About Us
These Terms and Conditions govern your use of the services provided by IYS Festival Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (the “Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). Our registered activity falls under the Education sector (SIC code 85).
We operate the International Youth Speaking Festival, a competitive debate and public speaking platform for young people, delivered through online and in-person events across the United Kingdom and internationally. Our South African events are co-organised by our operational partner, Discoursify.
Our website is located at www.iysfestival.co.uk. For any questions regarding these Terms, please contact us at info@iysfestival.co.uk.
Acceptance of Terms
By accessing our website, registering for any event, or otherwise engaging with our services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, together with our Privacy Policy.
Where a registration is submitted by a teacher, school administrator, or other authorised representative on behalf of a school or institution, that person warrants that they have authority to bind the institution to these Terms.
These Terms apply to all events, whether online or in-person, and to all participants, accompanying adults, schools, and institutions.
Definitions
In these Terms and Conditions, the following definitions apply:
- “Event” means any debate competition, public speaking competition, Model United Nations conference, workshop, or other programme organised or facilitated by IYS Festival Ltd.
- “Participant” means any student, delegate, or young person who takes part in an Event.
- “Registrant” means the teacher, school administrator, parent, or guardian who submits a registration on behalf of one or more Participants.
- “School” means any educational institution, including independent schools, state schools, international schools, and tutoring organisations, that registers teams or individuals for an Event.
- “Team” means a group of Participants competing together as a unit in a debate or speaking format.
- “Invoice” means the payment request issued by IYS Festival Ltd to a Registrant following a successful event registration.
- “Minor” means any person under the age of 18, or such other age as constitutes a minor in the Participant’s jurisdiction of residence.
- “Services” means all events, competitions, coaching, and related activities offered by IYS Festival Ltd.
- “Website” means www.iysfestival.co.uk and all associated subdomains and pages.
Eligibility & Registration
Each Event has a specified age group or year group range. Registrants are responsible for ensuring that Participants fall within the stated eligibility criteria. IYS Festival Ltd reserves the right to disqualify Participants found to be outside the stated age range at the time of the Event.
Registrations are accepted from recognised educational institutions and organisations. Individual parent or guardian registrations are also accepted for relevant events where indicated. By submitting a registration, the Registrant confirms:
- All Participant details provided are accurate and complete.
- The Registrant has obtained all necessary consents from parents or guardians of Minor Participants prior to registration.
- The School or institution is aware of and agrees to these Terms on behalf of its Participants.
Each Event is subject to a maximum capacity. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. IYS Festival Ltd does not guarantee a place until an Invoice has been issued and full payment has been received. Where capacity is reached, registrations will be declined and any payment received will be refunded in full.
IYS Festival Ltd operates a social mission to fund free or subsidised registrations for students who are unable to meet participation costs. Applications for subsidised places are considered at our discretion. Submission of a standard registration does not constitute an application for a subsidised place. Schools wishing to enquire about subsidised access should contact info@iysfestival.co.uk prior to registration.
Event Booking
A registration is confirmed upon receipt of a completed registration form via our Website. An Invoice will be issued to the email address provided at the time of registration. Receipt of an Invoice constitutes confirmation of your registration.
Registrants must ensure that all details submitted — including school name, contact email, team numbers, and Participant information — are accurate at the time of submission. Errors may result in administrative delays or disqualification. IYS Festival Ltd accepts no liability for losses arising from inaccurate information provided during registration.
Full event details including schedule, platform (for online events), venue address (for in-person events), and format briefings will be communicated to Registrants via the email address provided no later than 7 days before the Event date. Registrants are responsible for distributing this information to Participants and accompanying adults in good time.
For online events, Participants are responsible for having access to a stable internet connection, appropriate hardware (camera, microphone), and any specified software platform. IYS Festival Ltd is not liable for technical difficulties experienced by Participants or their institutions that prevent or disrupt participation.
