1. Who we are
In these terms, “SPARK”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean SPARK SCHOLARS Ltd, which operates the website sparkairesearch.com and delivers the SPARK programmes. Our registered address is Squirrel's Croft, Old Kiln Lane, Brockham, Surrey, RH3 7LP, United Kingdom. “You” means the person registering for a programme (or, where the participant is under 18, the parent or guardian who registers, accepts the offer, or makes payment on their behalf — who is treated as the contracting party responsible for payment and for communication about cancellations and refunds).
2. Our programmes
These terms apply to the following SPARK programmes, each delivered fully remotely:
- Weekend Workshop — a live, fully remote educational session (or short series of sessions) delivered over video, in which participants are guided by SPARK mentors through hands-on AI and machine-learning activities.
- Research Insights Programme — a short (typically three-week) remote programme of lectures and hands-on workshops with a mentor-guided mini-project, teaching how AI research is actually done.
- 8-week AI Research Fellowship — an eight-week remote research mentoring programme that takes a research idea from first reading through to a paper prepared for submission, with lectures, team mentoring, and hands-on workshops.
The specific dates, times, duration, format and fee for each programme are set out on the relevant programme page, and in the registration form, written offer, or invoice or payment request issued to you at the time of booking. These terms should be read together with that offer, invoice, or payment request.
SPARK programmes are provided for educational purposes only. Nothing in a programme constitutes professional, financial, or career advice.
3. Eligibility
- Our programmes are designed for students and are open to participants of all experience levels, including complete beginners.
- If the participant is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must register on their behalf, agree to these terms, and provide consent for them to take part.
- You are responsible for making sure the participant has a reliable internet connection and a device capable of joining a video session and running the browser-based tools we use.
4. Registration and payment
- You book a place through our online registration form, or by accepting a written offer or invoice / payment request we send you.
- Payment is taken securely by our payment provider, Stripe (typically through a secure payment link), or by another method we agree in writing. We do not see or store your full card details.
- Unless we agree a different arrangement in writing, the programme fee is due in full upfront. A participant’s place is only formally confirmed once we have received the required payment. Places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
- The fee shown at checkout, or stated on your offer or invoice, is the total price for the programme and covers everything described on the programme page, together with any scholarship or fee reduction we have agreed. Fees are stated in the currency shown (typically GBP).
- You will receive a payment receipt and a confirmation from SPARK.
5. Start of preparatory work
For the Research Insights Programme and the 8-week AI Research Fellowship, once payment is received we may begin preparatory work for the participant. This can include onboarding, mentor and mentee group matching, timetable planning, allocation of a research direction, preparation of resources, and administrative coordination.
By completing payment you acknowledge that we may begin this preparatory work before the programme start date, unless you ask us in writing not to begin any preparatory work until after any applicable cancellation period has expired. Starting preparatory work can affect the refund available if you later cancel (see below).
6. Refunds, cancellations and transfers
We want you to book with confidence. This section sets out when you can cancel and what refund applies, and does not affect your statutory rights as a consumer. Because different programmes involve different amounts of up-front preparation, the standard refund approach differs by programme.
6.1 Your statutory cooling-off right
Because you book online, you generally have a statutory right to change your mind within 14 days of completing your registration. If you ask us to begin the programme or its preparatory work during that period and then cancel, we may retain a proportionate amount for the part already delivered; and where a programme has been fully performed with your prior agreement, your cancellation right may be affected. Nothing in this policy limits any statutory rights you may have.
6.2 Weekend Workshop
For the Weekend Workshop, in addition to the cooling-off right above, we offer a fair refund based on how much notice you give before the workshop start date:
| When you cancel | Refund |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more before the start date | Full refund |
| Between 14 days and 48 hours before the start date | 50% refund, or a free transfer to a future workshop |
| Less than 48 hours before, or after the workshop has started | No refund (see exceptions below) |
6.3 Research Insights Programme and 8-week AI Research Fellowship
For these programmes, our standard refund approach for cancellations before the programme starts is as follows:
| When you cancel | Refund |
|---|---|
| Within 7 days of payment and at least 14 days before the programme start date | Full refund. If mentor/mentee group matching, personalised onboarding, or equivalent preparatory work has been completed or substantially started, we may deduct a GBP 100 administration and onboarding fee. |
| Less than 14 days before the programme start date | We may decline a refund, or offer a partial refund at our discretion, taking into account work already completed and commitments already made. |
Once the programme has started, fees for these programmes are non-refundable, except where we cancel the programme or where a refund is required by law. Missed sessions, non-attendance, changes in availability, failure to complete assigned work, or withdrawal after the programme has started do not normally entitle you to a refund.
