DIGITAL WORKPLACE – TERMS & CONDITIONS

Effective Date: 20 October 2025
Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Contact: support@digitalworkplace.me

Definitions

• “DWP”, “we”, “us”, “our”: Digital Workplace™ , Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• “Client”, “you”, “your”: The organisation entering into this Agreement with DWP.
• “Agreement”: These Terms & Conditions together with any accepted proposal, order form, or statement of work (SOW), and the DWP Privacy Policy.
• “Services”: The Digital Workplace Certification Programme and related assessments, surveys, benchmarking, validation, certification issuance, re-certification, enablement, and events
• “Certification Journey”: DWP’s six-step delivery framework described in Section 7.
• “Deliverables”: Outputs produced by DWP (e.g., reports, dashboards, scorecards, presentations, roadmaps, PR toolkits).
• “Badge(s)”: The official Digital Workplace Certification emblem(s) and tier marks (e.g., Digital Ready, Digital Enabled, Digital Amazing).
• “Confidential Information”: Non-public business, operational, financial, or technical information disclosed in connection with the Services, whether oral, written, or digital.
• “Order”: An accepted proposal, order form, fees, timelines, and assumptions.
• “Assessment Portal” means the secure Digital Workplace™ online platform used by authorised Client representatives during the assessment, survey, and certification stages of the Digital Workplace Certification Programme.
• “Website” means the public Digital Workplace™ marketing website that provides general information about the programme and hosts the Public Verification Listing of certified organisations.

2. Relationship with Digital Workplace

These Terms form a legally binding Agreement between DWP and the Client for access to and use of the Services. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Services.

DWP may perform the Services through its qualified Partners, and DWP is authorized to disclose to them any information necessary for such performance (while remaining responsible to the Client for the Services).

3. Acceptance of the Terms

You accept these Terms when you sign an Order, click to accept, or use any part of the Services (including onboarding links or surveys). You confirm you are authorised to bind your organisation.

4. Changes to the Terms

DWP may update these Terms for regulatory, operational, or security reasons. The updated version will show a new Effective Date on our website. Material changes will be notified to Client administrators or commercial contacts 30 days in advance. Continued use after notice constitutes acceptance.

5. Client Accounts & Access

DWP provides authorised users with credentials for the Assessment Portal. You must keep credentials confidential, ensure only authorised personnel use them, and promptly notify DWP of any unauthorised access or breach. You must not share accounts, circumvent security, or interfere with the Assessment Portal. DWP may suspend access for security or misuse reasons (see Section 16).

6. Proper Use of the Services

• The Assessment Portal is used solely for certification and assessment purposes.
• The Website is public-facing and may be used only for browsing, marketing, and viewing certified listings.

You agree not to:

• submit false or manipulated data;
• copy, translate, or reverse-engineer any DWP system or model;
• share or resell Deliverables without written consent;
• misuse Badges or misrepresent certification status;
• use either platform in any manner that harms DWP or other clients.

The Client is responsible for providing timely, accurate, and complete information and materials needed for the Services, and acknowledges that DWP will rely on the information provided by the Client in performing the Services.

7. Certification Journey (6 Steps)

• Onboarding & Access – Invitation link, credentials, and orientation.
• Corporate Pulse Survey (Weeks 1–2) – Baseline survey on digital tools, policies, and culture.
• Digital Readiness Index (DRI) Survey (Weeks 2–3) – Employee and leadership assessment covering adoption, engagement, and maturity.
• Automated Scoring & Certification (Weeks 3–4) – Weighted scoring and validation; certification issued.
• Badge & Recognition Package Delivery – Badge(s), benchmarking report, 90-day action roadmap, and PR toolkit.
• Renewal & Uplift – Annual re-assessment with updated benchmarks and ROI dashboards.

8. Certification Tiers, Validity, Badges & Public Portal

1. a) Tiers. Digital Ready, Digital Enabled, Digital Amazing; determined by verified DRI scores.

1. b) Validity. 12-month certification; renewal requires re-assessment and fee.
   c) Public Verification Website (Mandatory). Certified organisations will appear on DWP’s public Website listing organisation name, country, and validity dates. In exceptional cases (e.g., legal restrictions), DWP may review written requests for temporary omission.
   d) Badge Licence. Non-exclusive, revocable licence to use Badge(s) during validity, subject to the Brand & Badge Guidelines. No alteration or use after expiry. Misuse may lead to revocation and delisting.
2. e) Top Listing & Annual Recognition Ceremony.
   Organisations achieving the Amazing Tier (≥ 83%) and meeting the Top Listing criteria (Corporate Survey ≥ 85% and DRI ≥ 90%) qualify automatically for the Digital Workplace Annual Recognition Ceremony and Top Listing Programme.
   This annual ceremony showcases the highest-performing organisations across industries, size segments, and regions as outlined in the DWP Product Framework.
   Categories may include, without limitation:

• Amazing Tier Excellence
• Innovation Leaders
• Employee Experience Champions
• Digital Leadership Awards
• Regional and Industry Recognition

Participation benefits include:

• Public recognition on the Website and DWP media channels;
• Exclusive Top Listing Badge and designation;
• Extended marketing support (press release coordination, PR features, and social content);
• Eligibility for community membership, speaking opportunities, and networking sessions.
• Attendance at the Annual Recognition Ceremony is by official invitation only. DWP reserves the right to modify categories, eligibility, and event format (virtual or in-person) at its discretion.

9. Deliverables & Intellectual Property

1. a) DWP IP. The Playbook, frameworks, question banks, scoring models, algorithms, benchmarks, report templates, designs, and software are DWP’s exclusive intellectual property. No ownership is transferred.
2. b) Client Materials. You retain ownership of your data, policies, and evidence. You grant DWP a limited licence to use such materials solely to deliver the Services.
3. c) Deliverables Use. Unless stated otherwise in the Order, Deliverables are licensed for internal business use only and may not be resold, republished, or distributed externally without DWP’s prior written consent.
4. d) Aggregated Insights. DWP may use de-identified, aggregated data to enhance benchmarks, research, and service quality.