For in-person events, Participants and accompanying adults are responsible for their own travel to and from the venue. Where lunch or refreshments are stated as included in the event price, IYS Festival Ltd will make reasonable efforts to accommodate dietary requirements notified at the time of registration. Requests received after the registration deadline cannot be guaranteed.
Payment Terms
Following registration, an Invoice will be issued to the Registrant’s provided email address. The Invoice will state the total amount due, the payment deadline, and accepted payment methods.
Payment may be made by bank transfer to the details stated on the Invoice. IYS Festival Ltd uses Wise Business for financial operations. International payments are accepted; Registrants are responsible for any currency conversion fees or banking charges applied by their own institution.
Schools requiring payment in a currency other than GBP should contact finance@iysfestival.co.uk prior to making payment to obtain the correct account details for their currency.
Where payment is not received by the due date, IYS Festival Ltd may, at its discretion, issue a reminder, extend the payment deadline, or cancel the registration. In the event of cancellation due to non-payment, IYS Festival Ltd is not obliged to offer a replacement place.
All prices stated on our Website and Invoices are in pounds sterling (GBP) unless otherwise specified. Prices are per team for online competitions and per child for in-person events, as stated on the relevant event listing. IYS Festival Ltd reserves the right to adjust pricing for future events at any time.
Cancellation & Refunds
Cancellations must be submitted in writing to info@iysfestival.co.uk. The following cancellation policy applies:
- More than 28 days before the Event: Full refund of any payment made, less a £10 administration fee per team or per child registered.
- 14 to 28 days before the Event: 50% refund of any payment made.
- Less than 14 days before the Event: No refund. The full Invoice amount remains payable.
Where an Invoice has been issued but payment has not yet been made, cancellation within the 14-day window does not eliminate the payment obligation. The full Invoice amount remains due.
IYS Festival Ltd reserves the right to cancel an Event at any time due to insufficient registrations, venue unavailability, force majeure, or other circumstances beyond our reasonable control. In the event of cancellation by IYS Festival Ltd:
- Registrants will be notified as soon as reasonably practicable.
- A full refund of any payment received will be issued within 14 days of the cancellation notice.
- IYS Festival Ltd will not be liable for any consequential losses, including travel, accommodation, or preparation costs incurred by Registrants, Participants, or their institutions.
No refund is provided for non-attendance on the day of the Event, regardless of the reason, unless IYS Festival Ltd has been notified at least 14 days in advance and the cancellation policy in clause 7.1 applies.
Substitution of individual Participants within a registered team or group is permitted at any time before the Event, subject to eligibility requirements being met. Notification must be provided to info@iysfestival.co.uk no later than 48 hours before the Event start time.
Event Changes
IYS Festival Ltd reserves the right to make reasonable changes to Event details, including but not limited to schedule, format, venue, and judging panel. Where a material change is made, Registrants will be notified with as much advance notice as practicable.
If a material change renders an Event significantly different from what was advertised at the time of registration (for example, a change from in-person to online format), Registrants will be offered the option to cancel and receive a full refund.
Participant Conduct
All Participants, accompanying adults, and school representatives are expected to conduct themselves with courtesy, respect, and integrity at all times during IYS Festival events. The following standards apply:
- Participants must treat judges, opposing teams, organisers, and fellow competitors with respect at all times.
- Deliberate dishonesty, cheating, or misrepresentation of any kind will result in immediate disqualification.
- Discriminatory, abusive, threatening, or offensive language or behaviour will not be tolerated and may result in removal from the Event without refund.
- Participants must follow the instructions of IYS Festival staff, adjudicators, and venue officials promptly and respectfully.
- For online events, Participants must ensure their environment is appropriate, their camera is enabled where required, and they do not engage in any conduct that disrupts the event.
Participants must prepare and deliver their own speeches, arguments, and contributions. The use of AI-generated speeches or arguments presented as the Participant’s own original work, unauthorised coaching during rounds, or any form of plagiarism may result in disqualification and a report to the Participant’s school.