6.4 Transfers
If you can no longer attend, you may ask to transfer your place to a later cohort or workshop, or to another SPARK programme, instead of taking a refund — subject to availability. For the Weekend Workshop you can request one free transfer up to 48 hours before the start date. You may also transfer your place to another eligible participant if you let us know in advance.
6.5 If we cancel, postpone or change a programme
We may occasionally need to change the date, time, or format of a programme, change a mentor, postpone it, or cancel it entirely — for example if too few people register, or for reasons outside our reasonable control. If we cancel your place or the programme before it begins, you are entitled to a full refund of fees paid for that place, regardless of the timings above — unless you choose to transfer to a later cohort or an alternative programme we offer. If we need to postpone, we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and set out your options, which may include the revised dates or a refund where appropriate.
6.6 Missed sessions
We are unable to refund fees for sessions you do not attend, or for partial attendance, where the programme still ran as planned. If exceptional circumstances (such as illness or an emergency) prevent you from attending, please get in touch — we will do our best to offer a transfer to a future cohort.
6.7 How to request a refund, and how it is paid
- Email us at [email protected] from the address you used to register, telling us the participant’s full name, the programme booked, the invoice number if you have one, and (if you wish) the reason for cancelling. You do not have to give a reason to use your statutory cooling-off right.
- Approved refunds are made to the original payment method used at checkout where possible, via Stripe.
- We aim to process approved refunds promptly after confirming the cancellation decision and any applicable deduction; the time it then takes to appear on your statement depends on your bank or card provider. Payment processing fees charged by third-party providers may be treated in accordance with that provider’s rules and applicable law.
7. What we expect from you
To keep our programmes safe and productive for everyone, you agree that the participant will:
- participate actively and communicate respectfully with mentors and other participants;
- attend scheduled sessions where possible and complete reasonable preparation or follow-up work assigned as part of the programme;
- not disrupt sessions, harass others, or share harmful, unlawful, or offensive content;
- not record, broadcast, or redistribute any session or its materials without our written permission;
- use any tools, accounts, or data provided only for the purposes of the programme.
We may remove any participant from a programme without refund if their conduct is seriously or repeatedly in breach of these terms, or puts the safety or experience of others at risk.
8. Materials and intellectual property
All teaching materials, notebooks, slides, and other content we provide remain the property of SPARK or its licensors. We grant you a personal, non-transferable licence to use them for your own learning. You keep ownership of the original work and code that you create during a programme.
9. Certificates
Where a programme offers a certificate of completion, it is awarded to participants who attend and complete the programme as described on the programme page. A certificate confirms participation only; it is not a formal or accredited qualification.
10. Programme outcomes
Our programmes are designed to provide structured teaching and, for the Research Insights Programme and the Fellowship, research mentoring, onboarding resources, group-based research direction, and support with developing research skills. While we aim to help participants produce meaningful work, we do not guarantee any particular research topic, mentor, team composition, publication outcome, conference acceptance, university admissions result, grade, scholarship result, or other external or academic outcome.
11. Your privacy
We handle the personal information you provide in line with our Privacy Policy. Please read it to understand what we collect and how we use it.
12. Liability
We provide our programmes with reasonable care and skill. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any loss or damage that is not a foreseeable result of our breach, or that arises from your failure to meet the technical requirements needed to take part.
Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law. These terms do not affect your statutory rights as a consumer.
13. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. The version that applies to your booking is the one published on this page (or shared with you) at the time you registered or paid, unless we agree otherwise with you in writing. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.
14. Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and disputes will be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. If you live elsewhere in the UK, you may also bring proceedings in your local courts.
15. Contact us
For any questions about these terms, refunds, or your booking, email us at [email protected].