Inclusive Founders Programme Terms
AOIT Networks Ltd, trading as AOIT Cloud Hosting. Version 1.0, last updated 21 September 2026.
1. About these terms
1.1. These Inclusive Founders Programme Terms (“Programme Terms”) apply to anyone who applies for, or receives, the discount offered through the Inclusive Founders Programme (“Programme”) run by AOIT Networks Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”). “You” and “your” means the applicant and the business they apply on behalf of.
1.2. These Programme Terms sit alongside, and form part of, our Terms and Conditions, which continue to govern the hosting Services you order, in particular clause 1.3 (governing law and jurisdiction), clause 20 (notices and communications) and clause 21 (general provisions). If there is a conflict between these Programme Terms and our Terms and Conditions on a matter specific to the Programme, these Programme Terms prevail.
2. Why we run the Programme
2.1. People from some groups are under-represented among UK business owners and face extra barriers to starting and growing a business, including access to finance and support. We run the Programme as a small, time-limited and proportionate measure to help founders from those groups get online, in line with the positive action provisions in section 158 of the Equality Act 2010.
2.2. All of our Services are open to everyone on the same terms. The Programme is extra support on top of that, not a condition of using our Services.
3. The offer
3.1. If your application is approved, you can order one hosting package from any of the following ranges, at any tier, for £1 per month (plus VAT) for the first 12 months (“Discount Period”):
- Web Hosting
- WordPress Hosting
- Windows Hosting
3.2. You can choose monthly or annual billing. On monthly billing, you pay £1 (plus VAT) for each of the first 12 months. On annual billing, you pay £12 (plus VAT) for the first year, the equivalent of £1 per month. The offer does not apply to other billing cycles, such as 2-year billing, and applies to one hosting package per business.
3.3. The offer does not cover: domain name registrations, renewals or transfers; VPS, cloud servers, managed cloud or managed AWS servers; Website Turbo (high-frequency hosting); Premium Email; SSL certificates, website security, backup or monitoring add-ons; or any other add-on product. You can add any of these to your account at their standard prices.
3.4. At the end of the Discount Period, your hosting package continues at the standard price for that plan and billing cycle at that time, as shown on our website. We will email you at least 14 days before your first invoice at the standard price, to remind you of the change and the price that will apply. If you do not wish to continue, you can cancel before that invoice under clause 12 of our Terms and Conditions.
3.5. The offer cannot be combined with any other discount, promotion or offer code, and cannot be exchanged for cash, account credit or any other product. It is personal to the business it was approved for and cannot be transferred.
3.6. If you upgrade or downgrade between tiers within the same range during the Discount Period, the discounted price continues to apply for the rest of the Discount Period. If you move to a product not listed in clause 3.1, the discount ends.
4. Places
4.1. There are up to 25 places on the Programme in each calendar year. Places are allocated by us after reviewing each application, not on a first-come, first-served basis, and unused places do not carry over to the following year.
4.2. If all places for the year have been allocated, we may keep your application on file and offer you a place when one next becomes available, if you agree to that.
5. Who can apply
5.1. The Programme is open to businesses that are at least 50% owned by one or more people from an under-represented group, including:
- people of colour and people from other under-represented ethnic backgrounds;
- women, trans and non-binary people;
- disabled people;
- lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and other LGBTQ+ people.
5.2. We also normally look for businesses that:
- started trading within the 3 years before the date of the application; and
- have an annual turnover of under £100,000.
5.3. The criteria in clause 5.2 are guidelines, not strict requirements. If your business does not meet them, you are still welcome to apply: we review every application individually and take your circumstances into account.
5.4. Limited companies, sole traders, self-employed people and partnerships can all apply. The person applying must be at least 18 years old and have authority to act for the business.
6. How to apply and how we check applications
6.1. Apply using the application form on our website. As part of the form, you will be asked to declare that the business meets the ownership requirement in clause 5.1.
6.2. We rely on that declaration. We will never ask which group you or any other owner belongs to, and we will never ask for proof of ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.
6.3. We do check the business details that can be checked without that information:
- for limited companies and limited liability partnerships, we check the company’s incorporation date and its register of people with significant control at Companies House;
- for sole traders, self-employed people and other partnerships, we will ask you by email for one piece of evidence that you are trading, such as your HMRC Self Assessment registration letter, the top section of a business bank statement or a recent invoice you have issued. You may cover up tax references, account numbers, balances and transactions, as we do not need them.
6.4. We delete any evidence you send under clause 6.3 once we have made a decision on your application.
6.5. We aim to reply to every application within 10 working days. We may decline an application at our reasonable discretion, including where we cannot verify the business details provided or where all places for the year have been allocated.
6.6. If your application is approved, we will email you a single-use offer code for a new order in your AOIT Cloud Hosting account. The code is valid for 30 days from the date we send it, unless we agree otherwise.
7. Your declaration
7.1. You must make sure that everything you tell us in your application is true and accurate.
7.2. If we reasonably believe that an application contained a declaration that was knowingly false or misleading, we may end the discount from your next invoice, in which case your hosting package continues at its standard price. You can cancel under clause 12 of our Terms and Conditions if you do not wish to continue at that price.
7.3. Once approved, your discount lasts for the full Discount Period even if your turnover grows or your business changes during that time.
8. Your personal data
8.1. We use the information in your application to assess it, to contact you about it and, if it is approved, to apply the discount. We keep a record of the application and our decision for as long as the discount runs and for up to 12 months after it ends, and then delete it. Evidence sent under clause 6.3 is deleted as set out in clause 6.4.
8.2. We do not record which under-represented group you or any other owner belongs to. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal data generally and your rights over it.
9. Changes to the Programme and these terms
9.1. We may change these Programme Terms, or change, pause or close the Programme to new applications, at any time. Any change applies to applications made after it takes effect. Unless clause 7.2 applies, we will not reduce or end the discount of anyone whose application has already been approved before the end of their Discount Period.
10. Governing law and complaints
10.1. These Programme Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales on the same basis as clause 1.3 of our Terms and Conditions. If you have a complaint about the Programme, contact us in the same way as set out in clause 23 of our Terms and Conditions.