FIELD TO SHELF

Terms & Conditions

Effective date: June 2026

Last updated: June 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to Field to Shelf.

Field to Shelf helps food and agrifood producers prepare for market entry into German-speaking retail markets, especially Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) apply to:

– our website, fieldtoshelf.eu, and any related subdomains

– our free Retail-Ready Check self-assessment

– our paid consulting services, including Retail-Ready Check, Retail-Ready Launch, Retail-Ready Partner, and related advisory services

– all communications, proposals, reports, assessments, and project work provided by Field to Shelf

By using our website, completing our survey, booking a call, or engaging us for paid services, you agree to these Terms.

These Terms are intended for business clients only. Our services are directed at companies, founders, producers, exporters, and business professionals, not consumers.

2. Who We Are

Field to Shelf is operated as a joint professional brand by:

Riccarda Chiappani

RC Future Consulting

Address: Nikitara street 14, Philoktitis Complex, House 8, 8250 Emba, Paphos, Cyprus

Website: www.rcfutureconsulting.com

Email: [email protected]

Maria Britze

Global Readership

Address: Via Michelangelo 695, 41052 Guiglia (Modena), Italy

Website: www.mariabritze.com

Email: [email protected]

Primary contact point for Field to Shelf:

Email: [email protected]

Website: fieldtoshelf.eu

Field to Shelf is not currently presented as a separate incorporated legal entity unless expressly stated otherwise. The contracting party for paid services will be identified in the individual proposal, offer, invoice, or service agreement.

3. Scope of Our Services

Field to Shelf provides retail readiness, market entry, positioning, compliance, ESG, and implementation support for food and agrifood producers.

Our services may include:

– retail readiness assessments

– market and channel fit analysis

– packaging and positioning feedback

– initial label and claims readiness review

– supplier documentation review

– ESG and sustainability readiness support

– product data and retail infrastructure review

– market entry roadmaps

– buyer preparation and pitch support

– coordination of external specialists where needed

– implementation support after the Retail-Ready Check

The exact scope of each paid project is defined in the individual proposal, offer, service agreement, or written project confirmation.

4. The Free Retail-Ready Check Self-Assessment

We may offer a free self-assessment survey or similar tool on our website.

The free survey is designed to provide an initial indication of your company’s retail readiness. It is free of charge and non-binding.

Completing the survey does not create a paid consulting relationship, advisory mandate, legal mandate, agency relationship, distributor relationship, or any other contractual obligation unless we separately agree this in writing.

Survey results are based on the information you provide. They are indicative only and should not be treated as a final legal, technical, commercial, or regulatory assessment.

5. Paid Consulting Services

Paid consulting services begin only when:

– we send you a written proposal, offer, or project confirmation; and

– you accept it in writing; and/or

– any required deposit or initial payment has been made, where applicable.

Each proposal will define the relevant scope, timeline, deliverables, fees, payment terms, and any assumptions or exclusions.

Where there is a conflict between these Terms and a signed service agreement or written proposal, the service agreement or proposal takes priority for that specific project.

6. What We Do Not Provide

Field to Shelf is a retail readiness and market entry advisory brand.

We are not:

– a law firm

– a food law office

– a certification body

– a notified body

– a distributor

– a commercial agent

– an importer of record

– a customs broker

– a laboratory

– a final packaging approval authority

– an IFS, BRCGS, FSSC, HACCP, or other certification implementer unless expressly agreed in writing

– a technical EDI implementation provider

– a logistics provider

– a retailer or buyer representative

Our assessments, comments, reports, and recommendations are provided on a readiness and risk-awareness level. They do not replace formal legal advice, final food law review, laboratory testing, certification audits, official approvals, importer services, customs advice, tax advice, or legal contract review.

Where specialist input is required, we may recommend that you consult a qualified lawyer, food law expert, certification body, laboratory, tax advisor, logistics provider, or other external specialist.

7. No Listing Guarantee

We do not guarantee:

– acceptance by any retailer, distributor, wholesaler, buyer, marketplace, or business partner

– a retail listing

– a buyer meeting

– commercial success

– specific sales results

– certification approval

– legal approval of packaging, labels, claims, or product documentation

– market entry by a specific date

– avoidance of all costs, fees, rejections, non-compliance charges, or commercial risks

Our role is to help you understand your current readiness, identify gaps, prioritise next steps, and prepare more professionally for the market.

