Inclusive Employers Inclusive Employers Standard and Inclusive Employers Assessment Terms and Conditions
Last updated: 2026
1. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
1.1 In these terms and conditions the following words shall have the following meanings:
“Agreement” means this agreement between IEL and the Participant.
“Associates” means independent consultants employed by IEL to support the operation of the IES.
“IEL” means Inclusive Employers Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales under company number 07337659 whose registered office is at 30 Stamford Street, London, England SE1 9LQ.
“IES Webpages” introductory information which provides an outline of how the IES and IEA operate and details of the Participant Benefits found here.
“Inclusive Employers Assessment” or “IEA” is a lighter touch version of the Inclusive Employers Standard for organisations who want to gain a quick self-assessment indiction of inclusion maturity. Further information about Inclusive Employers Assessment can be found here.
“Inclusive Employers Standard” or “IEL” means the framework promoted by IEL to help employers make progress in relation to inclusion across their employment activity.
“Panel Members” independent experts who will moderate the IES judging process.
“Participant” means an organisation whose application to participate in the IES/IEA has been accepted by IEL.
“Participant Benefits” means the benefits accorded to a Participant in relation to their Participation in the IES or IEA (as applicable) as further detailed on the IES Webpages.
“Participant Fee” means the fees due from a Participant to IEL for the IES or IEA (as applicable) and as set out on the IES Webpages.
“Participation” means the rights and obligations of a Participant arising out of this Agreement.
“Participation Period” indicates the duration for which the Agreement applies and varies for the IES/IEA as further described in clause 3.1.
“Registration” means the completion and submission of the online order form by the Participant, confirming acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
“Submission” means the evidence the Participant provides IEL towards their IES/IEA accreditation (as applicable).
1.2 Interpretation:
A person includes a natural person, corporate or unincorporated body (whether or not having separate legal personality).
A reference to a party includes its personal representatives, successors and permitted assigns.
A reference to legislation or a legislative provision is a reference to it as amended or re-enacted.
A reference to legislation or a legislative provision includes all subordinate legislation made under that legislation or legislative provision.
Any words following the terms including, include, in particular, for example or any similar expression shall be interpreted as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of the words preceding those terms.
A reference to writing or written excludes fax but not email.
2. General
2.1 This Agreement comprises the terms and conditions upon which IEL will make the Participant Benefits available to the Participant and the obligations of the Participant.
2.2 By submitting a Registration, the Participant agrees to abide by the terms and conditions of this Agreement. By accepting the Registration, IEL agrees to provide the Participant Benefits in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. The Participant Benefits will become available to the Participant once IEL receives payment of the Participant Fee up until the end of the Participation Period (see clause 3 below).
2.3 The Participant agrees to accept these conditions for the entire Participation Period (see clause 3 below).
2.4 IEL may refuse to accept Registration at its complete discretion. IEL is under no obligation to give any reason for the refusal.
3. Participation
3.1 This Agreement commences on the date Registration is accepted by IEL until written feedback is received by the Participant and, if requested by the Participant, the optional feedback meeting has been held, when it shall automatically end (the “Participation Period”).
3.2 The Participation Benefits will be made available by IEL to the Participant for the Participation Period provided the Agreement is not terminated for any reason.
3.3 IEL will provide the Participation Benefits using reasonable care and skill.
3.4 IEL shall use reasonable endeavours to meet any performance dates set out in the order form, but any such dates shall be estimates only. Time for delivery shall not be of the essence for the performance of the Participation Benefits and IEL shall not be liable for any loss, costs, damages, charges or expenses caused directly or indirectly by any delay in the delivery of the Participation Benefits.
3.5 Participants agree to participate in the evaluation aspects of the IES/IEA. For the IES these include completing a survey after the submission deadline and providing more in-depth feedback as part of their meeting to discuss the results of their Submission. For the IEA this will involve a more informal evaluation at the end of the Participation Period.
4. Price and Payment
4.1 The Participation Fee will be invoiced to the Participant once their Registration has been accepted by IEL.
4.2 IEL shall be entitled to charge the Participant for any expenses reasonably incurred by the individuals whom IEL engages (including Associates and Panel Members) in connection with the Participation Benefits including travel expenses, hotel costs, subsistence and any associated expenses.
4.3 Invoiced amounts shall include VAT at the then current rate where applicable and shall be due and payable within 30 days of date of invoice.
4.4 IEL shall be entitled to charge interest on overdue invoices from the date when payment becomes due from day to day until the date of payment at a rate of 4% per annum above the base rate of the Bank of England. In the event that the Participant’s procedures require that an invoice be submitted against a purchase order to payment, the Participant shall be responsible for issuing such purchase order as part of the Registration.
