Terms and Conditions

Summary

Mach-Bio provides researchers, startups, academic groups and life-science organizations with supported access to specialist laboratory equipment at BioPartner 3 in Leiden.

Mach-Bio services may include:

• instrument-specific training;
• starter packages;
• hourly equipment access;
• private or group training;
• assisted-use or scientific-support services;
• equipment-use packages and top-ups; and
• other services agreed separately with Mach-Bio.

Training reservations are made through the Mach-Bio website. Once a User has successfully completed the applicable training and assessment and has been certified by Mach-Bio, independent equipment bookings are currently managed through Calira.

Booking or attending training does not itself authorize independent equipment use.

Independent use requires successful completion of all applicable training requirements, including any required online preparation, practical training and competency assessment, followed by certification by Mach-Bio for the relevant instrument.

1. About Mach-Bio

Mach-Bio B.V., registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under number 99046350 and having its registered office at Galileiweg 8, 2333 BD Leiden, the Netherlands (“Mach-Bio”), is a shared laboratory infrastructure provider operating at BioPartner 3 in Leiden, the Netherlands.

Mach-Bio currently provides access to specialist instruments for imaging and microscopy, flow cytometry and cell analysis, protein analysis and immunoassays, molecular biology and qPCR, and plate-based detection. The instruments available at any time are listed on the equipment page of the Website, or are notified by Mach-Bio in writing on request.

Mach-Bio may add, replace, temporarily remove or discontinue Equipment as its facility and services develop.

These Terms apply to use of the Mach-Bio website, training reservations, onboarding, practical training, competency assessments, certification and use of Mach-Bio Equipment and facilities.

These Terms apply to every offer, quotation, Booking and agreement under which Mach-Bio provides Services, and to every use of the Website. The Client's own general or purchasing terms do not apply and are expressly rejected.

Equipment-specific standard operating procedures (“SOPs”), safety rules, site rules and written staff instructions also apply. Where an equipment-specific SOP or safety instruction is more specific than these Terms, Users must follow the more specific operational requirement.

If documents conflict, the following order applies, the earlier prevailing over the later: (1) a signed written agreement between Mach-Bio and the Client, including a data processing agreement for the processing it covers; (2) the quotation or Package terms accepted by the Client; (3) the Booking confirmation, for the particulars of the Booking it confirms; (4) these Terms.

2. Definitions

3. Eligibility

To use Mach-Bio Services, a User must:

• be legally capable of entering into the relevant agreement;
• meet any applicable minimum-age or supervision requirement;
• provide complete and accurate information;
• be connected to an appropriate Client Organization where required;
• complete Mach-Bio’s onboarding and intake requirements;
• complete all required Online Preparation;
• attend the applicable practical Training;
• successfully complete any required competency Assessment; and
• receive Mach-Bio Certification before independent Equipment use.

Mach-Bio provides its Services to businesses, research institutions, universities, healthcare organizations and professionals acting in the course of a profession or business. Every Booking must name a Client Organization, and the person placing it confirms that it is made in the course of a profession or business and on behalf of that Client Organization. Mach-Bio does not accept a Booking made by a natural person acting outside a profession or business; a person without a Client Organization should contact Mach-Bio before booking. If it turns out that a Booking was made by a person acting outside a profession or business, Mach-Bio may cancel that Booking and refund any Fees paid for the part not yet delivered, and any term of these Terms that cannot lawfully be applied to that person does not apply to them.

Users must be at least 18 years old. Mach-Bio does not offer supervised use for minors.

Mach-Bio may request reasonable evidence of identity, organizational affiliation, authority, qualifications, approvals or previous experience where needed for safety, billing, access or compliance.

4. Client and organizational information

Where a Booking is made on behalf of a Client Organization, the person submitting the Booking confirms that the information provided is accurate and that they are authorized to provide it.

Mach-Bio may collect information about:

• the Client Organization;
• the trainee;
• scientific or project contacts;
• billing contacts;
• project type;
• requested Equipment;
• samples and biosafety;
• previous experience;
• data requirements; and
• training or support needs.