Final decisions remain your responsibility.

8. Client Responsibilities

You are responsible for providing accurate, complete, and up-to-date information.

This may include, depending on the project:

– company information

– product sheets

– labels and packaging artwork

– ingredient lists

– certifications

– supplier documents

– quality management documents

– food safety documents

– ESG or sustainability documents

– price lists and commercial assumptions

– product data

– logistics information

– target market and channel information

– any other materials required for the agreed scope

You confirm that you have the right to share all documents, data, images, trademarks, packaging files, and other materials you provide to us.

You remain responsible for:

– product safety

– regulatory compliance

– final label approval

– commercial pricing decisions

– retailer negotiations

– contractual commitments

– implementation of recommendations

– product claims

– certification decisions

– legal, tax, customs, and financial decisions

We may pause or extend timelines if required information is missing, incomplete, delayed, or unclear.

9. Deliverables

Depending on the agreed scope, deliverables may include:

– readiness evaluation

– gap analysis

– priority action plan

– market entry roadmap

– packaging feedback/recommendations (not legal)

– supplier documentation review

– ESG readiness recommendations

– buyer preparation materials

– pitch or positioning recommendations

– implementation plans

– project coordination documents

– meeting notes or summary documents

Deliverables are based on the information available at the time of review. If information changes after delivery, conclusions and recommendations may also change.

Unless otherwise agreed, deliverables are provided for your internal business use only.

You may not publish, resell, copy, distribute, or provide our reports, frameworks, templates, or methodology to third parties without our prior written consent.

10. Timelines

Any timelines stated on our website, in proposals, or in communications are estimates unless expressly agreed as fixed deadlines.

Project timelines may depend on:

– timely receipt of documents

– completeness of information

– your availability for meetings and feedback

– external specialists

– laboratory or legal review timelines

– retailer, distributor, or certification body response times

– complexity of the product or target market

We are not responsible for delays caused by missing information, late client responses, third-party delays, or events outside our reasonable control.

11. Fees, Invoices, and Payment

Fees are stated in the relevant proposal, offer, service agreement, or invoice.

Unless otherwise stated:

– prices are quoted excluding VAT, sales tax, withholding tax, bank charges, and other applicable taxes or fees

– payment is due according to the invoice or proposal

– third-party costs are not included unless expressly stated

– travel, translations, legal review, lab testing, certification costs, design work, paid tools, and external specialist fees are charged separately where applicable

– work may be paused if invoices are overdue

If taxes, withholding, currency conversion fees, or bank charges apply, you are responsible for ensuring that we receive the full invoiced amount unless otherwise agreed in writing.

12. Changes in Scope

Any work outside the agreed scope must be agreed separately in writing.

Additional work may include, for example:

– additional SKUs

– additional countries or markets

– additional label versions

– additional rounds of review

– buyer outreach beyond the agreed scope

– additional meetings

– urgent turnaround requests

– coordination with additional external parties

– implementation support not included in the original proposal

We may provide a separate quote or updated project estimate for additional work.

13. Cancellation and Rescheduling

Discovery calls may be rescheduled where reasonably possible.

For paid projects, cancellation terms are defined in the individual proposal or service agreement.

Unless otherwise agreed:

– work already performed remains payable

– deposits or upfront payments may be non-refundable once work has started

– third-party costs already incurred remain payable

– if a project is paused by the client for more than 30 days, we may revise the timeline, fees, or availability

– if the client repeatedly fails to provide required information, we may close the project and invoice for work completed

14. Intellectual Property

All intellectual property in your pre-existing materials remains yours.

All intellectual property in our pre-existing materials remains ours. This includes, without limitation:

– Field to Shelf methodology

– assessment frameworks

– scoring logic

– templates

– checklists

– report structures

– training materials

– strategy frameworks

– internal processes

– website content

– brand materials

– visuals, copy, and documents created by us before or outside your project

Unless otherwise agreed, you receive a non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the final deliverables we prepare for you for your internal business purposes.

You may not copy, adapt, reuse, sell, publish, teach, license, or distribute our methodology, templates, frameworks, or reports as your own service or product.

15. Confidentiality

We treat non-public business information you share with us as confidential.

This includes, for example:

– product information

– supplier information

– commercial terms

– pricing structures

– strategy documents

– internal processes

– certification documents

– packaging files

– buyer discussions

– project reports

We may disclose confidential information only where necessary to provide the agreed services, where you have authorised us to do so, where required by law, or where the information is already publicly available.

