RM PhD. Technical and Development Consultancy for the Food, Beverage and Supplement Industries.
Terms and conditions, Billing
Terms and Conditions
Every project differs but below outlines some key points on how I work.
Starting and Terminating a Project
Any project is considered as confirmed once a formal proposal has been produced by me, signed off by you and the initial payment has cleared. At which point work should begin and aim to follow the estimated timeline established in the proposal.
Terminating a project can be done at any time. There will be no additional charges beyond any incurred costs if the project is between stages. If the termination happens during a project stage the hours worked up to that point at the hourly rate will be included in a final invoice.
Methods of Communication & Delivering Results
In general, I prefer to work via email as that way there is always documentation of what was discussed. Phone or video calls can be arranged on any platform which suits the client. Any additional costs resulting from the chosen communication method will be at the cost of the client.
Documentation relating to the project will be stored on my google drive to which clients are given a link. This will remain accessible for a minimum of 1 year after the project has concluded. At the clients request this can be deleted at any time.
Alternatively, the client may set up their own cloud storage and provide me with a link to where they would prefer to receive their documents.
Legislation
Unless otherwise requested & agreed, I will aim to ensure that the product I am working on is compliant with UK and general EU laws.
It is worth noting that within EU law some countries have specific legislation for specific products that I may not always be able to accommodate.
If working to specific legislation is required, additional technical time will have to be factored in for thorough checks.
Intellectual Property
Any pre-existing intellectual property will remain the sole property of their owner. All intellectual property generated during the project will solely belong to the client once the relevant stage of the project has been paid for. Any intellectual property divulged to me in the course of the project will also solely remain the property of the client. I am happy to also sign formal NDA contracts reflecting this.
In the instance that work is not paid for, the unpaid work will remain my property to be used as I see fit.
During the course of a project, images may be taken which can be used for self-promotion. These will only be used without any context or identifying features unless full permissions are granted by the client. The client can request me to not use those images let me know.
Working Hours and Autonomy
With exception of agreed meetings or other events (phone calls to suppliers or manufacturers for example) which need to be performed within certain times, the times and hours of the day I work will be solely at my discretion.
Contracts
A client may choose to draft their own formal contract. In lieu of that, the formal proposal will act as the contract detailing the expected work, timeline and costs. Additionally a version of these terms and conditions will be provided for signing ahead of project start.
Discussions with 3rd Parties
Discussion of the project with any 3rd party will only ever happen with the clients strict approval with the exception of any requirement of law enforcement. I am happy to talk to manufacturers and suppliers on the clients behalf to ensure suitability ect but I will not be responsible for negotiating pricing or contracts.
If the project is under a non-disclosure agreement, it is normal for manufacturers to sign one too when disclosing important information about the clients brand or product.
Deadlines & Delays
Not every part of every project is fully within my control. Steps like ingredient sourcing can vary dramatically in how long they take as finding the right ingredient, at the right price point and with a minimum order quantity that suits the clients business is an artform in itself.
This is one example of many hurdles. As such I will not be held liable for any delays to the estimated timeframe, however these will be communicated throughout the project to the best of my ability. As a result of this I ask
that any deadlines the client may have are communicated early and clearly.
Limitation of Liability
I will not be held liable for anything the client or any 3rd party acting for them does with the work carried out as part of the project.
Dispute Resolution
In the unfortunate event that the client has any issues with my standard of work or any other grievances that result from the project I ask that the client bring them to me in the first instance and I will do my best to resolve them in the most effective way possible.
Purchases During the Project.
Ingredients, any equipment bought for the project, or any other purchases made in order to complete the project will be included in the additional costs at each stage of the project.
If anything remains at the end of the project, it can be sent to the client at the cost of postage at their request
A rough guide to how much it costs
Hourly Rate - Development & Market Research
Typically £50 per hour.
My typical consultancy fee’s are £50p/h for the development work + any costs incurred. At your request, limits on the number of hours spent can be imposed and upon reaching those limits it will be raised with you if there is additional time required to complete that stage of the project. Similarly, additional costs can have a threshold set where those costs must be discussed before they are incurred. Timers are used to keep track of time spent, with strict enforcement ensuring that you are not charged for even the smallest distractions.
Hourly Rate - Technical & Science
Typically £80 per hour.
Technical & Science work is a little more involved with a deeper level of
knowledge requirement and often comes with a higher risk - such as
legal implications or safety implications if something goes wrong. This
is why this work justifies a higher price tag.
Elements that fall into both development & technical categories are divided based on the hours spent working on each aspect.
For example when setting up consumer studies - the design and running of the study is technical work but making all of the samples you need is treated as development.
Fixed Costs
Bespoke to each project
Alternatively, a fixed price payment can be agreed although this is built based on the estimated number of hours spent. Under this arrangement the proposal will also include a clause to review if there are unforeseen complications that result in the project demanding more time than is normal. Similarly though, payments can be reduced under opposite circumstances if any stage of the project moves significantly quicker than anticipated.
Invoices will be sent as each stage of the project is completed along with delivery of the relevant documentation for that stage. Throughout the project you will have access to an spreadsheet detailing time spent on each part of each section as a sort of itemised bill. Invoices must be paid before I will move onto the next stage of a project unless we have agreed otherwise.
Longer Projects - Day Rate
£400 per day, minimum of 2 days per week for at least 3 months.
If your project is expected to go on for a longer period of time it may be appropriate to consider a day rate. A day is 8 hours typically. Overall this is a quite similar to the fixed costs option but may work out cheaper for those longer multi-faceted projects. This option would also offer the option of exclusivity.
Fees can be further discussed in a pre-acceptance meeting prior to the project starting. The formal proposal will include fees bespoke to the project however the below outlines my typical standards. Except as otherwise agreed, all monetary amounts are in GBP (British Pounds).
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