ACE Membership Terms and Conditions
1. Authority, Commencement and Continuity
1.1 Membership shall commence once an application has been reviewed and formally accepted by the Association for Consultancy & Engineering (“ACE”). Upon acceptance, the member organisation becomes liable for the applicable subscription fees. A lack of engagement with, or use of, membership benefits shall not affect these obligations.
1.2 By submitting a membership application, the applicant warrants that they are duly authorised to act on behalf of the applying organisation. ACE shall treat submission of a completed application as confirmation of such authority and as acceptance of a binding agreement.
1.3 Membership is continuous and shall automatically renew on an annual basis unless and until terminated in accordance with the resignation provisions set out below.
1.4 By becoming a member, the organisation agrees to abide by ACE’s Articles of Association and any applicable policies, codes, or guidelines in force from time to time.
2. Resignation Process
2.1 A member may resign its membership at any time by providing not less than six (6) months’ written notice. Notice must be submitted by an authorised representative to membership@acenet.co.uk.
2.2 Notice of resignation shall take effect from the date it is received by ACE. Notice periods cannot be applied retrospectively.
2.3 All outstanding fees and obligations must be settled in full prior to the effective termination date.
3. Subscription Fees
3.1 Membership subscription fees are determined based on the member organisation’s total staff headcount and the applicable pricing structure in force at the time. Where updated headcount information results in a change to the applicable subscription level or pricing, ACE reserves the right to adjust the fee accordingly.
3.2 Members shall be notified of any changes to their subscription fee following submission or review of headcount data and prior to invoicing for the upcoming membership year.
3.3 Annual subscription fees are calculated based on the most recent staff headcount data available to ACE.
3.4 Subscription structures and rates are reviewed annually by ACE’s Treasurer and Board. Members will be given not less than 30 days’ notice of any changes prior to invoicing.
3.5 ACE reserves the right to request updated staff headcount information at any time and to determine subscription fees based on the most accurate and recent data available.
4. Annual Invoicing
4.1 Membership subscriptions are invoiced annually in October for the forthcoming membership year (1 January to 31 December).
4.2 All invoices are payable within 30 days of the invoice date unless otherwise agreed in writing.
4.3 Failure to make payment within the specified timeframe may result in suspension of membership benefits and, ultimately, termination of membership.
4.4 All subscription fees are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate and will be clearly itemised on all invoices.
5. Pro-Rata Membership
5.1 New members joining part-way through the membership year shall be charged on a pro-rata basis, calculated monthly from the commencement date through to 31 December.
6. Membership Engagement and Employee Access
6.1 ACE provides a range of services, insights, and engagement opportunities to its members. However, it remains the responsibility of each member organisation to actively engage in order to realise the full value of membership.
6.2 Membership benefits extend to employees of the member organisation, provided that individuals register using a valid company domain email address.
6.3 ACE reserves the right to audit user access and remove access where eligibility criteria are not met.
7. Code of Conduct
7.1 Members are expected to adhere to ACE’s Code of Conduct, which sets out the standards for ethical, professional, and respectful behaviour across the consultancy and engineering sector.
7.2 ACE reserves the right to take appropriate action, including suspension or termination of membership, where a member is found to be in breach of the Code.
8. Dispute Resolution
8.1 Any disputes arising in connection with membership or subscription fees shall, in the first instance, be reviewed by the ACE Executive Team.
8.2 Where a resolution cannot be reached, the matter may be referred to the ACE Board, whose decision shall be final.
9. Membership Benefits
9.1 Membership benefits are subject to periodic review and may be amended or withdrawn at ACE’s discretion.
9.2 ACE will endeavour to provide reasonable notice of any material changes to member benefits.
10. Data Protection and Privacy
10.1 ACE processes and manages personal data in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
10.2 Further information is set out in ACE’s Privacy Policy, available on the ACE website.
11. General
11.1 ACE reserves the right to amend these Terms & Conditions from time to time. Members will be notified of any material changes.
11.2 These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