All adjudicator decisions are final. IYS Festival Ltd does not enter into correspondence regarding the merits of individual judging decisions. Formal complaints about the conduct (not the decisions) of adjudicators must be submitted in writing to info@iysfestival.co.uk within 5 working days of the Event.
IYS Festival Ltd reserves the right to remove any Participant, accompanying adult, or school representative from an Event, without refund, where their conduct is deemed disruptive, harmful, or in breach of these Terms. For in-person events, this may include removal from the venue. For online events, this may include removal from the platform.
Safeguarding & Welfare
IYS Festival Ltd is committed to the safety and welfare of all children and young people who participate in our events. We operate in accordance with the statutory safeguarding guidance applicable in England (Keeping Children Safe in Education) and apply equivalent principles to international events.
Schools and institutions are responsible for the supervision and welfare of their own Participants at all times during IYS Festival events, including travel to and from the venue. A responsible adult (teacher or designated safeguarding lead) must accompany Participants at all in-person events unless alternative arrangements have been agreed in writing with IYS Festival Ltd in advance.
Any safeguarding concern relating to a Participant must be reported immediately to the IYS Festival event organiser on the day or, outside of events, to info@iysfestival.co.uk. IYS Festival Ltd will respond to all safeguarding concerns in accordance with applicable statutory guidance and may involve relevant statutory agencies where required.
All IYS Festival staff and adjudicators who have unsupervised access to Minors at in-person events hold a current enhanced DBS check (or equivalent international vetting clearance for non-UK events). Documentation is available on request from info@iysfestival.co.uk.
Parental & Guardian Consent
Where Participants are Minors, it is the responsibility of the Registrant (teacher, school administrator, or parent) to obtain appropriate consent from parents or guardians before registration. By submitting a registration, the Registrant confirms that:
- Parents or guardians of all Minor Participants have been informed of the nature and format of the Event.
- Appropriate consent has been obtained in accordance with the School’s own consent procedures.
- Parents or guardians are aware that their child’s image may be captured in photographs or video at in-person events (see Section 12).
- Any relevant medical information or special educational needs that may affect the Participant’s participation have been disclosed to IYS Festival Ltd at the time of registration.
Photography, Video & Media
IYS Festival Ltd may capture photographs and video footage at in-person events for use in marketing, social media, press releases, and promotional materials. By registering for an in-person event, the Registrant consents to photographs and video being taken of Participants and acknowledges that this consent has been communicated to and accepted by parents or guardians of Minor Participants.
If a Participant or their parent/guardian does not consent to photography or video, this must be notified in writing to info@iysfestival.co.uk no later than 7 days before the Event. IYS Festival Ltd will make reasonable efforts to ensure non-consenting Participants are not identifiable in published imagery.
For online events, IYS Festival Ltd may record rounds for quality assurance and adjudicator training purposes. Recordings of online events will not be published publicly without the prior written consent of all Participants involved. Registrants will be notified in advance of any event that will be recorded.
Participants, schools, and accompanying adults are welcome to photograph and video their own participation. However, recording of other schools’ Participants without the consent of their accompanying adults is not permitted at in-person events.
Intellectual Property
All content on the IYS Festival Website, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, event formats, scoring systems, and competition structures, is the intellectual property of IYS Festival Ltd or its licensors and is protected by applicable copyright and trademark law. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from this content without our prior written consent.
Participants retain ownership of their own speeches, arguments, and creative works delivered at IYS Festival events. By participating, you grant IYS Festival Ltd a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use excerpts of speeches or performances in promotional and educational materials, provided that the Participant is identified appropriately and parental consent has been obtained where the Participant is a Minor.
The IYS Festival event formats, cup structures, and competition frameworks are proprietary to IYS Festival Ltd. Schools and individuals may not replicate or commercialise these formats without a formal written agreement with IYS Festival Ltd.
Data Protection
IYS Festival Ltd processes personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Our full Privacy Policy, which explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights, is available at www.iysfestival.co.uk/privacy.
