Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions govern the relationship between the Academy of Executive Coaching Ltd. (“AoEC”) and any individual or organisation (“Applicant” or “Participant”) who applies for, attends, or participates in any Event, Course, Programme, or Workshop offered by AoEC. By applying and/or making payment (where applicable), the Applicant agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and the Rules of Programme Attendance. These terms apply to all Events, whether delivered online, in person, or in a hybrid format.

These Terms and Conditions are subject to change and may be updated from time to time. It is the responsibility of the Applicant or Participant to review them and the Rules for Programme Attendance prior to enrolling in any AoEC offering.

1. Definitions

1.1 “Advanced Booking Rate”means a discounted booking incentive offered for selected AoEC programmes where payment is made within a specified early booking window.

1.2 “AoEC” means the Academy of Executive Coaching Ltd.

1.3 “Applicant” means an individual, company or business organisation that wishes to register for an Event, Programme or Course.

1.4 “Assessment Day” means the day(s) on which any module or programme assessments shall occur.

1.5 “Business Day” means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in England. For the avoidance of doubt, Programmes or Events may be scheduled on non-Business Days.

1.6 “Business Hours” means 09:00am to 05:00pm on a Business Day.

1.7 “Course”, “Workshop” and “Programme” are used interchangeably and mean the entire training offering for which a single fee is charged and to which an Applicant commits.

1.8 “Open Programmes”are designed for individual participants and are available to the public on scheduled dates.

1.9 “Organisation-Sponsored Programmes” are training programmes commissioned by and delivered specifically for a company or organisation.

1.10 “Data Protection Legislation” means UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1.11 “Event” means any training, course, programme, workshop, seminar, module, assessment day, or other learning or coaching opportunity hosted, delivered, facilitated, or sponsored by AoEC, whether online, in-person, or hybrid, free of charge or paid. “Programme”, “Course”, and “Workshop” are sub-categories of Event.

1.12 “Invoice” means the document issued by AoEC to the Applicant requesting payment.

1.13 “Module” means one or more consecutive training days that make up a series of non-consecutive training Events to form a single Course or Programme.

1.14 “Participant” means an individual or organisation who has submitted an application, whose payment has been received (where relevant) and who has been accepted onto the Event or Course

1.15 “Start of Programme” means the calendar day of the first day of the Programme or Course.

1.16 “Venue” means the venue at which a Course, Programme or Workshop is held for attendance by Participants.

1.17 “VAT” means value added tax chargeable under the Value Added Tax Act 1994.

1.18 Interpretation: references to “including”, “include” or “in particular” are without limitation; headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation; references to “writing” include email.

2.  Application of these Terms: updates

2.1 These Terms apply to all Events, whether delivered online, in person, or in a hybrid format.

2.2 These Terms may be updated from time to time. Changes will not affect a Contract already formed (see clause 2.3) unless required by law or expressly agreed.

2.3 A binding contract forms when AoEC issues written acceptance of your application or takes payment (the “Contract”).

3. Fees and Payment Terms

3.1 Fees are correct at time of publishing. However, AoEC reserves the right to adjust fees for future bookings to reflect actual costs.

3.2 All fees must be paid in advance unless otherwise agreed in writing. Time for payment is of the essence. Your place on a Programme is not confirmed until cleared funds are received in full or the first instalment under an agreed payment plan has been made.

3.3 To confirm your place, you must either make full payment or provide a company purchase order as confirmation of commitment to pay. Where applicable, Invoices will state the due date for payment. If the Programme begins within 30 days of the Invoice date, payment is due upon receipt. If the Programme begins more than 30 days from the Invoice date, payment is due within 7 days of the Invoice date. AoEC may suspend services or reallocate your place for non-payment.

3.4 Only two payment reminders will be issued. If payment is not made following the final payment reminder, you will be automatically withdrawn from the Programme, and your place will not be held. Withdrawal does not waive AoEC’s right to recover sums due.

3.5 Payment may be made by credit/debit card or bank transfer only. You are responsible for ensuring that any bank or currency transfer charges are borne by you and that the full amount in GBP is received by us.  AoEC reserves the right to collect any shortfall of currency transfer charges from you.

3.6 To qualify for the Advanced Booking Rate, payment in full (or first instalment under a payment plan), must be received by the deadline stated in the Invoice. If payment is late, the Advanced Booking Rate will not apply, and the standard Programme fee will become payable. AoEC may reallocate your place if capacity is constrained.

