Terms of Service

1. Definitions

In these terms:

• "We", "us", "our" means Equality Impact Consulting Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 15810112).
• "EqualityIQ" means the equality impact assessment software platform operated by us, accessible at app.equalityiq.co.uk.
• "Subscriber" means the local authority or other public body that has entered into a subscription agreement with us.
• "User" means any individual authorised by a Subscriber to access and use EqualityIQ.
• "Content" means any data, text, or information submitted by Users through EqualityIQ, including proposal descriptions.
• "Output" means any equality impact assessment or other material generated by EqualityIQ in response to Content submitted by a User.
• "Subscription Period" means the period for which a Subscriber has paid for access to EqualityIQ, as set out in their order.

2. The agreement

These Terms of Service, together with any order form or subscription agreement signed by the Subscriber, form the entire agreement between us and the Subscriber for the use of EqualityIQ.

By accessing or using EqualityIQ, Users confirm that they are authorised to do so by the Subscriber and that they have read and understood these terms.

These terms apply to all Subscribers and Users. In the event of any conflict between these terms and a separately signed agreement, the separately signed agreement takes precedence.

3. Subscriptions and payment

Subscription start and access

Access to EqualityIQ begins immediately upon receipt of payment. We will create user accounts and provide onboarding within 10 working days of payment being confirmed.

Subscription period and renewal

Subscriptions are annual and renew automatically at the end of each Subscription Period unless the Subscriber gives written notice of cancellation at least 30 days before the renewal date. We will send a renewal reminder no less than 60 days before renewal is due.

Pricing

Subscription fees are as set out on our pricing page or in the Subscriber's order form at the time of purchase. We reserve the right to change our prices at renewal. We will give at least 60 days' notice of any price increase before it takes effect.

Payment

Payment is due in advance of the Subscription Period. We accept payment by bank transfer and by card via our payment provider. All prices are exclusive of VAT unless otherwise stated. VAT will be added where applicable.

Refunds

We do not offer refunds once access has been provided, except where we have materially failed to deliver the service as described, or as required by applicable law. If you believe you are entitled to a refund, contact us at [email protected].

Suspension for non-payment

If payment is not received by the due date, we reserve the right to suspend access to EqualityIQ after giving 14 days' written notice. Access will be restored promptly upon receipt of payment.

4. Acceptable use

Subscribers and Users may use EqualityIQ only for its intended purpose — carrying out equality impact assessments and related equality analysis activities.

You must not

• Share login credentials with individuals not authorised by the Subscriber
• Use EqualityIQ to process personal data about identifiable individuals without appropriate authority
• Attempt to reverse engineer, decompile, or extract the underlying AI model or knowledge base
• Use EqualityIQ to generate content for purposes other than equality impact assessment
• Resell, sublicense, or otherwise make EqualityIQ available to third parties outside the Subscriber organisation
• Upload content that is unlawful, defamatory, or that infringes the rights of any third party
• Attempt to disrupt or compromise the security or availability of EqualityIQ

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate access without notice if we reasonably believe a User is in material breach of these acceptable use provisions.

5. Intellectual property

Our intellectual property

EqualityIQ, including its software, design, knowledge base, and all content we create, is owned by us or our licensors. Nothing in these terms transfers ownership of our intellectual property to the Subscriber.

We grant Subscribers a non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use EqualityIQ during the Subscription Period for their internal equality impact assessment purposes.

Subscriber content and outputs

The Subscriber retains ownership of all Content submitted through EqualityIQ. We do not claim ownership of proposal descriptions or other information submitted by Users.

Outputs generated by EqualityIQ are provided to the Subscriber under the same licence as the service itself. The Subscriber may use, edit, export, and publish Outputs for their internal and official purposes, including in committee papers and public documents.

We retain the right to use anonymised, aggregated data about how EqualityIQ is used to improve the service. We will never use the content of proposal descriptions or Outputs for this purpose.

6. Data processing

Where Users submit personal data through EqualityIQ, this is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Where the Subscriber submits proposal descriptions that may relate to identifiable individuals or communities, the Subscriber is responsible for ensuring this is done lawfully and in compliance with UK GDPR. We process this data as a data processor acting on the Subscriber's instructions.