The individual trainee must be correctly identified. A training place may not be transferred to another person without Mach-Bio’s approval.

Individual Users remain responsible for following all applicable training, safety, SOP and conduct requirements.

The Client Organization is liable, jointly and severally with its Users, for the Fees of every Booking made by or for its Users and, subject to section 27, for damage caused by its Users in breach of these Terms. A person who makes a Booking on behalf of a Client Organization warrants that they are authorized to bind it and that the Users it names accept these Terms.

5. Training reservations

Training Sessions are subject to availability.

Standard Mach-Bio Training Sessions may accommodate up to seven participants.

A User may reserve an available standard Training Session without a separate pre-training approval process unless Mach-Bio has identified a specific safety, sample, legal or operational reason that requires review.

Private training, group/laboratory training and other customized instruction may be offered separately and may require a quotation or direct arrangement with Mach-Bio.

A training reservation is personal to the registered trainee.

A Booking is binding once Mach-Bio or the Booking platform has confirmed it in writing, including by email. A calendar hold or a request is not a confirmed Booking.

Mach-Bio may refuse, reschedule or cancel Training where reasonably necessary because of:

• Equipment availability;
• maintenance or calibration;
• trainer availability;
• safety concerns;
• facility restrictions;
• force majeure;
• inaccurate or incomplete information; or
• another material operational reason.

6. Required online preparation

Mach-Bio may require Users to complete Online Preparation before attending practical Training.

Online Preparation may include:

• training videos;
• introductory operating instructions;
• safety information;
• SOP review; and
• instrument-specific preparation material.

Where Online Preparation is mandatory, completion is part of the Training process.

Users remain responsible for reviewing the material carefully. A technical indication that a training video was completed does not by itself establish competency.

Practical competency and Certification are determined separately.

7. Practical training and competency

Practical Training is equipment-specific.

Experience with similar Equipment does not automatically replace Mach-Bio Training.

During practical Training, Users must:

• follow trainer instructions;
• comply with Equipment SOPs;
• demonstrate safe operation;
• ask for clarification where needed; and
• avoid operating Equipment outside the instructed workflow.

A Mach-Bio trainer may determine that additional practical instruction is required before a User may proceed to assessment or certification.

Mach-Bio may require refresher or corrective Training where reasonably appropriate following:

• a significant period without Equipment use;
• Equipment or software changes;
• a new workflow;
• an incident;
• unsafe operation; or
• a demonstrated competency concern.

8. Competency assessment

After practical Training, Mach-Bio may require the trainee to complete an instrument-specific competency Assessment.

For the standard knowledge Assessment:

• the assessment contains 10 questions;
• a score of at least 80% is required to pass;
• eight or more correct answers therefore constitutes a passing score;
• the Assessment is instrument-specific;
• the Assessment is accessed through a secure, time-limited or one-time link supplied by Mach-Bio.

The Assessment link is intended only for the trainee to whom it was issued and must not be shared.

Correct answers, scoring logic and assessment material may not be copied, distributed or shared.

9. Failed assessment and retraining

If a User scores below 80%, the User is not certified for that instrument.

No certificate will be issued.

A failed User may not obtain independent Equipment access merely by repeatedly attempting the Assessment.

Mach-Bio may require targeted or repeat Training before issuing another Assessment opportunity.

After the required additional Training has been completed, Mach-Bio may issue a new Assessment link.

Any additional Training may be subject to separate Fees.

10. Certification

Certification is granted only after Mach-Bio determines that the User has successfully completed the applicable requirements.

These may include:

1. required Online Preparation;
2. practical Training;
3. trainer competency sign-off; and
4. successful completion of the applicable Assessment.

Certification is instrument-specific.

Certification for one instrument does not authorize use of another.

Mach-Bio may issue an electronic certificate by email following successful Certification.

