bis Code of Conduct

Participants and their agents are expected to follow the bis Code of Conduct. Failure to do so may lead to the revocation of an award, disqualification, or cancellation of an entry.

The British Invention Show & Awards is run by Innovated Limited under licence from the British Inventors Society (bis). This Code applies to everyone who takes part: entrants, agents, judges, sponsors, exhibitors and guests. It is governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Our principles

Adapted from the British Inventors Society’s Principles for the Conduct of Business.

Integrity. Deal with others honestly, sincerely and ethically; respect the law; uphold the good reputation of bis; and declare any possible conflict of interest at the earliest appropriate moment.

Professional standards. Be competent, reliable and trustworthy, and open enough that no one is let down by poor performance or harmed by misconduct.

Respect for others. Treat others with fairness, discretion and confidentiality, whether that confidence is given in conversation, in a note or in a formal undertaking. Do not waste others’ time or make excessive demands of them.

Wisdom. Act and advise only where you have the knowledge and experience to do so; learn from others with confidence and good humour, but never at their expense; and accept rejection with good grace.

Entrants

• Enter only work that you invented, own, or are entitled to enter.
• Give true and complete information. Do not overstate results, test data or commercial success.
• Tell us promptly if anything material about your entry changes.

Agents

• Enter an invention only with the inventor’s or owner’s clear permission, and be able to show it on request.
• Be honest with your clients about pricing. Never misrepresent bis fees, and always make clear what is paid to bis and what is your own charge or commission.
• Do not present yourself as bis, or as speaking for bis, unless we have authorised you in writing.
• Pass on to your clients, accurately and promptly, everything we send you about their entry.

Judges

• Declare any personal, financial or professional interest in an entry before judging, and step aside where appropriate.
• Keep every entry, score and deliberation confidential, during and after the show.
• Judge each entry fairly, on its merits alone.
• The judges’ decisions are final.

Protecting your ideas

Showing an invention in public can affect your right to patent it. We recommend that you seek professional advice, and file any patent or design applications you need, before you enter or exhibit. bis keeps unpublished entry details confidential and uses them only to run the awards. We cannot, however, control what visitors see or note at the live show.

Medals, logos and certificates

• Use a bis medal, certificate or logo only for the invention, year and level actually awarded, for example “Gold Medal, The British Invention Show 2026”.
• Do not alter the artwork, claim a higher award, or apply an award to a different product.
• If an award is revoked, all use of it must stop at once.

At the show and the Gala Dinner

• Treat fellow participants, judges, staff, sponsors and guests with courtesy.
• Harassment, discrimination, abusive language and disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated.
• Respect the venue’s rules and the instructions of the organisers.
• Do not photograph or record another exhibitor’s invention in detail without their permission.

Gifts and bribery

Do not offer, give or accept any gift, payment, hospitality or favour meant to influence judging, an award or any other decision. Doing so breaches this Code and may break the Bribery Act 2010.

Refunds and complaints

Questions, concerns and complaints should be sent to show@thebis.org. We will acknowledge them promptly and handle them fairly and in confidence. Any refund is handled personally by the bis team, in line with the terms that applied when the entry was made.

Your privacy

How we collect and use personal information is explained in our Privacy noticeCode of Conduct.

Breaches

We may investigate any suspected breach of this Code and ask for information to help us do so. Depending on how serious the breach is, we may give a warning, cancel an entry, disqualify an entrant or agent, revoke an award, or refuse future participation. Our decision is final.

Last updated: November 2026