5. Participant’s obligations
5.1 To enable IEL to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Participant shall:
5.1.1 co-operate with IEL;
5.1.2 provide IEL with any information reasonably required by IEL (including the Submission), and ensure that such information is complete and accurate in all material respects;
5.1.3 obtain and maintain all necessary licences, permissions and consents which may be required for the receipt of the Participant Benefits before the commencement of the Participant Benefits;
5.1.4 provide IEL, its employees, agents, consultants and subcontractors, with access to the Participant’s premises, office accommodation and other facilities as reasonably required by IEL; and
5.1.5 comply with such other requirements as may be agreed between the parties.
5.2 For IES participants only: The Participant must:
5.2.1 select a submission start date within two (2) months of the date Registration is accepted by IEL (the “IEL Submission Start Date”). Where the IEL Submission Start Date is not selected by the Participant as required by this clause 5.2.1, the submission will automatically commence two (2) months after the date the Registration is accepted; and
5.2.2 complete the Submission within four (4) months of the IEL Submission Start Date (the “IES Submission Completion Date”).
5.3 For IEA participants only: The Participant must complete their submission within one (1) months of the date Registration is accepted by IEL (the “IEA Submission Completion Date”).
5.4 If the Participant fails to complete the Submission by the IES Submission Completion Date or IEA Submission Completion Date (as applicable), the Participant may extend the IES Submission Completion Date or IEA Submission Completion Date (as applicable):
5.4.1 by two (2) weeks free of charge;
5.4.2 by six (6) weeks by paying to IEL a further 50% of the Participation Fee, such additional fee to be paid in accordance with clause 4; or
5.4.3 by more than six (6) weeks by paying to IEL a further 100% of the Participation Fee, such additional fee to be paid in accordance with clause 4.
5.5 The Participant shall be liable to compensate IEL for any expenses incurred by IEL as a result of the Participant’s failure to comply with clauses 5.1 to 5.3.
5.6 If IEL’s performance of any of its obligations under the Agreement is prevented or delayed by any act or omission by the Participant or failure by the Participant to perform any relevant obligation (“Participant Default”):
5.6.1 without limiting or affecting any other right or remedy available to it, IEL shall have the right to suspend performance of the Participation Benefits until the Participant remedies the Participant Default, and to rely on the Participant Default to relieve it from the performance of any of its obligations in each case to the extent the Participant Default prevents or delays IEL’s performance of any of its obligations;
5.6.2 IEL shall not be liable for any costs or losses sustained or incurred by the Participant arising directly or indirectly from IEL’s failure or delay to perform any of its obligations as set out in this clause 5.6; and
5.6.3 the Participant shall reimburse IEL on written demand for any costs or losses sustained or incurred by IEL arising directly or indirectly from the Participant Default.
6. Warranty
6.1 IEL warrants that the services performed under this Agreement shall be performed using reasonable skill and care, and of a quality conforming to generally accepted industry standards and practices.
6.2 Except as expressly stated in this Agreement, all warranties whether express or implied, by operation of law or otherwise, are to the fullest extent permitted by law hereby excluded in relation to the services to be provided by IEL.
7. Indemnification
The Participant shall indemnify IEL against all claims, costs and expenses which IEL may incur and which arise, directly or indirectly, from the Participant’s breach of any of its obligations under this Agreement.
8. Limitation of liability
8.1 Nothing in the Agreement limits any liability for:
8.1.1 death or personal injury caused by negligence;
8.1.2 fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
8.1.3 breach of the terms implied by section 12 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 or section 2 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (title and quiet possession); or
8.1.4 any liability that legally cannot be limited.
8.2 Subject to clause 8.1, IEL’s total liability (including every kind of liability arising under or in connection with the Agreement, including liability in contract, tort (including negligence), misrepresentation, restitution or otherwise), to the Participant shall not exceed the Participant Fee.
8.3 Subject to clause 8.1, in no event shall IEL be liable to the Participant for any: a) loss of sales or business; b) loss of opportunity; c) loss of profits; d) loss of agreements or contracts; e) loss of anticipated savings; f) loss of use or corruption of software, data or information; g) loss of or damage to goodwill; and h) any indirect or consequential loss or damage whatsoever.
8.4 This clause 8 shall survive termination of the Agreement.
9. Confidentiality and privacy
9.1 The Participant shall not at any time disclose to any third party any information relating to the IES/IEA. Redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the IES/IEA in any form is prohibited, unless the information is already public knowledge.