Subscribers that require a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) may request one by contacting [email protected]. Our standard DPA is available to all Subscribers.

7. AI outputs and professional responsibility

EqualityIQ generates equality impact assessment drafts using artificial intelligence. While we design our system to produce accurate, well-evidenced analysis, AI outputs may contain errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.

The Subscriber is responsible for:

• Ensuring that a qualified equality officer or other competent professional reviews all Outputs before they are used in any official capacity
• Verifying that citations are accurate and appropriate to the proposal being assessed
• Adding local context, community consultation findings, and professional judgment that the AI cannot supply
• Ensuring that Outputs are used in a way that genuinely informs decision-making, as required by the Public Sector Equality Duty
• Any decisions made in reliance on Outputs, whether or not reviewed before use

We make no warranty that use of EqualityIQ will result in PSED compliance or protect the Subscriber from legal challenge.

8. Fair usage

EqualityIQ subscriptions include unlimited access to equality impact assessment generation within the following monthly fair usage limits. These exist to ensure consistent service quality for all subscribers.

What counts as an assessment

Each submission of a proposal description that generates a new EIA counts as one assessment. Viewing, editing, exporting, or regenerating sections of an existing assessment does not count. Unused assessments do not carry over month to month.

What happens when you reach the limit

• 75% — Account administrator receives an email notification.
• 90% — Warning email with option to contact us for a temporary increase.
• 100% — New assessment generation is paused for the remainder of the month. Existing assessments remain fully accessible. The limit resets on the first of the following month.

Temporary spikes

If you anticipate a high-volume period — such as a major budget round — contact us in advance and we will arrange a temporary limit increase at no extra charge, subject to reasonable limits.

Automated use

Automated or scripted bulk generation of assessments is not permitted and may result in suspension of access regardless of whether the monthly limit has been reached.

Multi-authority subscribers have limits agreed individually as part of their subscription agreement.

9. Liability

Our liability to you

We will use reasonable skill and care in providing EqualityIQ. If we fail to do so, our liability to the Subscriber is limited to the amount paid by the Subscriber in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

We are not liable for any indirect, consequential, or special loss; loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill; any loss arising from decisions made in reliance on EqualityIQ Outputs; any legal challenge relating to equality impact assessments produced using EqualityIQ; or loss or damage arising from circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.

Your liability to us

The Subscriber is responsible for ensuring that Users comply with these terms. The Subscriber is liable for any loss or damage we suffer as a result of a User's breach of these terms.

Availability

We aim to make EqualityIQ available at all times but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We will give reasonable advance notice of planned maintenance. We are not liable for any loss arising from periods of unavailability.

10. Termination

Cancellation by the Subscriber

The Subscriber may cancel their subscription by giving at least 30 days' written notice before the renewal date. Access will continue until the end of the current Subscription Period. No refund is due for the remainder of a paid Subscription Period.

Termination by us

We may terminate a subscription immediately by written notice if the Subscriber materially breaches these terms and fails to remedy the breach within 14 days; if the Subscriber becomes insolvent or ceases to operate; or if we are required to do so by law or regulatory authority.

We may also terminate by giving 90 days' written notice if we decide to discontinue EqualityIQ as a product. In that event, we will refund a pro-rata portion of any prepaid subscription fees.

Effect of termination

On termination, the Subscriber's right to access EqualityIQ ceases immediately. The Subscriber should export any Outputs they wish to retain before the termination date. We will delete Subscriber Content and Outputs within 30 days of termination, except where retention is required by law.

11. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. We will notify Subscribers of material changes by email at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of EqualityIQ after the effective date of any change constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

If a Subscriber does not accept material changes to the terms, they may cancel their subscription by giving written notice before the changes take effect, and we will provide a pro-rata refund of any prepaid fees for the period after the effective date.

12. Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from or relating to these terms or the use of EqualityIQ will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

We will always try to resolve disputes informally first. If you have a complaint or dispute, please contact us at [email protected] and we will aim to respond within five working days.

13. Contact

For any questions about these terms: