1. About Castlane

Castlane is an operational systems consultancy that designs and implements business infrastructure for growing service businesses. Our website is castlane.co.uk and our contact email is hello@castlane.co.uk.

These terms and conditions govern the relationship between Castlane and any individual or organisation engaging our services or using our website. By engaging our services or submitting an enquiry, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not engage our services.

References to “we”, “us”, or “Castlane” refer to Castlane. References to “you” or “the client” refer to the individual or organisation engaging our services.

2. Our services

Castlane provides operational systems consultancy and implementation services. Our services include but are not limited to: CRM and sales pipeline systems, operations and workflow automation, reporting and financial visibility systems, client experience systems and portals, marketing infrastructure, and recruitment and talent systems.

All services are provided on a project basis. The specific scope, deliverables, timeline, and investment for any engagement are agreed in writing prior to project commencement and documented in a proposal or project agreement. No work will commence until both parties have agreed the project scope in writing.

We reserve the right to decline any enquiry or engagement at our discretion without being required to provide a reason.

3. Proposals and agreements

Following an initial consultation, we will provide a written proposal setting out the system solution, implementation scope, delivery timeline, and investment required. Proposals are valid for 30 days from the date of issue unless otherwise stated.

Acceptance of a proposal, whether by written confirmation, electronic signature, or payment of a deposit, constitutes entry into a binding agreement between you and Castlane on the terms set out in the proposal and these terms and conditions.

Any changes to the agreed scope after acceptance must be agreed in writing by both parties. Changes to scope may affect the timeline and investment and will be documented in a written change request.

4. Payment terms

Our standard payment structure requires a deposit of 50 percent of the agreed project value before work commences, with the remaining balance due upon project completion. Alternative payment structures including milestone-based payments may be agreed in writing for larger or longer engagements.

All invoices are due within 14 days of the invoice date unless otherwise agreed in writing. Invoices that remain unpaid after 14 days may incur interest at a rate of 8 percent per annum above the Bank of England base rate, calculated on a daily basis, in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

If an invoice remains unpaid for 30 days or more, Castlane reserves the right to pause all work on the relevant project until the outstanding balance is settled. Castlane is not liable for any delays to project delivery resulting from late payment.

All prices are quoted exclusive of VAT unless otherwise stated. Where VAT is applicable, it will be added to invoices at the prevailing rate.

5. Project delivery

We will deliver services with reasonable skill and care and in accordance with the agreed scope and timeline. Where a timeline is provided, it is an estimate based on information available at the time of proposal. Timelines may be affected by factors outside our control including delays in receiving required information, access, or approvals from the client.

We will notify you promptly of any anticipated delays and work with you to agree a revised timeline where necessary.

Our standard delivery process involves an initial system design and requirements session, followed by core implementation, testing, and a structured handover. The specific process for each engagement is set out in the project proposal.

6. Client responsibilities

You agree to provide accurate, complete, and timely information required for project delivery, including but not limited to access to relevant systems and platforms, data required for system configuration, timely responses to questions and requests for approval, and availability for scheduled sessions and reviews.

Delays caused by incomplete or late information, unavailability, or failure to provide required access are not the responsibility of Castlane and may result in timeline adjustments. Additional costs resulting from such delays may be chargeable.

You are responsible for ensuring that any data provided to Castlane for use in system configuration does not infringe the rights of any third party and complies with applicable data protection legislation.

7. Change requests

Any request to change the agreed scope of a project must be submitted in writing. We will assess the request and provide a written response setting out any impact on timeline and investment within five business days.

Changes will only be implemented once both parties have agreed the revised scope, timeline, and any additional investment in writing. Verbal agreements to change scope are not binding.

Minor changes that do not materially affect the scope, timeline, or investment may be accommodated at our discretion without a formal change request.

8. Project cancellation

If you wish to cancel a project after work has commenced, you must notify us in writing. The following terms apply:

Any deposit paid is non-refundable in the event of cancellation. Payment will be due for all work completed up to the date of cancellation, calculated at a day rate proportional to the agreed project value. If the work completed at the point of cancellation exceeds the value of the deposit, an invoice for the difference will be issued and is due within 14 days.

If Castlane needs to cancel a project due to circumstances within our control, we will provide written notice as soon as reasonably practicable. In such cases, a proportional refund of any deposit paid will be provided for work not yet commenced.

9. Warranty and post-delivery support

Following project delivery and handover, we offer a 30-day warranty period during which we will address any defects or issues arising directly from our implementation at no additional charge. Issues must be reported to us in writing within the 30-day warranty period.

The warranty does not cover issues arising from changes made to the systems by the client or third parties after handover, issues arising from incorrect or incomplete information provided during the project, or functionality outside the agreed scope.

Following the warranty period, ongoing support is available through our support retainer service. Support retainer terms are set out in a separate agreement.

10. Intellectual property

Upon receipt of full and final payment, you will own all systems, builds, configurations, and deliverables created specifically for you as part of the agreed project scope.

Castlane retains ownership of all methodologies, frameworks, templates, approaches, and general tools developed by us and used in the delivery of services. Ownership of these elements is not transferred to the client and they may be reused by Castlane across other engagements.

Where our work incorporates third party software, platforms, or tools such as Microsoft Power Apps, Power Automate, or Power BI, ownership and licensing of those tools remains subject to the terms of the relevant third party. You are responsible for maintaining any licences required to use and operate the systems we implement.

You grant us permission to reference the fact that we have worked with your organisation in our marketing materials, including on our website and in case studies, unless you request otherwise in writing.

11. Confidentiality

Both parties agree to keep confidential all sensitive business information disclosed by the other party in connection with an engagement. This includes but is not limited to business processes, financial information, client data, system designs, and proprietary methodologies.

Neither party will disclose confidential information to any third party without the prior written consent of the disclosing party, except where required by law or regulation.

This confidentiality obligation survives the termination of any engagement and continues indefinitely.

Castlane will not share, sell, or otherwise disclose any data belonging to the client or the client’s customers to any third party without explicit written consent from the client.

12. Data protection

Each party agrees to comply with all applicable data protection legislation including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 in connection with any personal data processed in relation to an engagement.

Where Castlane processes personal data on behalf of the client in the course of project delivery, Castlane acts as a data processor and the client acts as data controller. In such cases, a data processing agreement may be entered into separately setting out the terms of that processing.

For information on how Castlane handles personal data collected through our website and enquiry processes, please refer to our Privacy Policy at castlane.co.uk/privacy-policy.

13. Liability

Castlane will deliver all services with reasonable skill and care. However, we do not guarantee specific business outcomes as a result of systems implementation. The effectiveness of any system depends on factors outside our control including how systems are used, maintained, and developed after delivery.

Our total liability to you in connection with any engagement, whether arising in contract, tort, negligence, or otherwise, is limited to the total fees paid by you to Castlane for the specific project giving rise to the claim.

We are not liable for any indirect, consequential, special, or punitive losses including but not limited to loss of revenue, loss of profit, loss of data, loss of business, loss of opportunity, or reputational damage, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such losses.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes 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 applicable law.

14. Force majeure

Neither party will be liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these terms where that failure or delay results from circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, pandemic, government action, power failures, or failure of third party systems or infrastructure.

The affected party must notify the other party promptly of the force majeure event and its expected duration. If a force majeure event continues for more than 30 days, either party may terminate the engagement by written notice without liability, subject to payment for work completed up to that point.

15. Dispute resolution

In the event of any dispute arising from or in connection with these terms or any engagement, the parties agree to attempt to resolve the dispute in good faith through direct negotiation in the first instance.

If the dispute cannot be resolved through negotiation within 30 days, either party may refer the matter to mediation through a mutually agreed mediator before initiating formal legal proceedings.

Nothing in this clause prevents either party from seeking urgent injunctive or other equitable relief from a court where necessary.

16. Entire agreement

These terms and conditions, together with any proposal or project agreement, constitute the entire agreement between the parties in relation to the subject matter and supersede all prior discussions, representations, and agreements whether oral or written.

No variation to these terms is effective unless agreed in writing by both parties.

17. Severability

If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision will be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable. The remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

18. Waiver

Failure by either party to enforce any provision of these terms at any time does not constitute a waiver of that party’s right to enforce that provision or any other provision in the future.

19. Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms and conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Both parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales in relation to any dispute arising from or in connection with these terms or any engagement.

20. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms and conditions from time to time. The date at the top of this page will reflect when they were last updated. Continued engagement with Castlane after changes are published constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. We recommend reviewing these terms periodically.