Terms of business

1. About these terms

These terms are between Gus Hall, trading as Forge Projects (“Forge Projects”, “we”) and the parent or guardian who books the project (“you”) for the student. If a student is 18 or over, they may book for themselves. Families referred by an agent are covered by these terms unless their agent has agreed different terms with us in writing.

2. Booking and your proposal

After a first conversation we send a written proposal setting out the project, the number and frequency of sessions, any build days, the award or competition it is aimed at, and the fee. Your booking is confirmed when you accept the proposal in writing and pay any deposit. The proposal and these terms together form our agreement.

3. Fees, materials and payment

• Fees are as stated in your proposal. Unless the proposal says otherwise, 50% is due on booking and 50% on completion.
• Materials, components, 3D printing and specialist services are charged at cost and agreed with you before they are bought.
• Invoices are payable within 14 days. We may pause sessions while an invoice is overdue.
• Fees are in pounds sterling.

4. Sessions

• Sessions run weekly or fortnightly, online, at times agreed around the student’s schedule. Group projects may run as group sessions.
• To move a session, please give at least 24 hours’ notice. Sessions missed without notice may count as delivered.
• If we need to move a session, we will offer another time as soon as possible.
• Students are expected to complete agreed independent work between sessions. Progress depends on it.

5. Cancelling

• Your right to cancel: if you book without meeting us in person, you have 14 days from accepting the proposal to cancel for any reason. If you ask us to start within those 14 days, we may charge for sessions already delivered and materials already bought.
• After that: you can end the project at any time by telling us in writing. You pay for sessions delivered and materials bought up to that point.
• If we cancel: we may end the project if fees remain unpaid, if behaviour puts anyone’s safety at risk, or if a student repeatedly does not engage despite our efforts to reset the plan. We refund anything paid for work not yet delivered.

6. The student’s own work

Forge Projects mentors, teaches and challenges students. We do not complete project work, reports or applications on a student’s behalf. Awards such as CREST and qualifications such as the EPQ require the work to be the student’s own, and universities expect the same. By booking, you agree that the student will do the work and that any submission will honestly describe the support they received.

7. Outcomes

We prepare students for awards, competitions and interviews, but we cannot guarantee an award, a competition result, or a university offer. Those decisions are made by independent bodies and admissions teams.

8. Build days and in-person sessions

In-person build days take place at an agreed venue. We plan each one with a risk assessment, supervise the use of tools, and provide or require suitable safety equipment. A parent, guardian or other responsible adult agreed in advance must be contactable throughout. Students must follow safety instructions; we may stop an activity if it is unsafe.

9. Who owns the work

• The student owns the work they create, including designs, code, reports and the finished project.
• Forge Projects keeps ownership of its own materials: templates, guides, example files and teaching resources. Students may use them for their project.
• We may only show a student’s work, name, image or words publicly with written consent. See our Privacy policy.

10. Our liability

We provide our services with reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for losses that were not foreseeable, for delays caused by events outside our control, or for the outcome of any award, competition or application. Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or anything else that cannot be limited by law. Your statutory rights are not affected.

11. Complaints and law

If something is not right, please tell us first at gus@forge-projects.uk and we will try to resolve it within 14 days. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.