10. Fees, Invoicing & Taxes

Fees are set out in the Order. Invoices are due within 30 days of issue unless otherwise agreed. Late amounts may incur 1.5% per month (or the maximum lawful rate) plus reasonable collection costs. Fees are exclusive of VAT and taxes, which remain your responsibility. DWP may suspend Services for non-payment.

All payments shall be made in full without any set-off, counterclaim, or deduction, and the Client may not withhold payment of any invoice due to a dispute or claim against DWP.

11. Confidentiality

Each party must protect the other’s Confidential Information using at least reasonable care and use it only for this Agreement. Exceptions apply for information that is public, independently developed, or rightfully received without obligation. If disclosure is legally required, the receiving party will give prompt notice (where lawful) and limit disclosure to what is required. These obligations survive termination.

12. Data Protection & Security

Both parties shall comply with the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and applicable regulations. DWP processes data in accordance with its Privacy Policy and may enter a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) where required. Primary data is hosted on AWS Middle East (UAE Region) with industry-standard safeguards (encryption, access controls, logging/monitoring, and regular assessments).

DWP will retain Client data (including any submitted evidence or personal data) only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes of the Services and to meet applicable legal or regulatory requirements, after which such data will be deleted or anonymized in accordance with DWP’s data retention policies.

13. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless DWP and its officers, employees, and consultants from claims, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to:

• your breach of this Agreement;
• inaccurate or misleading data or evidence provided for certification;
• misuse of Badges or Deliverables;
• unauthorised disclosure of DWP Confidential Information; or
• infringement claims caused by Client-supplied materials.

14. Warranties & Disclaimers

DWP delivers its Services with the highest professional standards, care, and integrity in line with its certification methodology. While outcomes depend on each organisation’s data accuracy, participation, and readiness level, DWP ensures all assessments and certifications are conducted objectively and transparently in accordance with the Digital Workplace Playbook.

15. Limitation of Liability

Certification results and benchmarking insights are based on information provided by the Client and verified evidence during the assessment process.

DWP’s role is to evaluate and recognise digital workplace maturity objectively; it does not provide operational consultancy, financial advice, or performance guarantees.
The Client acknowledges that decisions or actions taken based on certification outcomes are its own responsibility

Deliverables (including reports and certificates) are provided solely for the Client’s internal benefit based on the information given by the Client. DWP shall not be liable for any actions taken or not taken by the Client or any third party based on such Deliverables.

DWP shall not be liable for any delayed, partial, or total non-performance of the Services if such failure is caused by events or circumstances beyond DWP’s reasonable control, or by the Client’s failure to fulfill its obligations.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, DWP’s total aggregate liability under this Agreement, regardless of the form of action, is limited to the fees actually paid by the Client for the specific Service that directly gave rise to the claim.

Any claim by the Client against DWP must be notified to DWP in writing within 30 days of the claimant becoming aware of the circumstances giving rise to the claim, and in any event any legal proceeding must be brought within one (1) year from the date of the relevant Service delivery, failing which the claim will be time-barred.

16. Cancellation, Access & Suspensions

1. a) Cancellation.
   Once an Order is accepted and access to the Assessment Portal or onboarding materials is provided, the engagement is considered active and non-refundable.
   If a Client wishes to cancel before activating portal access, DWP may approve cancellation subject to recovery of administrative and mobilisation costs already incurred.
2. b) Access.
   The DWP Assessment Portal operates as a self-service platform.
   Clients retain continuous access to their workspace, surveys, dashboards, and historical data for future benchmarking, or re-assessment
   c) Suspension.
   DWP may suspend or disable portal access if it detects misuse, attempted system interference, false data submission, or breach of these Terms.
   Suspension may also occur for non-payment where applicable. Access will be restored once the issue is resolved.

17. Force Majeure

Neither party is liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond reasonable control (including natural disasters, acts of government, pandemics, major cloud/network outages, or labour disputes), provided the affected party uses reasonable efforts to mitigate and resumes performance when feasible.

18. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the United Arab Emirates. Disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Dubai Courts (non-DIFC). The English version prevails over any translation.

19. Notices

Formal notices must be in writing and sent to the addresses/emails specified in the Order or to support@digitalworkplace.me. Notices by email are effective on receipt if sent to the designated legal/contract contact.

20. General Provisions

• Severability: If any provision is invalid, it shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary while the remainder remains effective.
• No Waiver: Failure to enforce rights is not a waiver of them.
• Assignment: Neither party may assign this Agreement without the other’s consent, except to an affiliate or successor in a merger or asset sale.
• Entire Agreement: This Agreement supersedes all prior communications relating to the Services.

21. Legal Information

• Trademark Name: Digital Workplace™
• Registration No.: 453711
• Category: 35 (Management consulting, marketing research, and consulting)
• Owner: SMC
• Registered Address: Office No. 2, Unit 0207, Al Ghurair Properties, Deira, Al Muteena, Dubai, UAE
• Registered Date: 25 August 2025
• Validity: Until 24 June 2035 (renewable every 10 years)

The term Digital Workplace™ is a registered trademark (Registration No. 453711) under Class 35 with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism of the United Arab Emirates. The trademark is owned by Strategic Management Consulting and Studies (SMC) under licence No. 0207, Al Ghurair Properties, Deira, Al Muteena, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or use of this mark, logo, or associated materials is strictly prohibited.

22. Contact

Digital Workplace
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
📧 support@digitalworkplace.me