unless the project scope changes significantly at which time a new quote will be provided and agreed.
- Long projects: To be completed over a period of more than 30 days, or project fees over £1000.00 will be invoiced 50% in advance, for immediate payment (cleared funds) prior to the commencement of work. The final 50% will be invoiced on completion, with payment due within 30 days following the date of invoice. Alternatively, staged payment terms may be agreed. The fee will not change unless the project scope changes significantly at which time a new quote will be provided and agreed.
- Hourly rates: These will be invoiced at the end of the month in question, with payment due within 30 days of invoice.
- Retainers (regular ongoing fees based on an agreed monthly payment): These will be invoiced at the start of the month in question, with payment due within 30 days of invoice.

BAC will make every effort to check the work for correct grammar and spelling before submitting it to the client.
Once a brief has been supplied to BAC, reasonable corrections to the copy and design created and demonstrated in the first set of proofs shall be included in the price quoted for up to two sets of revisions for copy and/or design using signed-off copy.
Copy and design corrections must be advised to BAC within 14 days of submission of first drafts and/or proofs. After this period, they become chargeable at the prevailing hourly rate.
A change in project scope may need more time to complete, whether researching or rewriting. BAC reserves the right to review the project fee if the project changes substantially.
Substantial alterations to the copy and/or design itself and new copy and/or design elements not originally briefed or quoted for shall be charged for at the prevailing hourly rate
It is anticipated that the client will supply any bought in illustration, stock imagery or photography, though if such media is free BAC will provide attribution.
Once the work has been signed off, published, or used, any further work can be negotiated and undertaken for a further fee.

Payment terms are within 30 days of invoice. Payment is by payment transfer into the bank account stated on the invoice.
Work shall be deemed to be completed and a final invoice will be issued if no client feedback or comments are received within two weeks of final submission of work (unless otherwise agreed in advance).
If a project is cancelled after work has started, BAC will charge the client for the work that has already been done.
BAC gives no warranty or undertaking as to the effectiveness or success of creative work, reports, plans or consultancy, or as to the achievement of any of the objectives therein, or as to the consequences of implementing any recommendations provided to the client. The client accepts that they have full responsibility and BAC has no responsibility for the success or failure of its products and for achieving sales targets or other measures of commercial performance.
BAC does not accept responsibility for any issues, claims, costs, or expenses arising because of the work that has been undertaken at the client’s request.

Every precaution will be taken to avoid errors, omissions, misrepresentations, and other inaccuracies. However, the final responsibility for published material belongs to the client.
BAC reserves the right to discuss, display and link to the completed project in marketing materials and case studies as part of their online portfolio unless expressly agreed otherwise.

BAC cannot be made responsible for missed deadlines due to a late deposit or delays in the client providing source materials or feedback. If such delays occur, then deadlines will be revised.
In the event of the client’s inability to meet interim deadlines, subsequent deadlines shall be moved back on a day-for-day basis unless rescheduled by mutual agreement.
Regular progress updates will be provided, review dates agreed during the project. BAC will do everything to meet the client’s timescales.
BAC cannot be responsible for deadlines missed due to circumstances completely beyond their control, pandemics, extreme weather, political events, and so on.

All details of consultancy work undertaken for the client by BAC shall be treated as confidential by all personnel working for or on behalf of BAC.
From time to time BAC may be engaged on work for companies in similar or related markets. BAC will not undertake projects if that would create a conflict of interest. All information received from clients in spoken or written form will be treated as confidential and will not be divulged to third parties or used in any way except in the performance of duties agreed between BAC and the client supplying the information.
BAC will ensure that all facts and statements in their work are true and that it does not infringe upon any copyright or other right of a third party.
However, BAC is not liable to the client, or any third party, for damages, including lost profits, lost savings, complaints, claims, litigation, or other incidental, consequential, or special damages which arise regarding an assignment.