Code of Conduct for Growth Investment Members
Background
Growth Investment is an organisation that guides entrepreneurs to sources of support and funding through a network of specialists.
Members are professional organisations who provide funding, support for businesses seeking funding or services required to complete a funding deal.
Disclaimer: Growth Investment has no clients. Businesses therefore engage directly with each member organisation on their respective terms of engagement.
On joining Growth Investment, members agree to abide by this code of conduct.
Introductions to Members
Aspiring entrepreneurs and existing businesses can find the member organisation best suited to help them by searching the Growth Investment web site or through a personal enquiry.
Once in contact with a prospective client, one member may identify others that can help and may introduce a selection of providers from which the business can choose. No member deals exclusively with another.
Members Engaging with Clients
Members will encourage support for businesses to develop convincing and attractive funding propositions. Members will not charge for an initial meeting, but may then charge a fee for services provided depending on the work required and their own charging policy.
Members must advise clients of their fees and terms of payment or investment in a transparent manner prior to engagement. Fees may be fixed or variable depending on the nature and extent of work, the stage of the business and the amount of funding involved, and contracts will contain a termination date. The cumulative impact of costs incurred by members and fees payable by clients need to be considered.
Members are responsible for making clients aware of the code of conduct on the web site.
Resolving Issues
Members should promote a friendly open honest and constructive relationship in their dealings and work together for the good of the client and towards the aims of Growth Investment. Any conflicts or disputes should be aired at the earliest opportunity in a spirit of openness for speedy resolution.
Members and directors are responsible for declaring any potential conflicts of interest when introducing clients to other members and on other occasions when appropriate.
Any unresolved issues between members and /or with introduced clients may be referred to a Growth Investment committee formed at the order of the board and including three independent directors.
In the first instance contact should be made via the usual Growth Investment contact points on the web site.
Membership subscriptions
Growth Investment is sponsored by East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA). Members will be invoiced for annual subscriptions with payment due in 30 days. Members that fail to pay within 30 days of the due date will have their benefits and profile on the web site withdrawn.
Under the terms of EMDA support, Members are encouraged to work together for the benefit of clients and agree to provide details of activity to justify the funding from EMDA.
By Order of the Board 30 April 2008