It is a summary only. The full agreement is the AdviceAid Subscription Terms, which we are happy to share on request. Where this summary and the full terms differ, the full terms apply.

What the agreement is

AdviceAid is supplied as a subscription to a hosted software service (Software as a Service). Your organisation subscribes to use the service for an agreed period. It is not a sale or licence of software that you install or own.

The agreement is between Neatlines Ltd (which provides AdviceAid) and your organisation. The commercial details for your council, such as the modules, the term and the fee, are recorded in an Order Schedule that forms part of the agreement.

What is included

  • Access to the AdviceAid modules you select (SelfServ, Compose, or both).

  • Online support, by email and through our support portal.

  • Hosting, maintenance and ongoing updates to the service.

Term and renewal

Our standard agreement runs for 12 months. If a different length would suit your budgeting or procurement process better, just ask.

Unless either side gives notice before the end of a term, the subscription renews for a further 12 months. We will tell you the renewal fee in good time before you need to decide.

Fees and payment

  • Fees are set out in your Order Schedule or quote and are fixed for the agreed term.

  • There are no set-up fees and no cancellation fees.

  • Fees are in pounds sterling and exclusive of VAT.

  • Invoices are issued annually in advance and are payable within 30 days.

Your data and intellectual property

  • The advice content your team creates belongs to you. You can export it as a Word document at any time, including at the end of the agreement.

  • We claim no rights over your data.

  • Neatlines owns the AdviceAid service and software itself.

Data protection

  • For the personal data in the service, your council is the data controller and Neatlines is the data processor.

  • AdviceAid is designed to hold very little personal data: mainly your staff members' names and email addresses for sign-in, plus recipient email addresses used only to deliver advice sheets. It does not hold resident case records or special category data, and it takes no payments.

  • Neatlines is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (registration ZA225641).

  • We process personal data only on your instructions, use sub-processors only under written terms and with notice of any change, keep data in the UK unless an appropriate safeguard is in place, and notify you without undue delay of any personal data breach affecting your data.

Hosting and security

  • AdviceAid is hosted on Microsoft Azure in the UK region, and your data is stored within the UK.

  • Connections use HTTPS with TLS 1.2 or higher, and data is encrypted at rest.

  • Data is backed up daily, with backups encrypted and held separately.

More detail is available in our security and compliance articles, and we are happy to support your questionnaire, DPIA or DPA.

Our liability

Our total liability under the agreement is capped at the fees paid in the 12 months before a claim. Neither side is liable to the other for indirect or consequential losses, such as loss of profits or goodwill. Nothing limits liability for things that cannot be limited by law, such as death or personal injury caused by negligence, or fraud.

Confidentiality

Each side keeps the other's confidential information confidential, and uses it only as needed to deliver the agreement.

Ending the agreement and exit

  • Either side can end the agreement if the other is in serious breach and does not put it right within 30 days.

  • To stop at the end of a term, you let us know by email before the notice deadline.

  • When the agreement ends, we give you a reasonable opportunity to take copies of your advice and data, then remove it from the live environment. Backups cycle out within 30 days.

Procurement and public sector points

  • AdviceAid is well below public procurement thresholds, so councils can usually award directly under their own procurement rules, without a competitive tender.

  • The agreement creates no framework and no exclusivity, and does not commit you to spend beyond the agreed term.

  • We give reasonable help with your duties under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Procurement Act 2023, including transparency information about the contract.

  • We comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and we can provide evidence of our insurance and our data-protection and security arrangements on request.

How to get the full terms

For a copy of the full AdviceAid Subscription Terms, a quote, or help completing your procurement paperwork, contact us at support@adviceaid.uk