9.2 Subject to clauses 9.5 – 9.8, IEL will not at any time disclose to any third party information that forms part of the Submission unless: a) it is required to do so by law; b) the information is already public knowledge; or c) the Participant has given IEL its approval to disclose such information.
9.3 IEL will collect a range of information from the Participant to assess their Submission. IEL requires this information to be able to assess the action Participants are taking to support inclusion and to evidence this using real examples.
9.4 The Participant should not share any sensitive personal data as part of the Submission. To the extent that the Participant does share sensitive personal data as part of the Submission, the Participant acknowledges that it does so at its own risk and IEL will have no liability for it. IEL will use reasonable endeavours to identify and remove any such sensitive personal data shared as part of the Submission.
9.5 IEL will use the Submission to:
- Assess how many marks to assign to Participants
- Corroborate Participants’ responses
- Provide Participants with feedback about areas to focus on next in order to make progress and formulate an action plan
- For IES participants only: raise awareness of the IES. IEL may share the names of Participant organisations in publicity without mentioning the status achieved
- For IES participants only: provide a moderated accreditation at: Committed, Bronze, Silver or Gold status by sharing the initial marks with an independent panel
9.6 In order to boost the value of Participation IEL may, on a non-attributable basis:
- Identify and share good practice between Participants
- Publicise good practice identified through Participation to raise the profile of the IES/IEA
- Share any benefits and value Participants have identified from Participation
- use the Submission for benchmarking purposes of other IES accredited organisations across sectors
9.7 If IEL wishes to share attributable information of the nature outlined in clause 9.6 above, prior to sharing this information more widely IEL will contact the Participant to a) check they are happy for the information to be used and b) to approve the wording chosen, and will always use such attributable information in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
9.8 IEL will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Participant data is treated securely and in accordance with IEL’s Privacy Policy (available here: Privacy Policy) and UK Data Protection legislation and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2016.
9.9 The IEL submission platform is ISO27001 certified and fully compliant with the internationally recognised standard for information security management systems (ISMS). It is also fully Cyber Essentials Plus certified so provides a high level of assurance against the most prevalent forms of cyber-attack. Nonetheless, the transmission of information via the internet is never completely secure and although IEL will use reasonable endeavours to protect Participant personal data, it cannot guarantee the security of data transmitted electronically; any transmission is at the Participant’s risk. Once IEL has received the information, it will use reasonable endeavours such as electronic and managerial procedures and security features to safeguard it and prevent unauthorised access.
9.10 IEL will delete the Submission within 18 months of the date of accreditation.
10. Contacting Us
10.1 If Participants wish to contact IEL for any reason in relation to the IES/IEA, contact:
By post: Inclusive Employers Limited, 30 Stamford Street, London, England SE1 9LQ
By email: standard@inclusiveemployers.co.uk
11. Termination
11.1 Participants may terminate this Agreement at any time by writing to IEL using the contact details in clause 10 above. No refund of Participation Fees will be made in these circumstances.
11.2 IEL may terminate this Agreement at any time by writing to the address given at the time of Registration. In which case IEL will refund the Participant Fee for the remaining Participant Period to the Participant on a pro-rated basis.
11.3 IEL may terminate this Agreement with immediate effect and without liability if:
11.3.1 the Participant commits a material breach of this Agreement and fails to remedy that breach within four weeks of receiving notice from IEL notifying it of the breach and requiring remedy; or
11.3.2 the Participant fails to pay the Participation Fee within 30 days from receipt of invoice from IEL.
11.4 If IEL exercises its right to terminate the Agreement pursuant to clause 11.3, it will provide notice to the Participant stating the reasons for termination and the effective date of termination.
11.5 Termination of the Agreement for any reason will automatically terminate the Participant Benefits.
11.6 Promptly and within four weeks of termination, the Participant must remove all references to the IES/IEA from its public materials (including, but not limited to, publicity, recruitment materials and website).
12. Consequences of termination
12.1 On termination or expiry of the Agreement:
12.1.1 the Participant shall immediately pay to IEL all of IEL’s outstanding unpaid invoices and interest and, in respect of Participant Benefits supplied but for which no invoice has been submitted, IEL shall submit an invoice, which shall be payable by the Participant immediately on receipt;
12.1.2 the Participant shall return all of IEL’s materials and any deliverables which have not been fully paid for. If the Participant fails to do so, then IEL may enter the Participant’s premises and take possession of them. Until they have been returned, the Participant shall be solely responsible for their safe keeping and will not use them for any purpose not connected with this Agreement.