A certificate may include:

• trainee name;
• instrument;
• certification date;
• certificate identifier;
• validity period, where applicable; and
• other relevant training information.

Certification may be suspended, restricted or withdrawn following unsafe, unauthorized or materially non-compliant use.

Certification is valid for 12 months, provided the User remains active. After 6 months without Equipment use, Mach-Bio may require refresher Training before further Bookings.

11. Calira and independent equipment booking

Certified Users may be granted access to Calira to reserve independent Equipment time.

Mach-Bio Certification and Calira access are separate from the initial training reservation process.

A User must not make or use an independent Equipment Booking unless they hold current Mach-Bio Certification for the relevant Equipment and workflow.

Users must use only their own Calira credentials.

Calira accounts or Bookings must not be shared or transferred.

Users must keep their contact and organizational information current.

Mach-Bio may restrict or remove Calira access where Certification expires, is withdrawn or where access must be restricted for safety, payment or operational reasons.

12. Equipment booking rules

Independent Equipment Bookings are subject to:

• Equipment availability;
• current Certification;
• Client and billing status;
• maintenance;
• operational limits; and
• applicable minimum Booking durations.

Current minimum Booking times vary by Equipment and are stated on the Mach-Bio pricing page or Booking platform.

Users must:

• reserve the correct Equipment;
• book under the correct User and Client Organization;
• use Equipment only for approved purposes;
• remain within the booked period;
• include setup and shutdown within the Booking where required;
• export required data before the Booking ends;
• clean the Equipment according to the SOP; and
• avoid disrupting the next User.

Mach-Bio may limit or adjust Bookings where reasonably necessary for safety, maintenance, fair access or operational requirements.

Where Mach-Bio staff operate Equipment for a Client (assisted use), they follow the protocol and instructions the Client provides. Mach-Bio delivers the resulting data as acquired and gives no warranty as to its scientific validity or its fitness for the Client's purpose; the Client remains responsible for experimental design, controls, sample suitability and interpretation.

13. Cancellations, changes and no-shows

Training and Equipment Booking cancellation rules may differ.

Users must cancel or change a Booking using the method stated in the confirmation or applicable Booking platform.

A cancellation or change is effective when recorded by the relevant system or acknowledged by Mach-Bio.

Mach-Bio may cancel or reschedule a Booking where Equipment, staff or facilities are unavailable or where safety or operations are materially affected.

These charges are compensation for instrument time that Mach-Bio reserved and held for the Client and could not offer to anyone else.

14. Prices, packages and payment

Current prices are displayed on the Mach-Bio Website, in quotations or in Booking confirmations.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, Mach-Bio’s published prices are exclusive of VAT.

Different hourly Equipment rates may apply to:

• academic/non-profit Clients;
• startups; and
• commercial Clients.

Equipment-specific consumables are not included unless expressly stated.

This includes, where applicable:

• assay reagents;
• PCR reagents;
• plates;
• cartridges;
• kits; and
• other experiment-specific consumables.

For the Ella Automated Immunoassay System, Simple Plex cartridges and assay reagents are charged separately unless otherwise agreed.

Mach-Bio currently offers starter packages for selected instruments and capability areas.

Starter packages are intended for one User and currently have a 90-day validity period, subject to the applicable package terms.

The validity period of a Package starts on the date of the first practical Training Session included in it, and at the latest 30 days after the Package is invoiced.

Equipment hours included in a package may be subject to:

• instrument-specific allocation;
• expiry;
• non-transferability; and
• other package conditions published with the relevant package.

Mach-Bio may offer online payment, invoicing or another payment method shown during the Booking process.

Mach-Bio invoices by email. Packages are invoiced in advance and are payable before the first Training Session. Equipment hours outside a Package are invoiced monthly in arrears.

