Contractual Terms and Conditions
Definitions
In this Agreement:
- “Client” means the party commissioning the research services.
- “Project” refers to the specific research activity outlined in the proposal.
- “Deliverables” means all final outputs, including reports, datasets, and presentations.
- “Business Days” means Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays.
Acknowledgement and Agreement
By proceeding with our services and digitally accepting the project quote, you agree to these Terms and Conditions, including the AI Usage Policy where relevant. The quote, proposal, and these Terms together constitute the entire agreement. No signature is required; acceptance is confirmed via digital approval of the quotation, which includes these terms.
These T&Cs (v4.3) were last updated on 12 Jun 2026.
1. Fees and Invoicing
1.1. Staged Payments: An initial invoice for 50% of the agreed project fee will be issued upon commissioning the project. If incentives are included, these will be invoiced in full at commissioning to enable prompt payment to participants. The remaining balance, including any additional costs, will be invoiced upon project completion and final presentation.
1.2. VAT: All fees exclude VAT, which will be charged at the prevailing rate.
1.3. Expenses: Unless included in the quote, costs incurred to travel to the client (accommodation, mileage, and subsistence) will be charged in addition.
1.4. Payment Terms: Payment is due within 30 days of the invoice date unless otherwise agreed. Late payments will incur interest at 3% per month, calculated daily from the invoice date. If payment is not received within 60 days, Grounded Research reserves the right to suspend further work. If payment remains outstanding for 90 days, Grounded Research may terminate the contract and recover any associated legal or collection costs.
1.5. Quotation Validity: Project quotations are valid for 30 days. Grounded Research reserves the right to revise fees and timelines if the project scope is altered post-commissioning.
1.6. Amendment Costs: The project includes two rounds of amends for questionnaire design and one round for reporting. Additional rounds will be charged at the standard hourly rate.
1.7. Non-Refundable Costs: If a project is cancelled or delayed by the Client, all non-refundable costs incurred up to that point (e.g. incentives, venue bookings) will be charged in full.
2. Confirmation, Cancellation and Termination
2.1. Project Confirmation: Digital acceptance of the project quote or written confirmation via email is required to commence work and confirms acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. Delays in providing confirmation may impact project timelines.
2.2. Cancellation Charges:
- Within 14 days of confirmation: Charged at £90/hour for work undertaken.
- After 14 days: Charged at 50% of the total project fee or £90/hour for work undertaken, whichever is higher, capped at 100% of the total project fee.
- After recruitment begins: Committed incentive costs will be charged in full.
2.3. Termination for Cause: Either party may terminate the agreement if the other enters insolvency, makes an arrangement with creditors, or breaches material terms.
2.4. Delays by Client: If a delay exceeds 21 days due to Client-side inactivity, Grounded Research may apply a project pause fee of £250 and/or reschedule the timeline. Delays over 60 days may result in termination.
2.5. Extended Engagement Costs: If Client-side delays cause the project to extend beyond the agreed timeline, a £500/month extension fee (or part thereof) will apply, plus £90/hour for any additional project management time.
3. Cost Assumptions
3.1. Fees are based on the requirements and assumptions agreed at proposal stage. Changes may result in adjusted fees or timelines.
3.2. Grounded Research is not liable for delays caused by weather, industrial action, technical failures, or events beyond its control.
3.3. Report Delivery Format: Fees include the delivery of one electronic copy of the final report in the requested and agreed format (e.g., PDF, PowerPoint, or Word). All data will be anonymised and provided in .csv format unless otherwise agreed. Additional formats or documentation will be charged at cost.
3.4. Stimulus materials will be charged at cost.
3.5. Scope changes must be made in writing and will be subject to re-quotation.
3.6. Post-project support: Two hours of post-project support is included for clarification, valid for 30 days post-completion. Additional support will be charged at the standard hourly rate.
3.7 Project Time.
– All screening criteria, quotas, and qualification requirements must be disclosed at briefing stage to enable accurate quoting and feasibility assessment.
– Where external survey platforms are used, respondents must be redirected back to Grounded Research using the agreed Response ID or tracking mechanism.
Quoted hours for recruitment, survey management, and fieldwork are based on the agreed scope and assumed response and incidence rates at proposal stage. Where project requirements or recruitment complexity differ materially from those assumptions, Grounded Research reserves the right to revise timelines and charge additional time at the agreed hourly or day rate. Recruitment quotas are not guaranteed unless expressly agreed in writing.
4. Working Practice
4.1. Grounded Research adheres to the Market Research Society Code of Conduct and Association for Qualitative Research best practices.
4.2. Data will be handled in accordance with GDPR. Respondent data will remain confidential and anonymised unless otherwise agreed.
4.3. Clients are responsible for insuring physical products or stimulus materials.
4.4. Key project documentation will be retained for 12 months after completion and then securely destroyed.
4.5. Subcontracting: Grounded Research may engage subcontractors but remains fully responsible for their performance. Clients will be notified if subcontractors are used for fieldwork or data handling.