By registering for an event, you consent to IYS Festival Ltd processing the personal data provided for the purposes of event administration, invoicing, communications, and safeguarding. We will not sell your personal data to third parties. Data may be shared with co-organisers (including Discoursify for South African events) and venues where necessary for event delivery.
All data is retained only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and in accordance with our data retention schedule. You may exercise your rights under UK GDPR by contacting info@iysfestival.co.uk.
Website Use
You may use our Website for lawful purposes and in a manner that does not infringe the rights of others or restrict or inhibit their use of the Website. Prohibited activities include but are not limited to: transmitting unlawful, defamatory, or offensive content; attempting to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Website or its systems; and using the Website to distribute malware or engage in any fraudulent activity.
We make no warranty that the Website will be available at all times or that it will be free from errors, interruptions, or security vulnerabilities. Planned maintenance will be carried out with reasonable notice where practicable. IYS Festival Ltd is not liable for any loss arising from the unavailability of the Website.
Our Website may contain links to third-party websites. These links are provided for convenience only. IYS Festival Ltd has no control over and accepts no responsibility for the content, privacy practices, or availability of any third-party sites.
Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, IYS Festival Ltd shall not be liable for:
- Any indirect, incidental, consequential, or special losses arising out of or in connection with the use of our Services or attendance at our Events.
- Personal injury or property damage sustained by Participants or accompanying adults at in-person events, except where caused by the proven negligence of IYS Festival Ltd.
- Loss of data or failure of electronic systems during online events.
- Travel, accommodation, preparation, or other costs incurred by Registrants or Participants in connection with an Event that is cancelled or materially changed.
- Acts or omissions of third parties, including venue operators, technology platforms, or co-organising partners.
Where liability cannot be excluded, our total aggregate liability to you in respect of any claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the amount paid by you for the specific Event to which the claim relates.
Force Majeure
IYS Festival Ltd shall not be in breach of these Terms or liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations where such failure or delay results from events beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to:
- Acts of God, natural disasters, floods, or severe weather events.
- Pandemic, epidemic, or public health emergency declared by a relevant authority.
- Government-imposed restrictions, travel bans, or venue closures.
- Industrial action, power failures, or telecommunications outages.
- Acts of terrorism or civil unrest affecting the event venue or location.
Where a Force Majeure event prevents an Event from proceeding as planned, IYS Festival Ltd will use reasonable efforts to reschedule the Event or offer an alternative format. Where this is not possible, refunds will be issued in accordance with clause 7.2.
Third-Party Partners
Certain events are delivered in partnership with third-party organisations, including co-organisers, venue operators, and educational bodies. Where a third-party partner is involved in the delivery of an Event, that partner may have their own terms and conditions that apply alongside these Terms. Registrants will be notified of any material third-party terms prior to or at the time of registration.
IYS Festival Ltd is not responsible for the conduct, decisions, or omissions of third-party partners except where expressly stated. Any disputes arising from the actions of third-party partners should be directed to IYS Festival Ltd in the first instance, who will liaise with the relevant partner on your behalf.
Governing Law & Jurisdiction
These Terms and Conditions and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them (including non-contractual disputes or claims) are governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales.
Both parties agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales to resolve any dispute or claim arising under these Terms, except where mandatory applicable law in the Registrant’s jurisdiction provides otherwise.
Amendments to These Terms
IYS Festival Ltd reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. The current version of these Terms will always be available at www.iysfestival.co.uk/terms, together with the date on which they were last updated.
Where amendments are material, we will endeavour to notify Registrants who have an active registration at the time of the amendment by email. Continued use of our Services or participation in Events following the publication of amended Terms constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
If you do not agree to the amended Terms, you may cancel your registration in accordance with the cancellation policy in Section 7, provided that you notify us within 7 days of the amendment notice.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding these Terms and Conditions, or any aspect of our Services, please contact us using the details below. We aim to respond to all enquiries within 2 business days.