Invoices are payable within 14 days of the invoice date, without set-off or suspension. If the Client does not pay on time, it is in default without further notice and owes the statutory commercial interest under article 6:119a of the Dutch Civil Code from the day after the due date, together with the extrajudicial collection costs Mach-Bio incurs. Mach-Bio may suspend Training, Certification, Calira access and Bookings while an invoice is overdue. Fees paid for a Package are not refunded, and unused Package hours lapse at the end of the validity period, except where mandatory law provides otherwise.

15. Equipment availability

Equipment may temporarily become unavailable because of:

• maintenance;
• calibration;
• faults;
• contamination;
• safety concerns;
• facility restrictions;
• supplier delays; or
• events outside Mach-Bio’s reasonable control.

Mach-Bio may cancel, move or reschedule affected Bookings.

Shared research Equipment cannot be guaranteed to operate continuously without interruption.

Neither party is liable for a failure to perform caused by Force Majeure. Mach-Bio may suspend or cancel affected Bookings during Force Majeure without liability. If Force Majeure lasts longer than 60 days, either party may cancel the affected Bookings or Package, and Mach-Bio will credit any prepaid hours not delivered.

Where Equipment is unavailable for a confirmed Booking for any reason not attributable to the Client and not caused by Force Majeure, including a fault of the Equipment, Mach-Bio will offer a replacement slot or credit the booked hours to the Client's account. Where Equipment is unavailable for a confirmed Booking for any reason not attributable to the Client, whether or not caused by Force Majeure, the validity period of an affected Package is extended by the days of unavailability. Subject to the exceptions in section 27, that is the Client's sole remedy for unavailability; Mach-Bio is not liable for any further loss, including the loss of samples, reagents or experimental time.

16. User responsibilities

Each User must:

• follow their Training;
• comply with the current Equipment SOP;
• follow Mach-Bio and site safety rules;
• operate only Equipment for which they are certified;
• use only approved workflows;
• provide accurate information about samples and experiments;
• use appropriate vessels, reagents and consumables;
• report visible damage, contamination or Equipment problems;
• stop work where conditions appear unsafe;
• complete cleaning and shutdown;
• remove samples and waste;
• protect other Users, staff and Equipment;
• export required data; and
• report incidents promptly.

17. Samples and materials

The Client and User remain responsible for:

• sample identity;
• preparation;
• classification;
• biosafety status;
• relevant approvals;
• transport;
• storage;
• labelling;
• disposal; and
• compatibility with the intended Equipment.

Users must provide accurate sample and biosafety information during intake.

Users must not knowingly introduce samples or materials that are prohibited, unsafe or incompatible with Mach-Bio Equipment.

Before a Booking, the Client must declare in writing any genetically modified organism, human-derived material, material of animal origin, infectious agent, radioactive source or hazardous chemical it intends to bring on site, and must hold and produce on request every license, ethics approval and informed consent the law requires for it. Only material within the containment level Mach-Bio states for its facility, and within the conditions of the environmental permit that applies to the building, may be brought on site. Mach-Bio states the current containment level on the Website and notifies it in writing on request. Mach-Bio does not store Client samples, reagents or consumables unless agreed in writing; material left on site after a Booking may be disposed of after 14 days' notice by email, at the Client's cost.

Mach-Bio may stop or refuse work where sample information is incomplete, inaccurate or creates a reasonable safety or Equipment risk.

18. Health, safety and biosafety

Users must follow:

• Mach-Bio safety procedures;
• applicable BioPartner site rules;
• Equipment SOPs;
• emergency instructions;
• PPE requirements; and
• waste-disposal requirements.

Mach-Bio may stop work immediately where it reasonably considers an activity unsafe, outside the approved scope or insufficiently documented.

Users enter the site under the BioPartner house rules and the environmental permit that applies to the building. Mach-Bio makes the current house rules available to each User at induction and on request, and Users must follow them. Users enter with the access pass Mach-Bio issues and only during the hours Mach-Bio states for their Certification level. Users must not photograph, film or record other Clients' samples, screens or work. Mach-Bio may move its facility to other premises within the Leiden Bio Science Park; existing Bookings continue at the new location.