3.7 AoEC may, at its discretion, agree to confirm your place on a Programme upon payment of a deposit. Deposits are non-refundable.

3.8 AoEC May set off any sums it owes to you against sums you owe to AoEC. You may not set-off any amounts against sums due to AoEC.

3.9 VAT and other applicable taxes will be charged in addition to the fees at the prevailing rate.

Instalment Payment Plans

3.10 Instalment payment plans are available to individuals only and may be administered through a third-party provider. AoEC is not party to that agreement. Instalment payments are available for individuals for all diploma Programmes including Practitioner Diploma, Professional Practitioner Diploma and Master Practitioner Diploma. By selecting an instalment plan, you enter into a binding credit agreement with the third-party provider, and you will be subject to their terms and conditions. Instalment plans apply to the full course. Accordingly, if you withdraw before completion, all outstanding instalments remain due.

3.11. Late payments will incur (a) interest (for B2B Participants) under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (8% above the Bank of England base rate) plus fixed recovery costs; or (for consumers) interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate where lawful; and (b) AoEC’s reasonable debt recovery costs.

4.  Transfers and Deferrals

4.1 Before the Start of Programme, you may request a transfer to another date of the same Programme type, subject to availability and AoEC approval.

4.2 It is a Participant’s responsibility to inform AoEC if they cannot attend or complete a Programme. Fees are non-refundable for non-attendance on a Programme but may be refunded in extenuating circumstances, upon provision of evidence at the sole discretion of AoEC.

4.3 Participants may request to defer or transfer no more than twice for the same Programme type, subject to written notice and AoEC approval. A standard charge of £250.00 plus VAT per transfer request will apply to cover administrative costs. Such fees are payable immediately upon invoice and non-refundable.

4.4 Requests must be made in writing (email only), during office hours and acknowledged by AoEC. Verbal requests will not be accepted.

4.5 When making a deferment or transfer request, Participants must confirm their new preferred Programme date at the time of the request. AoEC will attempt to offer Participant’s their preferred date but has no obligation to do so and the request will be subject to availability.  Non-attendance following a deferment or transfer will be treated as a cancellation, and all fees will become due and payable.

4.6 If a deferment or transfer is granted, the original Programme Invoice and any related invoices remain due. If the deferment or transfer is subsequently cancelled, AoEC’s standard cancellation charge (£250.00 plus VAT) will apply.

4.7 If a deferment or transfer is agreed, all payment instalments will remain due as originally invoiced. Completion of the remaining elements of the Programme must occur within 6 months of the deferment or transfer date. Failure to meet this deadline may result in the Participant being required to restart the Programme, including Module 1.

Assessment and Completion Rules

4.8 If a Participant commences the Programme and has an incomplete pathway, they have up to 6 months to complete any missed components and up to 12 months to complete any in-person elements. Beyond this timeframe, the Participant may be required to retake the entire Programme at their own cost.

4.9 If the Participant misses an individual mentoring session or fails to provide access to their coaching demonstration recording, a charge of £150 + VAT will be incurred.

4.10 If a Participant books and cancels or misses the re-submission of assessed elements on three occasions, this will be treated as an incomplete, unless they agree to retake the Programme in full.

4.11 Depending on the circumstances, AoEC may agree to switch a Participant who is booked onto a Programme or Workshop with another Participant from the same organisation or company. A fee of 10% of the total cost of the Programme or Workshop will be charged to make the changes.

Transfers for Organisation-Sponsored Participants

4.12 Where the Applicant is an organisation (company or business), AoEC does not automatically transfer individual participants onto Open Programmes if they are unable to attend their scheduled Organisation-Sponsored Programme.  In exceptional circumstances, and subject to capacity and alignment with learning needs, AoEC may permit such a transfer. Where permitted, a fee of £250.00 per Participant will be payable by the sponsoring organisation.

5. Cancellation by Participant

5.1 All cancellations must be submitted by email during Business Hours and acknowledged by AoEC. For the purposes of notice periods, receipt is deemed at the time the email enters AoEC’s mail server during Business Hours; otherwise at 09:00 on the next Business Day.

5.2 Deposits are non-refundable except where AoEC cancels under Clause 6 or where consumer law mandates a refund.

Where full or part payment has been received, the following terms apply, and a refund or additional payment may be required depending on the time of cancellation:

Individual Executive Coaching Sessions – Organisations Only

5.3 The Participant must notify their sponsoring manager in writing (email), and a minimum of 2 Business Days’ notice is required to cancel.

