Please read the following important terms and conditions before you submit your Membership Application

These terms set out our respective legal rights and responsibilities in respect of your application and membership of BRITISH FASHION COUNCIL (“BFC”). By making an application for membership you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions and confirm that the information you have submitted is accurate and complete.

Application Criteria and Fees

1. In order to be considered to be a member, you must meet pre-set criteria (please see BFC Member Information Pack).  Please check that you / your brand meet this criteria before applying for membership. Applications received which do not meet this criteria will not be considered.
2. Once the BFC has considered your application, it will notify you if you have been accepted as a member of the BFC.
3. Membership recognises the ‘brand named’ business set out in the Membership Application Form and the membership and Member Benefits are for that business only and may not be assigned, sold or otherwise transferred to any other brand, designer or business.
4. BFC reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to refuse any membership application for any reason.

Membership Term

1. Membership is for a 12 month period from the date of acceptance by BFC (“Initial Term”) and, unless cancelled in accordance with the provisions below, will be automatically renewed for consecutive periods of 12 months from the expiry of the Initial Term and each year after it (each a “Renewal Term”). The Initial Term and the Renewal Term shall together be the “Term”.

Membership Fees

1. The annual turnover of your business will determine your “Membership Category” and “Membership Fee”. The Membership Application Form sets out the Membership Fee payable by you during the Initial Term should the BFC accept your application to become a member.  The Membership Fee for each Renewal Term will be the same as the Membership Fee payable during the Initial Term unless it is varied by the BFC as set out below.
2. The Membership Fee for the Initial Term and each Renewal Term is payable, in full, within 30 days of the date of a corresponding invoice from the BFC and shall be made by bank transfer to the bank details set out in the invoice. Please use your brand name as your reference for the payment.
3. Membership Fees are reviewed periodically and may be varied by BFC.  When any such changes are made, the BFC will provide not less than 60 days’ notice to members and such new Membership Fee will be effective from the start of the next Renewal Term to commence after the date of the notice.

Member Engagement

As a member of the BFC, the BFC expects you to:

1. Support the BFC’s published aims and objectives by sharing expertise with other members and partners through attending events, contributing to insight opportunities and participating in activities and initiatives (where appropriate) as part of the BFC’s non-profit remit;
2. Keep all contact information up to date to ensure that listings on the BFC website are accurate;
3. Contribute to the development of the British fashion community through open and collaborative dialogue with the BFC;
4. Act professionally, courteously and responsibly at all BFC events; and
5. Adhere to business best practice Code of Conduct. Where this isn’t possible, raise directly with the BFC for consideration as part of application process. A copy of the best practice Code of Conduct can be found as part of the application process.

Member Benefits

1. You are granted the Member Benefits during the Term of your membership. The list of Member Benefits is set out in the BFC Member Information Pack. The BFC Member Information Pack (and therefore the benefits in it) may change from time to time. Where the benefits granted to you as a member do change, we will let you know accordingly.
2. Members are not invited to all BFC Events and activities and where members are invited to BFC events access may be subject to availability and/or a further fee.
3. Admission to BFC events and BFC event venues may also be refused to any member or their guest at the discretion of BFC.   

Cancellation of Membership

1. If you do not want to renew your membership after the Initial Term or after any Renewal Term, notice must be provided in writing or by email to your BFC account manager (allocated to you on acceptance of membership) not less than 30 days’ before the commencement of the next Renewal Term. Notice received less than 30 days’ before the commencement of the next Renewal Term will not be effective until the following year and, as such, you will be obliged to pay the Membership Fee in the forthcoming Renewal Term. 
2. Cancelling your membership via verbal instruction to any employee of BFC is not sufficient to cancel your membership. In the event of a dispute proof of postage requesting cancellation, hand delivered letters countersigned/photocopied by a BFC employee or e-mail are the only formats accepted as confirmation of cancellation.
3. You have the right to cancel your membership at any time. If you cancel your membership, you will have no claim to any refund of Membership Fees paid and all Membership Fees due but not yet paid will immediately become due and payable by you.

Termination of Membership

1. BFC reserves the right to immediately terminate your membership for the following reasons on giving you written notice of the same if: (i) you have committed a breach of any of the terms hereof and (where such breach is capable of being remedied) shall have failed to remedy the same within 30 (thirty) days of receiving a notice specifying the breach and requiring its remedy; (ii) you engage in conduct which, in the reasonable opinion of the BFC, reflects unfavourably on the good name, goodwill, reputation or image of BFC, the membership programme, or other members; or (iii) you fail to pay any Membership Fee when due and fail to remedy the same within 5 working days of the date of a reminder notice from the BFC that payment is overdue.
2. In the event that membership is terminated for one of these reasons, without prejudice to the BFC’s other rights and remedies, you acknowledge that no refund of any Membership Fees paid will be made to you. On termination of your membership, all rights connected with your membership shall immediately cease.

Disclaimer, Liability and General Terms

1. Whilst BFC endeavours to ensure the accuracy of information and material supplied to Members (including in the BFC Member Information Pack and on the BFC website and at events), no warranty is given about the accuracy of such information and materials.
2. BFC reserves the right to vary these terms (including the documents referred to in them) from time to time. We will make you aware of any variations that we make.
3. Nothing in these terms shall exclude or in any way limit either party’s liability for fraud, death or personal injury caused by its negligence or any other liability to the extent such liability may not be excluded or limited as a matter of law.  Subject to the foregoing, the BFC shall not in any event be liable to pay compensation or damages to you (for whatever reason such compensation or damages may be due) in relation to these terms or the rights granted under them, greater than the amount of the Membership Fees received by the BFC in the particular year of the Term to which the action or claim relates.
4. During the Term, the parties acknowledge and agree that the BFC may access, receive, generate, store and/or otherwise process personal data relating to you in order to process your application for membership and to fulfil its obligations to you under these membership terms when you become a member. The types of personal data include names, address, other contract information, financial data. You acknowledge that the BFC shall be the data controller of the data processed in connection with your membership. We both agree to comply with the obligations imposed on us by applicable Data Protection Legislation. “Data Protection Legislation” means the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 together with all other applicable laws and regulations relating to the processing of personal data and privacy, including without limitation, any binding guidance and codes of practice issued from time to time by any relevant supervisory authority.
5. Nothing in this Agreement excludes or limits either party’s liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence or for any other act which cannot be excluded or limited by law.  Subject to the foregoing, the BFC shall not in any event be liable to pay compensation or damages to you in relation to these terms or your membership (or the rights granted as part of the membership) greater than the amount of Membership Fee received by you in connection with the particular membership year to which such action or claim arises.
6. The terms are governed by English law and the parties subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.