This agreement is to be read alongside and interpreted consistently with the Registration Form.
This agreement is to be governed by the law of England and Wales.
By registering, the Responsible Teacher promises that they have authority to enter into this agreement with the Cambridge Union Society on behalf of the School.
The School promises to pay the Cambridge Union Society £50 per team registered in consideration for entry into the competition (“the registration payment”). The registration payment must be made pursuant to clause 6, subject to the exceptions set out in “Schedule A”.
In certain circumstances, the School shall be entitled to a partial refund of the registration payment following withdrawal from the competition. The circumstances in which such a right arises are detailed in “Schedule B”.
The registration payment is to be made by a Bank Transfer or using a PayPal account via the payment portal provided. The registration payment, or any other payment owing under this agreement, is to be treated as having been made only when it has been received in cleared funds by the Cambridge Union Society. For schools participating in rounds before the 30th of November, the payment deadline will be the 1st of January. For the rest of the schools the deadline for payment will be two weeks beforethe regional round registered for.
In the event that the School fails to make the registration payment within the time provided, the registration will be cancelled and the school will be obliged to reregister should it wish to enter the competition. Should payment occur after the deadline, the School agrees to pay the Cambridge Union Society an additional £10 per team registered (“a clause 7 penalty payment”). The School is not required to make a clause 7 penalty payment if its failure to make the registration payment by the agreed date falls within the exceptional circumstances set out in “Schedule C”.
In the event that any payment owing to the Cambridge Union Society remains unpaid one week after the payment deadline, the registration will be nulled and the school will no longer be invited to take part in the competition.
The Cambridge Union Society, the Oxford Union Society and the Durham Union Society currently operate a shared “Competition Blacklist.” Schools placed on the “Competition Blacklist” may be ineligible to compete in any of the schools debating competitions run by the Cambridge, Oxford or Durham Union Societies in that year and potentially in future years. In the event that any payment owing to the Cambridge Union Society remains unpaid one week after the payment deadline, the School agrees to its being placed on the “Competition Blacklist.” For these purposes, the School agrees to the Convenors giving its details to the Oxford Union Society and the Durham Union Society, in the circumstances described above.
Schedule A – Refund Policy (Protection of Bursary Schools and Impossible Dates)
In the event that the School withdraws a team or teams from the competition, the School shall not be liable to make the registration payment or any penalty payment in respect of any such team, provided that the School’s withdrawal is communicated to the Convenors by email up to 20 days before the registration deadline (“the withdrawal date”).
The School acknowledges that any withdrawal from the competition not covered by clause 1 of this Schedule shall not affect the School’s obligation to make the registration payment or any penalty payment. The Cambridge Union Society shall in such circumstances remain entitled to payment in full, unless the school has the right to an exemption under clauses 3 or 4 of this Schedule and or the right to a partial refund arising under to Schedule B.
In the event that the School applies for a bursary and is unsuccessful, the School shall in all circumstances be entitled to withdraw its teams from the competition without incurring any liability to make any payment to the Cambridge Union Society, provided that the School’s withdrawal is communicated to the Convenors of the competition by email within 7 days of the result of the bursary application.
In the event that the School is allocated to a Regional Round which takes place on a date which the School marked as an “Impossible Date” when filling out the Registration Form, the School shall in all circumstances be entitled to withdraw from the competition without incurring any liability to make any payment to the Cambridge Union Society, provided that the School’s withdrawal is communicated to the Convenors of the competition by email 7 days in advance of the Regional Round to which the school is allocated. Allocation to Regional Rounds nonetheless remains at the absolute discretion of the Cambridge Union Society, and will be completed at a later date.
Schedule B – Partial Refund Policy
Alternatively, in the event that the School withdraws a team or teams from the competition within 14 days or less of the Regional Round to which the School is allocated, any outstanding liability to make the registration payment shall be reduced by 25% and the Cambridge Union Society promises to refund 25% of any registration payment already received (“a late withdrawal partial refund”).
The School agrees, consistent with its acknowledgement in clause 2 of Schedule A, that if, at any point after the date of the Regional Round to which it is allocated for any reason, it withdraws from the competition, it shall remain liable to make payment of all sums owing to the Cambridge Union Society in full.
Schedule C – Fine Policy (Protection of Bursary Schools)
The School is not liable to make a clause 7 penalty payment if the School’s failure to make the registration payment by the deadline, is as a result of its decision to apply for a bursary, and that application is successful.
The School is not liable to make a clause 7 penalty payment if the School’s failure to make the registration payment by The deadline, as a result of its decision to apply for a bursary, and that application is unsuccessful and the School either:
Withdraws from the competition within 7 days of the communication of the result of the bursary application; or
Makes the registration payment in full within 21 days of the communication of result of the bursary application.
Cambridge Union Debating 