Mentor Coaching Sessions (Practitioner Diploma)

5.4 If a Participant cancels or reschedules an individual or group mentor coaching session or fails to provide access to their coaching demonstration recording with less than 24 hours’ notice, a £150 + VAT fee will apply

5.5 Attendance at a minimum of three (3) Individual and three (3) Group Mentor Coaching Sessions is required to pass the Practitioner Diploma.

6. Cancellation or Changes by AoEC

6.1 AoEC may cancel any Events, Programme, or Workshop. Where this occurs, we will use reasonable efforts to reschedule and will transfer existing bookings to the new date. If you cannot attend, you may request a refund of fees paid for the affected Event/Programme.

6.2 AoEC reserves the right to make amendments to dates, delivery modality (in-person- virtual), times, fees, course content, facilitators, or faculty members, as reasonably required, without liability. 

6.3 The Venue for any Event, Programme, or Workshop may change at short notice. AoEC will not be liable for any travel, accommodation, or related expenses incurred by the Participant or sponsoring organisation due to such changes.

7. Consumer terms (individuals)

7.1 If you are an individual booking a Programme, Course, Workshop, or other Event wholly or mainly outside your trade, business, craft, or profession, you are a “consumer” for the purposes of these Terms. Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights.

7.2 Most AoEC Programmes and Workshops are scheduled to run on fixed dates (or over a defined period with specified start dates and modules). Under Regulation 28(1)(h) of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, where services are provided on specific dates or within a specific period, consumers do not have the usual statutory 14-day “cooling-off” right to cancel (the “leisure services exemption”).

7.3 This means that if you book onto a Programme, Course, or Workshop with fixed dates, you do not automatically have a statutory 14-day right to cancel. Instead, any cancellation or transfer is governed by our own cancellation policy at clause 6.

7.4 Where you purchase a service that is not tied to fixed dates (for example, ad-hoc coaching or mentoring sessions arranged individually), the leisure services exemption will not apply. In that case, you will have the right to cancel within 14 days of the date the Contract is formed (see clause 2.3). To exercise this right, you must notify AoEC in writing (email is sufficient) before the cooling-off period expires.

7.5 If you ask AoEC to begin providing services within the 14-day cooling-off period, you agree to pay a proportionate amount for the services delivered up to the point of cancellation. You acknowledge that you will lose your right to cancel once the services have been fully provided or the Event has taken place.

8. Medical Emergencies

8.1 Participants must inform AoEC in writing of any pre-existing medical conditions or accessibility requirements at least 10 days before the start of any Course, Event, or Workshop.

8.2 Requests for reasonable adjustments must be submitted in writing at the time of application for the Programme and a minimum of at least 10 days before the Programme starts.

8.3 Participants are responsible for promptly notifying an AoEC representative in the event of any illness, injury, or medical issue during the Course, Event, or Workshop.

8.4 Responsibility for on-site health and safety, including first aid and emergency procedures, rests solely with the Venue. AoEC accepts no liability for the Venue’s failure to provide appropriate health and safety measures. AoEC will take reasonable care in selecting Venues but is not liable for a Venue’s failures.

8.5 AoEC will take reasonable steps to support Participant safety, including assisting with access to emergency medical services when needed. Where a Participant is unable to consent, AoEC may act in their best interest to seek medical assistance.

8.6 AoEC accepts no liability for any illness, injury, or medical incident unless caused by proven negligence.

8.7 AoEC’s total liability for any claim arising from or related to health and safety incidents is capped at the liability insurance limit applicable at the time, except in cases of personal injury or death caused by negligence.

8.8 AoEC is not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential losses, including but not limited to loss of earnings, accommodation, or travel costs, resulting from a medical incident involving a Participant during any Course, Programme, or Workshop.

8.9 AoEC will request and collect Participant’s next of kin details during the application process.

9. Participant Complaints and Refunds

9.1 If a Participant believes a Programme or Workshop materially differs from the description provided on AoEC Website or promotional materials, they must raise this with the facilitator or Programme Manager by the end of the first day of the Programme.

9.2 Refunds will only be considered when there is a clear and demonstrable failure by AoEC to deliver the core advertised content or structure of the Programme. Personal preference or style-related dissatisfaction will not constitute grounds for a refund and all fees due remain payable.

9.3 Refunds, where approved, will typically be partial. Full refunds may be issued only in exceptional cases, at AoEC’s sole discretion. Refunds are available only for multi-day Programmes and do not apply to one-day Events or Workshops.

