Terms of Service

Introduction

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the Optival website and our professional valuation services. By accessing our website or engaging our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. Please read them carefully.

Optival is committed to delivering professional, independent, and high-quality valuation services using generally accepted valuation principles and best practices commonly applied in SME advisory contexts.

Our Services

Optival provides independent business and share valuation services for UK SMEs, including but not limited to:

SME business valuations
Valuation advisory services to support EMI and growth share scheme planning, prepared for informational and preparatory purposes and not as a formal HMRC agreement
Transaction support and M&A advisory
Shareholder dispute valuations

All valuation work is carried out by professionals with relevant experience in corporate finance and business valuation.

Professional Standards

Our valuation work follows generally accepted valuation principles and best practices commonly used in SME valuation and corporate finance advisory.

Where relevant, we may reference established valuation frameworks (such as income-based and market-based approaches) as analytical tools, without representing the work as a regulated or statutory valuation.

We maintain professional indemnity insurance to protect our clients.

Engagement Terms

When you engage our services:

A formal engagement letter will be provided outlining the scope, fees, and timeline
You agree to provide accurate and complete information necessary for the valuation
Fees are as quoted and payable according to the agreed terms
Additional work outside the original scope may incur additional fees

In the event of any conflict, the terms of the engagement letter shall prevail over these Terms.

Client Responsibilities

To ensure we can deliver accurate valuations, clients are responsible for:

Providing accurate, complete, and timely financial information
Disclosing all material facts that may affect the valuation
Responding promptly to information requests
Notifying us of any changes that may impact the valuation

We rely on the accuracy of information provided. Our valuation conclusions are based on the data and representations made available to us.

Confidentiality

We treat all client information with the utmost confidentiality. Information shared with us will only be used for the purposes of providing our services and will not be disclosed to third parties without your consent, except where required by law or professional obligations.

Intellectual Property

All content on this website, including text, graphics, logos, and images, is the property of Optival and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or use our content without prior written permission.

Valuation reports remain our intellectual property. Clients receive a licence to use the report for the stated purpose. Reports may not be shared with third parties without our consent, except as required for the intended purpose.

Valuation reports are prepared for the specific purpose agreed with the client and should not be relied upon for any other purpose without our prior written consent.

Reports do not constitute regulated valuations and should not be used for statutory, accounting, tax filing or litigation purposes unless expressly agreed in writing.

No third party may rely on any valuation report issued by Optival without our prior written consent, and we accept no responsibility or liability to any third party who obtains access to a report without such consent.

Limitations of Liability

While we exercise professional care and skill in our work:

Valuations are based on information available at the time and involve professional judgement
We do not guarantee any particular outcome from HMRC or other parties
Our liability is limited to the fees paid for the specific engagement
We are not liable for losses arising from inaccurate information provided to us

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death, personal injury, or fraud.

Website Use

When using our website, you agree to:

Use the website only for lawful purposes
Not attempt to interfere with the website's functionality
Provide accurate information when submitting enquiries
Not submit false, misleading, or spam content

Information on this website is for general guidance only and does not constitute professional advice. Please contact us for advice specific to your situation.

Cancellation and Refunds

Cancellation terms will be set out in your engagement letter. Generally:

Cancellations before work commences may receive a full refund
Once work has commenced, fees for work completed will be payable
We reserve the right to suspend work if payment terms are not met

Dispute Resolution

We are committed to resolving any disputes amicably. If you have a complaint, please contact us at contact@optival.co.uk. We will respond within 10 business days. If we cannot resolve the matter directly, we may agree to mediation before any legal proceedings.

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Continued use of our website or services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us:

Optival
Registered in England and Wales, company number 17236013
2 Minster Court
London EC3R 7BB
Email: contact@optival.co.uk
Phone: +44 773 228 6542