Policies & Terms

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account information (name, email address, company details)
• Project information (briefs, requirements, deliverables and supporting data you submit)
• Billing details (billing contact, company address and purchase order references)
• Communication preferences

2.2 Information Automatically Collected

• Usage data (features accessed, time spent on platform)
• Device information (IP address, browser type, operating system)
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies
• Log data (access times, pages viewed, error logs)

16.1 European Economic Area (EEA)

Additional rights under GDPR include:

• Right to restrict processing
• Right to object to automated decision-making
• Right to lodge complaints with supervisory authorities

16.2 California Residents

Additional rights under the CCPA and CPRA include:

• Right to know what personal information is collected
• Right to know whether personal information is sold or shared
• Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information
• Right to limit the use of sensitive personal information
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising rights
• We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA and CPRA.

3.1 Account Registration

To use the Platform, you must create an account and provide accurate, complete and current information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.

3.2 Eligibility

The Platform is available to businesses and individuals who are at least 18 years of age and have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts. By creating an account, you represent that you meet these eligibility requirements.

3.3 Account Types

The Platform supports Client accounts and Administrator accounts operated by ekiepo. The Platform's software also contains a delivery role used to submit work and evidence; that role is held by ekiepo's own delivery team. Its presence in the software does not indicate that third-party vendors participate in an engagement.

3.4 Invite-Only Access

Access to the Platform may be limited to users who have been invited or approved by ekiepo. ekiepo reserves the right to approve, deny or revoke Platform access at its sole discretion, with or without cause.

4.1 Relationship of the Parties

ekiepo performs services for the Client as an independent contractor. Nothing in these Terms or in any engagement creates an employment, partnership, joint venture or agency relationship between ekiepo and the Client. ekiepo is responsible for its own personnel, taxes, insurance and business licences.

4.2 Responsibility for the Work

ekiepo is responsible for the quality, timeliness and legal compliance of the work it delivers, as set out in the accepted proposal and any applicable project agreement. Where ekiepo engages subcontractors to perform part of an engagement, ekiepo remains the Client's sole counterparty and remains responsible for that work.

4.3 Scope of Assurance

The gates, evidence and approvals recorded in the Platform are intended to give the Client a defensible basis for accepting each stage of the work. They are not a guarantee that a project will reach production, that any model or system will perform to a given standard outside the conditions measured, or that any regulatory or certification requirement has been satisfied.

5.1 Project Briefs and Proposals

The Client completes a structured project brief through the Platform, specifying requirements, deliverables, technical constraints, data and evaluation criteria. ekiepo responds with a proposal, a project plan and the gate set proposed for the engagement. The Client may accept the proposal, request changes or decline it.

5.2 Stage One Alignment

The first stage of an engagement reviews the proposed gate set with the Client, confirms the evidence each gate requires and adds any further gates the project needs. The gate set applicable to an engagement is the set recorded in the Platform at the close of that stage.

5.3 Fees

Fees for an engagement are those stated in the accepted proposal and any applicable statement of work. No separate fee is payable for access to the Platform itself.

5.4 Quality Gates

Each project is subject to quality verification gates ("Gates") at defined stages of delivery. Gates may include document reviews, technical assessments, automated evaluation runs, performance tests, security scans and other verification measures. The Gates applicable to a project are those agreed under Section 5.2 and recorded in the project's delivery assurance record.

ekiepo submits the evidence each Gate requires. The Client reviews that evidence against the agreed criteria and approves the Gate or returns it; a rejection requires a written reason. Final review and approval of each stage rest with the Client.

5.5 Project Stages

Projects are structured in sequential stages. Each stage must be completed and verified before the next stage opens. Advancement to the next stage requires that the applicable Gates have been passed and that the Client has approved the completed stage.

6.1 Invoicing in Sequence

ekiepo invoices the Client as stages complete, in the sequence and amounts set out in the accepted proposal. ekiepo is not a bank, financial institution or licensed escrow agent. ekiepo does not hold Client funds in trust, in escrow or in any custodial or fiduciary capacity, and no payment is released automatically by the Platform.