9.4 Non-attendance without prior communication disqualifies a Participant from any refund or complaint-related redress.

9.5 AoEC’s maximum liability for any claim relating to dissatisfaction with a Programme, Event, or Workshop shall be limited to the amount paid by the Participant.

9.6 Participants may submit a formal complaint regarding content, delivery, venue conditions, or facilitator conduct by writing to the Programme Manager within seven (7) days of the issue. AoEC will acknowledge and respond within seven (7) days of receipt.

9.7 If the Participant is unsatisfied with the response, they may escalate the complaint in writing to the Head of Education. Appeals must include the original complaint and reasons for escalation. A final written decision will be issued within seven (7) days. All appeal decisions are final and binding.

9.8 For Organisation-Sponsored Programmes delivered on behalf of an employer or client organisation, Participants should first raise any complaints related to the content, delivery, or facilitators through AoEC complaints procedure outlined above. However, complaints relating to internal workplace matters, interpersonal issues between employees, or grievances that fall under the employer's internal policies should be raised directly with the sponsoring organisation, in line with their grievance procedures. AoEC is not responsible for resolving matters governed by the sponsor’s internal policies.

10. Force Majeure

10.1 AoEC shall not be held liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations if such failure or delay arises from causes beyond AoEC’s reasonable control. Such causes include, but are not limited to, medical emergencies and health crises beyond AoEC’s control, power failures, internet service provider outages, industrial action, civil unrest, fire, floods, storms, earthquakes, acts of terrorism, pandemic, acts of war, governmental actions, or any other events outside AoEC’s control.

10.2 Where a Force Majeure Event prevents AoEC from delivering an Event as scheduled, AoEC will use reasonable endeavors to offer an alternative date, delivery format (for example, moving from in-person to online delivery), or a credit note for the value of fees paid.

10.3 If rescheduling or alternative delivery is not reasonably possible, AoEC shall refund fees paid for undelivered services. Such refund shall be AoEC’s sole liability and the Participant’s exclusive remedy in respect of the Force Majeure Event.

10.4 AoEC shall not be liable for any travel, accommodation, or other costs incurred by Participants or sponsoring organisations in connection with a Force Majeure Event.

11. How we use your personal information (Data Protection)

11.1 All personal data that We may use will be collected, processed, and held in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Legislation and Participant’s rights thereunder.

11.2 For full details of AoEC’s collection, processing, storage, and retention of personal data including, the purpose(s) for which personal data is used, the legal basis or bases for using it, details of Participant’s rights and any applicable data sharing. Please refer to our Privacy Policy.

11.3 AoEC will not share any of Participant’s personal data with any third parties except as outlined in the Privacy Policy and in the following circumstances:

i. With venues, for the legitimate purpose of Programme delivery, including potential sharing of special category data where essential for in-person delivery;

ii. With accrediting and training bodies (e.g. EMCC Global, International Coaching Federation (ICF), Gestalt Coaching & Training, and Association for Coaching (AC) for the legitimate purpose of Programme endorsement and Participant accreditation;

iii. With systems and digital platforms necessary for the operation of AoEC’s Programmes;

iv. With customer insight and analytics platforms (e.g. Google Analytics) for legitimate purposes such as demographic profiling of our Participant base; and

v. With medical practitioners, where necessary, in the event of a medical emergency during a Course, Event, or Workshop.

vi. With AI providers to support education and assessments, subject always to appropriate safeguards under the Data Protection Legislation.

11.4 AoEC undertakes to store and process all data concerning health and other medical data collected from Participants in accordance with the Data Protection Legislation and accordingly reserves the right to retain such data for a minimum of 10 years.

11.5 With the Participant’s consent, AoEC may use personal data to send marketing communications by email or other channels about our programmes, events, and services. Participants may withdraw their consent and opt out of such communication at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in our emails or by contacting us directly.

11.6 AoEC may, where permitted by law and based on its legitimate interests, use personal data to send marketing communications about our programmes, events, and services. Participants have the right to object to such processing at any time and may unsubscribe via the links provided in our communications or by contacting us directly.

11.7 For Organisation-Sponsored Programmes delivered on behalf of an employer or client organisation, AoEC may share relevant personal data such as attendance, progress, and completion status with the sponsoring organisation, where necessary for Programme administration and only to the extent required to fulfil the terms of the contract. No special category data (such as health or sensitive coaching reflections) will be shared without the explicit consent of the Participant, unless legally required. All such data sharing is subject to applicable Data Protection Legislation and is detailed further in our Privacy Policy.