12.2 Termination of the Agreement shall not affect any rights, remedies, obligations and liabilities of the parties that have accrued up to the date of termination, including the right to claim damages in respect of any breach of the Agreement which existed at or before the date of termination.
12.3 Any provision of the Agreement that expressly or by implication is intended to have effect after termination shall continue in full force and effect.
12.4 Where the where this Agreement is terminated for any reason other than IEL’s failure to perform its obligations, IEL shall be entitled to retain, or where not yet received, to invoice and recover, a sum representing the portion of the Participant Fee that fairly reflects the Participation Benefits delivered and work performed by IEL up to and including the date of termination. This entitlement exists throughout the entire duration of the Agreement and shall not be less than the value of all work performed and costs reasonably incurred by IEL from the date of Registration to the date of termination.
13. Intellectual Property Rights
13.1 All Intellectual Property Rights in or arising out of or in connection with the Participation Benefits (other than Intellectual Property Rights in any materials provided by the Participant) shall be owned by IEL.
13.2 IEL grants to the Participant, or shall procure the direct grant to the Participant of, a fully paid-up, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence during the Participation Period to copy the deliverables (excluding materials provided by the Participant) for the purpose of receiving and using the Participant Benefits in its business for internal purposes only.
13.3 The Participant shall not sub-license, assign or otherwise transfer the rights granted by clause 13.2.
13.4 The Participant grants IEL a fully paid-up, non-exclusive, royalty-free non-transferable licence to copy and modify any materials provided by the Participant to IEL for the Participation Period for the purpose of providing the Participant Benefits to the Participant.
14. Force Majeure
Neither party shall be liable for any delay or failure to perform any of its obligations if the delay or failure results from events or circumstances outside its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, strikes, lock outs, accidents, war, fire, the act or omission of government, highway authorities or any telecommunications carrier, operator or administration or other competent authority, or the delay or failure in manufacture, production, or supply by third parties of equipment or services, and the party shall be entitled to a reasonable extension of its obligations after notifying the other party of the nature and extent of such events.
15. Independent Contractors
IEL and the Participant are contractors independent of each other, and neither has the authority to bind the other to any third party or act in any way as the representative of the other, unless otherwise expressly agreed to in writing by both parties.
16. Assignment and other dealings
16.1 IEL may at any time assign, mortgage, charge, subcontract, delegate, declare a trust over or deal in any other manner with any or all of its rights and obligations under the Agreement.
16.2 The Participant shall not assign, transfer, mortgage, charge, subcontract, delegate, declare a trust over or deal in any other manner with any of its rights and obligations under the Agreement without the prior written consent of IEL.
17. Severability
If any provision or part provision of this Agreement is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason by any court of competent jurisdiction such provision shall be severed and the remainder of the provisions herein shall continue in full force and effect as if this Agreement had been agreed with the invalid illegal or unenforceable provision or part provision deleted. If any provision or part provision of the Agreement is deemed deleted under this clause 17 the parties shall negotiate in good faith to agree a replacement provision that, to the greatest extent possible, achieves the commercial result of the original provision.
18. Waiver
18.1 A waiver of any right or remedy under the Agreement or by law is only effective if given in writing and shall not be deemed a waiver of any subsequent right or remedy.
18.2 A failure or delay by a party to exercise any right or remedy provided under the Agreement or by law shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other right or remedy, nor shall it prevent or restrict any further exercise of that or any other right or remedy. No single or partial exercise of any right or remedy provided under the Agreement or by law shall prevent or restrict the further exercise of that or any other right or remedy.
19. Notices
Any notice to be given by either party to the other may be served by email, personal service or by post to the address of the other party at its registered office address or such other address as such party may from time to time have communicated to the other in writing, and if sent by email shall (unless the contrary is proved) be deemed to be received on the day it was sent, if given by letter shall be deemed to have been served at the time at which the letter was delivered personally or if sent by post shall be deemed to have been delivered in the ordinary course of post.
20. Entire Agreement
This Agreement contains the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter and supersedes any previous agreements, arrangements, undertakings or proposals, oral or written.
21. Third parties rights
Nothing in this Agreement is intended to, nor shall it confer any rights on a third party under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of the Agreement.
22. Variation
Except as set out in this Agreement, no variation of the Agreement shall be effective unless it is agreed in writing and signed by the parties (or their authorised representatives).
23. Governing law and jurisdiction
23.1 This Agreement and any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales.
23.2 Each party irrevocably agrees that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with the Agreement or its subject matter or formation.