Payment information displayed in the Platform, including any amount shown as allocated to or released for a stage, is a record of invoicing and approval status. It does not represent funds held by ekiepo on the Client's behalf.

6.2 Invoice Schedule

The number of invoices and the amount attributable to each stage are defined in the accepted proposal and agreed with the Client before the project begins. Changes to scope that affect the schedule are agreed in writing before the affected work is performed.

6.3 Payment Terms

Invoices are payable within the period stated on the invoice. Amounts are exclusive of any applicable taxes, which are the Client's responsibility unless stated otherwise.

6.4 Late or Withheld Payment

If an undisputed invoice remains unpaid for thirty (30) calendar days after its due date, ekiepo may suspend work on the engagement after giving the Client written notice. Suspension does not relieve the Client of obligations for work already performed and approved.

6.5 Disputed Invoices

The Client may withhold payment of a specific invoiced amount that it disputes in good faith, provided it notifies ekiepo in writing before the due date and states the basis for the dispute. Undisputed amounts on the same invoice remain payable. Disputes are handled under Section 9.

6.6 Termination and Work Performed

If an engagement is terminated before completion, fees for work performed and stages approved up to the effective date of termination remain payable. ekiepo holds no prepaid Client funds, so no balance is held for return; any amount prepaid by agreement and not applied to work performed will be refunded within thirty (30) business days of termination.

6.7 Refunds

Except as provided in Section 6.6, ekiepo does not provide refunds for work that has been completed and approved by the Client.

7.1 Restriction

For a period of twelve (12) months following the completion or termination of an engagement, the Client agrees not to directly solicit for employment or engagement any ekiepo employee or contractor who performed work on that engagement, without ekiepo's prior written consent.

7.2 Exclusions

This restriction does not apply to general advertising or recruitment campaigns not specifically directed at ekiepo personnel, or to any individual who approaches the Client on their own initiative or whose engagement with ekiepo ended more than six (6) months earlier.

7.3 Survival and Remedies

This obligation survives termination of these Terms for the duration of the restriction period. ekiepo reserves the right to pursue available remedies for a breach, including account termination and legal action.

8.1 Client Content

Clients retain ownership of all content they submit to the Platform, including project briefs, requirements documents, data and business information. By submitting content to the Platform, Clients grant ekiepo a limited, non-exclusive licence to use, display and process that content solely for the purpose of operating the Platform and delivering the engagement.

8.2 Work Product

ekiepo retains ownership of its pre-existing intellectual property, including its methodology, gate definitions, evaluation frameworks, reusable components, tooling and templates. Ownership of, or licence to, the work product created for a Client is as set out in the accepted proposal and any applicable project agreement. Where an engagement includes an intellectual property and source code transfer Gate, transfer takes effect on completion of that Gate in accordance with its terms.

8.3 Platform Content

ekiepo retains ownership of all Platform content, including but not limited to the Platform's design, software, methodology, gate and evaluation frameworks, templates and documentation. Users may not copy, modify, distribute or reverse-engineer any Platform content.

8.4 Aggregate and Anonymized Data

ekiepo may use aggregate, anonymized data derived from Platform activity for purposes including but not limited to Platform improvement, benchmarking and research. Such data will not identify individual Users, projects or proprietary business information.

9.1 Gate Remediation

If a Gate is not passed, ekiepo will address the deficiency and resubmit evidence within the remediation window recorded for that Gate. Remediation timelines are defined in the project's delivery terms.

9.2 Escalation and Good-Faith Mediation

If a dispute between the Client and ekiepo cannot be resolved through the project's own review and remediation process, the parties agree to escalate it to their respective senior representatives and, failing resolution, to attempt good-faith mediation before pursuing legal action.

9.3 Governing Law and Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of laws provisions. Any legal action arising under these Terms or related to Platform use shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Cook County, Illinois. Both parties consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

9.4 Limitation on Claims

Any claim arising under these Terms must be brought within one (1) year of the date the claim accrued. Claims not brought within this period are waived.