12. Rules of Programme Attendance

12.1 By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions, the Participant also agrees to be bound by AoEC’s Rules of Programme Attendance, which sets out the expected standards of behaviour for all Participants.

12.2 Breach of the Rules, or failure to pay any monies due to AoEC, may result in disciplinary action. This may include, but is not limited to, the withdrawal of facilities, withholding of academic awards, or termination of the Participant’s place on the relevant Programme or Workshop in accordance with Clause 16.

12.3 Where a Programme, Course, or Workshop is delivered in partnership with or on behalf of a sponsoring organisation (such as an in-company or corporate client), Participants may also be required to adhere to the sponsoring organisation’s internal code(s) of conduct or policies. It is the Participant’s responsibility to familiarise themselves with and comply with any such additional requirements. Breach of those codes may be subject to disciplinary procedures by the sponsoring organisation, in addition to any action taken by the AoEC.

12.4 You must not record (audio/video) any session without AoEC’s prior written consent. AoEC may record sessions for quality, safeguarding, and assessment; AoEC will inform Participants where recording occurs.

12.5 You must not share AoEC recordings, materials or other Participants’ personal data externally.

13. Limitation of Liability

13.1 In addition to the specific limits set out in Clauses 6 and 7, AoEC does not exclude or limit liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any matter which cannot legally be excluded.

13.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, all implied terms are excluded.

13.3 Except as expressly provided in these Terms and Conditions, AoEC shall not be liable for any indirect, special, or consequential loss, or for loss of business, profits, savings, or goodwill.

13.4 Subject always to the foregoing, AoEC’s total aggregate liability to any Participant, however arising, shall not exceed the total fees actually paid by that Participant for the specific Event, Course, or Programme giving rise to the claim.

14.  Intellectual Property

14.1 All intellectual property rights in AoEC’s materials, documentation, and resources provided during any Programme, Course, or Workshop remain the property of AoEC or its licensors.

14.2 The Participant is granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use such materials solely for their personal learning and development.

14.3 The Participant must not copy, distribute, modify, or commercially exploit AoEC’s materials without prior written consent.

15.  Variation/ Amendments

AoEC reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions and/or the Rules of Programme Attendance where required by law or regulatory authority, or where changes are minor and do not materially affect the Participant’s rights or obligations. Updated terms and/or Rules will be published on AoEC’s website and where updates are material, AoEC will notify the Participant.

16.  Assignment / Transfer

AoEC may assign or transfer its rights and obligations under these Terms and Conditions to another organisation where reasonably required for business continuity, provided that such assignment does not materially affect the Participant’s rights. No variation by a Participant shall be valid unless agreed in writing by AoEC.

17.  Third-Party Rights

Unless expressly stated otherwise, no person other than AoEC and the Participant shall have any rights to enforce any of the provisions of these Terms and Conditions under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

18. Termination

18.1 Without affecting any other right or remedy available, AoEC may terminate the Participant’s enrolment on a Programme with immediate effect by giving written notice if:

i. the Participant commits a material breach of these Terms and Conditions which is not capable of remedy or (if capable of remedy) is not remedied within 14 days of written notice;

ii. the Participant fails to make payment when due; or

iii. continuation would, in AoEC’s reasonable opinion, damage AoEC’s reputation or the wellbeing of other Participants.

18.2 Upon termination, the Participant shall not be entitled to any refund of fees paid unless otherwise required by law or expressly agreed by AoEC.

19. Waiver

19.1 A waiver of any right or remedy under these Terms and Conditions is only effective if given in writing and shall not be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach or default.

19.2 A failure or delay by AoEC in exercising any right or remedy provided under these Terms and Conditions shall not constitute a waiver of that right or remedy.

20.  Entire Agreement

20.1 These Terms and Conditions, together with any documents expressly referred to within them, constitute the entire agreement between AoEC and the Participant and supersede all prior discussions, correspondence, negotiations, or agreements relating to the subject matter.

20.2 Each party acknowledges that, in entering into these Terms and Conditions, it has not relied on any statement, promise, or representation other than those expressly set out herein.

21.  Governing Law and Jurisdiction

21.1 These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

21.2 Each Participant and Applicant irrevocably agrees that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with these Terms and Conditions or its subject matter or formation.