19. Equipment cleaning and shutdown

Cleaning and shutdown form part of Equipment use.

Users must follow the relevant SOP and leave Equipment and the surrounding work area ready for the next User.

Where applicable, cleaning, sample removal, data export and shutdown must be completed within the reserved Equipment time.

Mach-Bio may require additional cleaning or decontamination where a User fails to follow the applicable procedure.

Reasonable additional costs may be charged where permitted by the applicable agreement and law.

20. Faults, damage and incidents

If Equipment behaves unexpectedly, displays an error, appears damaged or may be contaminated, the User must stop using it safely and notify Mach-Bio.

Users must not:

• attempt unauthorized repairs;
• open protected Equipment covers;
• bypass safety systems;
• alter protected settings; or
• conceal an incident.

Users must reasonably cooperate with incident investigations.

A User or Client Organization may be charged for proven damage or additional costs resulting from misuse, negligence or unauthorized actions, subject to section 27.

21. Prohibited conduct

Users must not:

• use Equipment without current Certification;
• share Booking or assessment links where prohibited;
• share Calira credentials;
• allow uncertified persons to operate Equipment;
• bypass safety controls;
• perform unauthorized repairs;
• run prohibited or misrepresented samples;
• provide false training or identity information;
• interfere with another Client’s samples, data or work;
• remove Mach-Bio property without permission;
• engage in unsafe or abusive conduct;
• deliberately damage Equipment;
• conceal safety incidents;
• introduce malware;
• interfere with Website or Booking-platform security; or
• attempt unauthorized access to Mach-Bio systems.

22. Experimental data

Clients remain responsible for their experimental data.

This includes:

• naming;
• export;
• integrity;
• confidentiality;
• lawful processing;
• backup; and
• retention.

Storage on Equipment computers or acquisition workstations is operational and temporary unless Mach-Bio separately agrees otherwise.

Users should export and verify required data promptly.

Mach-Bio does not provide long-term research-data storage as part of standard Equipment access.

Users must not access, copy, alter or delete another Client’s files.

Data-transfer links expire 7 days after they are created. Approved transfer methods are stated in the data-transfer instructions provided at Certification. Data on Equipment computers may be deleted 30 days after the Booking.

23. Confidentiality

Users must respect confidential information belonging to Mach-Bio and other Clients.

Users must not access, photograph, copy, discuss or disclose another Client’s:

• samples;
• screens;
• documents;
• protocols;
• experimental information; or
• data

without permission.

Clients requiring additional confidentiality controls should discuss these with Mach-Bio in advance.

Any separate NDA or confidentiality agreement may impose additional obligations.

Mach-Bio keeps a Client's samples, protocols, experimental information and data confidential, uses them only to provide the Services, keeps each Client's data separate from other Clients' data, and does not disclose them to any other Client except where the law requires. This obligation continues for five years after the Client's last Booking.

This obligation does not apply to information that is already public without any breach by Mach-Bio, that Mach-Bio already held without a duty of confidence, or that Mach-Bio receives from someone else who is free to disclose it. Mach-Bio may disclose Client information to its professional advisers, its insurers, its accountant, the providers of the systems it uses to run its business, service engineers working on the Equipment, and the landlord of the building where site access requires it, in each case only where they are bound to keep it confidential and only so far as needed. The Privacy Notice lists these in more detail.

24. Intellectual property

Subject to any separate written agreement, Clients retain ownership of their pre-existing intellectual property and experimental results generated through authorized use of Equipment.

Mach-Bio retains ownership of its:

• Website;
• branding;
• SOPs;
• templates;
• training videos;
• quizzes and assessment questions;
• certificates and certificate formats;
• training materials; and
• operational content.

Users may use Mach-Bio training and operational materials only for authorized participation in Mach-Bio Services.

Users must not reproduce, distribute, publish or commercialize Mach-Bio training or assessment material without permission.

Where a Client publishes work in which Mach-Bio Equipment was used to generate data, Mach-Bio asks the Client to acknowledge Mach-Bio in that publication.

