STANDARD ENGAGEMENT ASSUMPTIONS & TERMS

Every Higher Dimension engagement is guided by a set of standard Client work terms & assumptions, listed below.
These terms were last updated on 5 February 2024. Any prior versions of our terms, along with their update dates, will be linked at the end of this page.

Assumptions

Initiating Work

  • Team Structure: Within one week of awarding the engagement, the Client team is to identify:

    • no more than three (3) individuals to serve as the ‘core team’ and maintain responsibility for key decisions throughout the engagement journey

    • one (1) person to act as the ‘key point of contact’ (KPOC) to receive, disseminate or consolidate communication as necessary; the KPOC will act as the spokesperson for the ‘core team’

  • Scheduling: Every SOW outlines all engagement milestones and delivery dates; authorization of the SOW implies agreement to key dates. The SOW assumes all meeting scheduling is to be completed within one week of awarding the engagement

  • Client Document Delivery: Every SOW assumes any/all Client documents and resources relevant to the engagement will be delivered to HIGHER DIMENSION within one week of awarding the engagement; hours/pages of document review within scope are described explicitly; additional document review will require an additional SOW

Standard Operations

  • Alignment to Brief: A recap of the brief, as it is understood, will be provided after Discovery. Written acknowledgement of and agreement to the brief is required to progress beyond a Discovery Phase or Sub-Phase.

  • Assignment of Intellectual Property: Unless otherwise stated, HIGHER DIMENSION is not authorized to license, trademark, patent or otherwise assign intellectual property (IP) rights on behalf of the Client.

    • In good faith, HIGHER DIMENSION will conduct basic one-time due diligence checks for any mindshare conflicts or existing trademarks associated with any recommendations and will inform Client of any conflicts in a timely manner

    • ‘Inspiration’ deliverables are not subject to any vetting by HIGHER DIMENSION and should be reviewed carefully by the Client before being implemented

    • Client is responsible for any and all legal vetting or action related to assignment of IP

  • Audits: Audits will be conducted within the scope of time/costs described in the SOW and based on what information is publicly available online and/or provided by the Client at engagement initiation. Purchase or analysis of private publications or datasets will require an additional SOW.

  • Feedback: Timeline assumes consolidated feedback will be provided to HIGHER DIMENSION within 24 hours following a review meeting or delivery date.

    • Delays in consolidated feedback, decisions, or approvals may require a timeline adjustment and/or an additional SOW

    • Consolidated feedback is defined as a single, unified direction forward distilled into and described within a single communication to the HIGHER DIMENSION team (e.g., 1 PDF markup or 1 bulleted email)

  • Document Formatting: Unless otherwise stated, all presentations and final deliverables will be written in American English, delivered as a Google-native or Canva-native live document or PDF, and shared in the HIGHER DIMENSION template, not a bespoke Client-branded template.

  • Meeting Platform: Unless otherwise stated, all meetings and sessions will be conducted virtually, via Zoom.

  • Pre-Reads: A ‘pre-read’ is any deliverable provided in advance of a milestone for purposes of Client review and preparation. Unless otherwise stated, refinement of pre-read materials between delivery and the meeting is not included. All pre-read materials within scope are described explicitly; additional pre-reads will require an additional SOW

  • Rounds of Refinement: Every round of content refinement within scope is described explicitly ; additional rounds of refinement will require an additional SOW

  • Inspiration: ‘Inspiration’ describes any idea, reference or language delivered with the intention of illustrating a future state; inspiration does not constitute a final recommendation or assignment of IP

  • Changes: If changes are requested, beyond the scope of existing agreements, an additional SOW will be required.

Terms

All agreed Fees, Consumables, Reimbursables, and Timing quoted in the Statement of Work (“SOW”) are valid for 15 days and are considered final upon signature.

Fees

All agreed Fees are based on services outlined in the SOW. Any Client-requested changes or additions to timeline, deliverables, or milestones (including additional rounds of refinement or additional help desk hours) will require an additional SOW to be quoted and signed separately.

Consumables

Consumables are defined as tools, licenses, and materials to support the needs of project work and delivery. Consumables are calculated as a fixed percentage of the Fees and are applied to each invoice.

Reimbursables

Reimbursables are defined as out-of-pocket expenditures estimated to be made based on the needs of the project. Reimbursables are estimated based on the deliverables and milestones described within the SOW and will be billed in addition to the Fees based on actual costs incurred. All reimbursables carry a ten percent (10%) administrative charge. Reimbursables may include but are not limited to travel costs, couriers, reprographics, stock photography, font licensing, product audit/reference materials, all research-related expenses, proofreaders, and any other out-of-pocket expenses purchased on behalf of the project.

Invoicing & Payment Terms

Payment for Phase 1 Fees and Consumables will be required in order to commence work. After Phase 1, all remaining Fees and Consumables will be invoiced at the commencement of each sub-phase of work. All invoices shall be due and payable in full within fifteen (15) days of receipt of invoice.

Late Payment

Late payments will incur a Late Fee of 5% of invoice total for every week past due. These Late Fees will be charged via an incremental invoice, issued weekly.

Cancellation Policy

In the event that the Client cancels the engagement mid-flight, no refunds shall be issued for any Fees, Consumables, or Reimbursables already invoiced to date. All Fees invoiced up to the point of cancellation shall remain due and payable.

Notice Requirement for Pauses, Delays, or Cancellations

Should the Client wish to pause, delay, or cancel the engagement, a written notice must be provided to HIGHER DIMENSION at least two (2) weeks in advance. If such notice is provided less than two weeks prior to the intended date of pause or cancellation, the Client will be invoiced for all Fees and Consumables that would have been incurred within the two-week notice period, as well as any Reimbursables incurred as of the date of notice. All future Fees will be canceled accordingly. Engagements delayed by two weeks or more are subject to a full requote, including Fees, Consumables, Reimbursables, Timing and requiring authorization of an additional SOW.

Pre-Billing and Credits

Should a pre-billed engagement, phase or sub-phase be paused or canceled, HIGHER DIMENSION will issue a credit valid for future services. Credits must be utilized toward a new SOW within 8 weeks of issue and within the same calendar year, after which any unused funds will be deemed void.

Authorization

A SOW must be signed prior to the commencement of the work. HIGHER DIMENSION reserves the right to delay meetings, presentations, and the hand-off of any work until receipt of a formal approval or purchase order.

Previous versions

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