If external specialists are involved, we will only share relevant information needed for their work, unless otherwise agreed.

16. Data Protection

We process personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Our Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, which third-party tools we use, and what rights you have.

You can access the Privacy Policy on our website.

17. Third-Party Tools and External Specialists

We may use third-party tools to operate our website, manage communications, deliver surveys, schedule calls, process payments, and provide services.

We may also recommend or coordinate external specialists, including lawyers, food law experts, laboratories, certification bodies, packaging experts, translators, logistics providers, or technical implementation partners.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise, external specialists are independent from Field to Shelf. Their work, fees, timelines, advice, and results are subject to their own terms and conditions.

We are not responsible for the acts, omissions, delays, advice, approvals, or decisions of third-party providers or external specialists.

18. Website Content

The content on our website is provided for general information only.

Although we aim to keep information accurate and up to date, we do not guarantee that website content is complete, current, or suitable for your specific situation.

Website content does not constitute legal, regulatory, tax, financial, certification, or technical advice.

Before making business decisions, you should obtain advice tailored to your specific company, product, market, and legal situation.

19. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Field to Shelf is liable only for direct damages caused by our intentional misconduct or gross negligence.

We are not liable for:

– indirect losses

– loss of profit

– loss of revenue

– loss of business opportunity

– loss of goodwill

– retailer rejection

– distributor rejection

– certification failure

– legal non-compliance caused by incomplete or inaccurate client information

– delays caused by clients or third parties

– decisions made by retailers, distributors, authorities, certification bodies, laboratories, or external specialists

– implementation decisions made by the client

– market developments outside our control

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot legally be excluded, including liability for fraud, intentional misconduct, or other mandatory liability under applicable law.

19.1 Retailer Fees, Penalties and Non-Compliance Charges

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Field to Shelf is not responsible for paying, reimbursing, or compensating any retailer, distributor, marketplace, authority, or third-party fees, penalties, chargebacks, deductions, delisting costs, rejection costs, or non-compliance charges incurred by the client.

This includes fees, penalties, or losses connected to labelling, packaging, product claims, product data, supplier documentation, certifications, ESG requirements, retailer portals, logistics requirements, or other retail-readiness issues, including where such issues were not identified in our assessment or where the client acted on our packaging, compliance, ESG, or market-entry recommendations.

Our services are advisory and readiness-level only and do not replace final legal, regulatory, technical, laboratory, certification, or retailer approval. The client remains responsible for obtaining any required specialist review and for all final implementation and market-entry decisions.

Nothing in this clause limits liability that cannot legally be excluded under applicable law.

20. Force Majeure

We are not responsible for delays or failures caused by events outside our reasonable control.

This may include, for example:

– illness

– technical failures

– internet outages

– platform outages

– strikes

– transport disruption

– natural disasters

– regulatory changes

– war or political instability

– supplier delays

– third-party failures

– force majeure events affecting clients, retailers, or external specialists

If such an event occurs, we will inform you where reasonably possible and adjust timelines accordingly.

21. References, Case Studies, and Testimonials

We will not use your company name, logo, project details, or confidential information publicly without your consent.

With your written permission, we may use anonymised or named references, testimonials, or case studies.

We may use general, anonymised learnings from our work to improve our services, methodology, and educational content, provided that you cannot be identified.

22. Termination

Either party may terminate a paid project in accordance with the applicable proposal or service agreement.

We may terminate or suspend services if:

– invoices are overdue

– required information is not provided

– the project scope becomes materially different from what was agreed

– the client requests unlawful, misleading, unethical, or non-compliant work

– communication becomes abusive, inappropriate, or unprofessional

– continuing the project would create a conflict of interest or legal risk

Upon termination, all work completed up to the termination date remains payable.

23. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, tools, or business structure.

When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

The version available on our website at the time you use the website or engage our services applies, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

24. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

The governing law and jurisdiction for paid services will be stated in the relevant proposal, invoice, or service agreement.

If no governing law is stated, the following applies:

Governing law: [insert chosen governing law, e.g. Cyprus law / Italian law]

Jurisdiction: [insert competent courts, e.g. courts of Cyprus / courts of Italy]

This section should be completed before publication.

25. Contact Us

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

Field to Shelf

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.fieldtoshelf.eu

Field to Shelf — Terms & Conditions — June 2026