10.1 Use of AI

ekiepo uses artificial intelligence services, including large language models provided by third-party AI providers, to assist with Platform operations. These operations may include structuring project briefs, producing project documentation, generating evaluation artifacts and other Platform functions.

10.2 Disclosure

By using the Platform, you acknowledge and consent to the processing of your submitted content by AI systems. Content submitted to the Platform (including project briefs, proposals and communications) may be processed by third-party AI services for the purposes described above. Our Privacy Policy describes this processing and the categories of provider involved.

10.3 Data Handling

ekiepo selects AI service providers that offer contractual commitments regarding data privacy and security. Content processed by AI systems is used solely for Platform operations and is not used to train third-party AI models without your explicit consent.

10.4 Human Decision

Automated checks and AI-assisted evaluation produce evidence for review. They do not by themselves pass a Gate, approve a stage or make a commercial decision; those decisions are made by people, and a rejection requires a written reason.

11.1 Confidential Information

In the course of using the Platform, Users may share or receive information that is proprietary, sensitive or confidential ("Confidential Information"). Confidential Information includes, but is not limited to, project requirements, business strategies, technical specifications, pricing information and any information marked as confidential.

11.2 Obligations

Users agree to protect Confidential Information with the same degree of care they use to protect their own confidential information, and in no event less than reasonable care. Users may not disclose Confidential Information to any third party without the disclosing party's prior written consent, except as required by law.

11.3 Exclusions

Confidential Information does not include information that: (a) is or becomes publicly available through no fault of the receiving party; (b) was known to the receiving party before disclosure; (c) is independently developed by the receiving party; or (d) is disclosed with the prior written consent of the disclosing party.

12.1 Scope of Services

ekiepo performs the services set out in the accepted proposal. ekiepo does not warrant that any project will reach production, that any system will perform to a given standard outside the conditions measured at a Gate, or that the Platform will be uninterrupted or error-free.

12.2 Limitation

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, ekiepo's total aggregate liability to a User for any claims arising under or related to these Terms or Platform use shall not exceed the total fees paid by that User to ekiepo under the applicable engagement in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

12.3 Exclusion of Damages

In no event shall ekiepo be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, revenue, data or business opportunity, regardless of the cause of action or the theory of liability, even if ekiepo has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

12.4 No Warranty

The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. This Section applies to the Platform as software and does not limit the responsibility for delivered work set out in Section 4.2.

12.5 Business User Acknowledgment

The Platform is designed for use by businesses and professionals in a commercial context. By using the Platform, you represent that you are acting in a business capacity and not as a consumer. You acknowledge that the limitation of liability and exclusion of damages provisions in this Section are a fundamental element of the basis of the bargain between you and ekiepo, and that ekiepo would not provide the Platform without these limitations.

13.1 Termination by User

Users may terminate their accounts at any time by contacting ekiepo. Termination does not relieve Users of obligations incurred prior to termination, including payment obligations, non-solicitation obligations and confidentiality obligations.

13.2 Termination by {{ekiepo}}

ekiepo may suspend or terminate any User account at any time, with or without cause, upon notice to the User. ekiepo will make reasonable efforts to provide advance notice where possible, except in cases of material breach, fraud or activity that threatens Platform integrity or other Users' interests.

13.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination: (a) the User's access to the Platform will be revoked; (b) fees and any refund due are handled according to Section 6.6; (c) Confidentiality, Non-Solicitation, Limitation of Liability and Governing Law provisions survive termination.

14.1 Prohibited Conduct

Users may not: (a) use the Platform for any unlawful purpose; (b) submit false, misleading or fraudulent information; (c) impersonate any person or entity; (d) interfere with or disrupt Platform operations; (e) attempt to gain unauthorized access to Platform systems; (f) scrape, crawl or harvest Platform content; or (g) harass, threaten or abuse other Users.

14.2 Content Standards

All content submitted to the Platform must be accurate, lawful and non-infringing. Users are solely responsible for the content they submit and represent that they have all necessary rights and permissions to share such content.