25. Privacy and personal data

Mach-Bio’s separate Privacy Notice explains how personal data is collected, used, retained, shared and protected.

Mach-Bio may process personal data for:

• training reservations;
• client intake;
• Booking administration;
• training completion records;
• competency assessments;
• certification;
• certificate delivery;
• Calira access administration;
• billing;
• safety;
• incident investigation;
• legal compliance; and
• service communications.

Mach-Bio may use third-party service providers to support its Website, database, email, payment and Booking systems.

Clients must not bring personal data onto Equipment or Mach-Bio systems unless Mach-Bio has agreed in writing beforehand and the parties have signed a data processing agreement. Coded or pseudonymized data is still personal data where anyone can still link it back to a person. For its own administration Mach-Bio is the controller of the personal data of Users; for research data a Client places on Equipment, the Client is the controller.

The Privacy Notice is published on the Website and linked from the Booking form and from every Booking confirmation.

26. Insurance

Each Client Organization must maintain business liability insurance adequate for its Users' activities on site and must produce a certificate of insurance on request. Where a Client Organization does not produce a certificate within 10 Working Days of a request, Mach-Bio may suspend its Users' access until it does.

27. Liability

Each party is responsible for direct loss caused by its own breach of these Terms, negligence or unlawful conduct. The Client is responsible for sample suitability, experimental design, approvals and data backup. Mach-Bio does not guarantee any scientific or experimental outcome, and access to Equipment is not a validation of a Client's protocol. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Mach-Bio's total liability to a Client and its Users under or in connection with the Services, for all events in a calendar year together, is limited to the higher of the Fees paid by that Client for the Services in the 12 months before the claim is notified and EUR 5,000. Where Mach-Bio's liability insurance pays out in respect of one or more events in that calendar year, Mach-Bio's total liability for that year is instead the total of the amounts paid out, if that is higher. Mach-Bio is not liable for indirect or consequential loss, including loss of profit, loss of data, loss or contamination of samples, failed experiments, business interruption, or the cost of repeating work. These limits do not apply to damage caused by intent or conscious recklessness of Mach-Bio or its managerial staff, or to death or personal injury.

Mach-Bio's liability for a breach of its confidentiality obligations under section 23 is not subject to the annual limit above. It is limited, for all such breaches in a calendar year together, to the higher of EUR 50,000 and the amount Mach-Bio's liability insurance pays out for those breaches. This limit does not apply to a breach caused by intent or conscious recklessness of Mach-Bio or its managerial staff.

A User or Client Organization is liable for damage to Equipment caused by the negligence, misuse or breach of procedure of its Users up to the deductible under Mach-Bio's equipment insurance where such insurance covers the damage, and otherwise up to the reasonable cost of repair or replacement; and in full for damage caused by gross negligence or intent. The Client indemnifies Mach-Bio against third-party claims arising from the Client's samples, materials or data, or from its Users' conduct. A claim against Mach-Bio lapses unless the Client notifies it to Mach-Bio in writing, describing the event and the loss claimed, within 12 months after the Client became aware of both. That deadline does not apply to a claim for death or personal injury, or to a claim arising from intent or conscious recklessness of Mach-Bio or its managerial staff.

28. Suspension and withdrawal of access

Mach-Bio may suspend or restrict access where reasonably necessary because of:

• unsafe operation;
• Certification concerns;
• unauthorized use;
• credential sharing;
• non-payment;
• repeated no-shows;
• Equipment damage;
• failure to clean;
• prohibited samples;
• fraud;
• confidentiality breaches;
• legal concerns; or
• repeated non-compliance.

A restriction may apply to:

• one instrument;
• one workflow;
• one User;
• one Client Organization; or
• all Mach-Bio Services

depending on the nature and severity of the issue.

Mach-Bio may require retraining or corrective action before restoring access.

Where safety or Equipment protection requires immediate action, access may be suspended without advance notice.