4.6. Clients must provide accurate, timely materials and warrant that all supplied content is free of third-party IP infringements. Clients agree to indemnify Grounded Research against related claims.
4.7. Clients agree to cooperate fully with Grounded Research and acknowledge that failure to do so may cause delays or additional costs.
4.8. Ethical and Sustainable Practices: We are committed to ethical and sustainable research practices, including minimising our environmental impact.
4.9. Force Majeure: Neither party shall be liable for delays caused by events beyond their control (e.g. war, natural disasters, pandemics). If such an event continues beyond 60 days, either party may terminate the contract without penalty.
4.10. Timeline Adjustments: Timeline adjustments may be required if unforeseen delays occur. Clients will be notified as soon as practicable.
4.11. Fieldwork Estimates: Fieldwork timelines and samples are indicative only. Any significant changes will be discussed and agreed with the Client.
4.12. Client Survey Clause: Where the Client provides a survey to be used with Grounded Research’s panel or integrates a client panel, all responses (including partial completions) will be counted as valid and chargeable
5. Intellectual Property and Confidentiality
5.1. Intellectual Property: Grounded Research retains intellectual property rights in all outputs until full payment is received. Upon final payment, IP is transferred to the Client, except in respect of proprietary methodologies or tools.
5.2. Data Processing: Where Grounded Research processes personal data on behalf of the Client, a separate Data Processing Agreement (DPA) will be executed.
5.3. Confidentiality: Both parties agree not to disclose confidential information to third parties without written consent.
5.4. Client Lists: Grounded Research may refer to the Client’s name and project in client lists and non-sensitive marketing materials, provided that all commercially sensitive information is protected. If the Client does not wish to be referenced, they must notify Grounded Research in writing prior to project commencement.
5.5. Marketing and Publicity: Grounded Research may refer to the Project in its website, marketing, and promotional materials, provided that all commercially sensitive information is protected. If the Client does not wish the Project to be referenced in this way, they must notify Grounded Research in writing before the commencement of the Project.
5.6. Usage Rights: The Client is granted a perpetual, non-exclusive licence to use the final report and outputs for internal purposes only. External publication, reproduction, or derivative use requires prior written agreement.
6. Compliance
6.1. Data Protection Registration: Grounded Research is registered with the Information Commissioner (Z8935684).
6.2. GDPR Compliance: We are fully GDPR-compliant, with trained staff and an appointed Data Protection Officer.
6.3. IT Security: IT systems are managed by a certified provider, with daily backups and a recovery plan in place.
6.4. Cyber Security: We hold Cyber Essentials certification (32ec74ae-8e8c-4c66-b9eb-e525f7b82624).
6.5. Accreditations: We have held Investors in People accreditation since 2004 and ISO 9001 certification since 2010.
6.6. Conduct Standards: Our work adheres to the MRS Code of Conduct and Fair Data Policy.
7. Survey Distribution and Validation
7.1. Distribution Options: Clients may choose to handle distribution or engage Grounded Research to manage it. All distribution channels must be disclosed.
7.2. Security Measures: Basic security measures such as CAPTCHA will be used. Additional security measures may be required for broad distribution.
7.3. Notification Requirement: Failure to notify Grounded Research of wider distribution may result in invalid responses being included at the Client’s expense.
8. AI Usage Policy
8.1. Grounded Research uses AI-assisted tools as part of its research analysis and reporting process. These tools are operated under commercial data processing agreements that prohibit the use of client data for AI model training and adhere to UK GDPR regulations.
8.2 Approved tools in use. Claude (Business), ChatGPT (Business), QuestionPro and Co-Pilot (M365 Business).
8.3 All data, findings, and outputs produced during projects remain the intellectual property of the client. No project data, findings, or outputs will be shared with or made available to third parties beyond those sub-processors named above.
8.5 In accordance with our DPIA, where possible personal data will not be uploaded to AI (i.e. email addresses and names removed before upload to AI)
8.5 Where research requires personal data from participants to be AI analysed (i.e. transcripts), Grounded Research will ensure appropriate consent is obtained for all stages of data processing prior to fieldwork commencing.
8.6 All AI outputs will be checked by a staff member unless prior approval is granted by the client (i.e. to achieve additional analysis that is outside of the scope).
9. General
9.1. Entire Agreement: These terms, along with the proposal and confirmation, form the entire agreement.
9.2. Indemnity: The Client agrees to indemnify Grounded Research from claims or losses arising from third-party IP infringement or breaches, except where caused by Grounded Research’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.
9.3. Severability: If any provision is found unenforceable, the remainder shall remain in effect.
9.4. No Waiver: Delay in exercising any right does not constitute a waiver.
9.5. Dispute Resolution: Disputes will be resolved amicably where possible. Failing this, the parties agree to mediation via the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) within 30 days of notice. If unresolved, the matter will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
9.6. Limitation of Liability: Grounded Research’s liability under this agreement shall be capped at the total fees paid by the Client. We accept no liability for indirect, incidental, or consequential loss, except in the case of gross negligence or willful misconduct.