29. Website use

Users may use the Mach-Bio Website only for lawful access to Mach-Bio information and Services.

Users must not:

• introduce malware;
• interfere with Website security;
• probe systems for vulnerabilities;
• impersonate another person;
• misuse booking or assessment functions;
• scrape or harvest content without permission; or
• attempt unauthorized access.

Mach-Bio may update, correct, suspend or remove Website content or functionality.

30. Changes to these Terms

Mach-Bio may update these Terms to reflect changes in:

• Services;
• Equipment;
• Training;
• safety requirements;
• systems;
• commercial arrangements;
• legal requirements; or
• business operations.

The current version and effective date will be displayed on the Website.

Mach-Bio may require Users to accept a revised version before making future Training reservations or accessing Services.

Mach-Bio will give Clients holding a Package or a confirmed Booking at least 30 days' notice by email of a change to these Terms. The version accepted at the time of a Booking governs that Booking, and a change to Fees does not affect a Package already paid for.

31. Complaints and disputes

Clients and Users should raise concerns promptly.

Complaints may relate to:

• Training;
• certification decisions;
• Bookings;
• Equipment access;
• invoices;
• service quality;
• damage;
• confidentiality;
• privacy; or
• other Services.

Contact: info@mach-bio.com

Mach-Bio aims to acknowledge complaints within 2 Working Days.

Privacy concerns may be submitted through the contact identified in the Privacy Notice.

32. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms and every agreement to which they apply are governed by the laws of the Netherlands. Any dispute is submitted to the competent court in The Hague, the Netherlands. These Terms are drawn up in English; if a translation is made, the English text prevails.

If a provision of these Terms is void or unenforceable, the other provisions remain in force and the void provision is replaced by a valid one that comes closest to its purpose. A failure by Mach-Bio to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it. Mach-Bio may assign its rights and obligations under these Terms to an affiliated company; the Client may not assign them without Mach-Bio's written consent. Notices under these Terms may be given by email to the addresses the parties have provided. Provisions that by their nature are meant to survive, including those on confidentiality, liability, intellectual property and payment, survive the end of the agreement. These Terms, together with the documents named in the order of precedence in section 1, are the entire agreement between the parties on the Services.

33. Contact details

34. Acceptance of these Terms at Booking

Before a Booking is confirmed, Mach-Bio makes these Terms available to the User as a file that can be downloaded, stored and read later, and the User must actively accept them. Acceptance is required for every Booking, whether for Training or for Equipment, and not only for the first. Mach-Bio records the version accepted with the Booking and sends that version number with every Booking confirmation. Where a Client Organization places a Booking for a User, the Client Organization must make these Terms available to that User before the Booking, and Mach-Bio also sends them with the Booking confirmation.

35. Assessment acknowledgement

Before beginning an online competency Assessment, Mach-Bio may display a concise acknowledgement such as:

This assessment is personal to me. I will complete it myself and will not copy, share or distribute Mach-Bio assessment questions or answers. I understand that a score of at least 80% is required for certification and that a failed assessment may require additional training before another attempt is issued.

Plain-language summary

• Training is required before independent Equipment use.
• Required online preparation must be completed before practical Training where applicable.
• Certification is instrument-specific.
• Standard knowledge assessments contain 10 questions and require at least 80% to pass.
• A failed assessment does not result in Certification.
• Additional Training may be required before another assessment attempt.
• Certified Users book independent Equipment time through Calira.
• Equipment Bookings are subject to instrument-specific minimum durations.
• Samples, approvals and experimental design remain the Client’s responsibility.
• Data should be exported and backed up; local Equipment storage is temporary.
• Users must follow SOPs, safety rules and staff instructions.
• Equipment must be left clean and ready for the next User.
• Faults, damage, spills and incidents must be reported promptly.
• Other Clients’ samples, work and data must be respected.
• Published prices are exclusive of VAT unless expressly stated otherwise.
• Instrument-specific consumables may be charged separately.