Pro Bono Mentoring Policy | Aubrey International

Effective date: 16 September 2026

This policy applies to Aubrey International's pro bono mentoring program, which forms part of our wider Pro Bono & Community Outreach work.

1. Purpose

The program exists to make practical business and commercial experience available without charge to people who may benefit from it, particularly where commercial mentoring or consultancy may not presently be realistic.

It is intended to support discussion, learning, commercial judgment and development. It is not intended to create a contractual mentoring relationship.

2. What mentoring may cover

The subject matter may include:

business ideas, feasibility and business models;
pricing, branding, positioning and customer acquisition;
marketing and business planning;
commercial risk and decision-making;
career development, transition, entrepreneurship and self-employment;
accountability and next steps; and
other related matters Aubrey considers suitable for mentoring.

The scope is informal and may change as the relationship develops.

3. Eligibility

The program is broadly available to people who believe they would benefit from mentoring, including aspiring entrepreneurs, founders, freelancers, employees, students, people currently out of work, existing business owners, people considering self-employment or career changes, people connected with family businesses, charities, nonprofits, community organizations and social enterprises.

Financial circumstances may be considered and priority may be given where equivalent commercial support would not presently be realistic.
The person must be legally an adult in the jurisdiction applicable to them.
Aubrey does not mentor people who remain legal minors in their jurisdiction.
No person under 16 will be accepted under any circumstances.

4. International applications and compliance

Applications may be accepted internationally, subject to applicable law and Aubrey's compliance requirements.

Aubrey may decline, suspend or discontinue mentoring where support would create or could reasonably create concerns involving:

sanctions or restricted-party rules;
export controls;
national-security restrictions;
other legal or regulatory obligations; or
Aubrey's internal compliance standards.

Screening may be carried out and additional identity, nationality, residence, location or other information may be requested where reasonably necessary. Identity documentation is not routinely required from ordinary mentoring applicants.

Applications involving restricted jurisdictions may be declined. Dual nationality, temporary location and similar circumstances may be considered case by case.

5. Acceptance and capacity

Submitting an application does not create an entitlement to mentoring.
Aubrey has discretion to accept or decline an application and is not required to provide reasons.
There is no fixed published cap on active mentoring relationships.
Acceptance is always subject to available capacity.
Where demand exceeds capacity, Aubrey may maintain a waiting list, temporarily close applications, decline an application, invite a later application or use another reasonable approach.
There is no appeal against a decision to decline an application.

6. Nature of the relationship

Mentoring is intended to provide perspective, challenge, practical experience and a sounding board. A mentor may disagree, challenge assumptions, identify weaknesses or suggest reconsidering a proposed decision.

The person receiving mentoring remains responsible for every decision they make.
They remain responsible for their own research, due diligence and judgment.
Following a mentor's suggestion does not transfer responsibility for the resulting decision to Aubrey International.

7. No guaranteed outcomes

Aubrey does not guarantee:

business formation, success, profitability or revenue;
investment, funding or investor introductions;
employment or career advancement;
customers, clients, partnerships or other commercial opportunities;
qualifications, training outcomes or other milestones; or
any other particular result.

8. No professional advice

Unless Aubrey expressly confirms otherwise under a separate engagement, mentoring does not constitute:

legal advice;
tax advice;
regulated financial or investment advice;
immigration advice;
medical or mental-health advice or support; or
another regulated professional service.

General discussion of a professional issue does not convert mentoring into a professional engagement.

9. Mentoring is not a substitute for paid services

The program must not be used to circumvent Aubrey International's commercial services. Basic legal, commercial, regulatory or professional issues may be discussed where that helps the wider mentoring conversation, but mentoring is not a route to obtain substantive drafting, research, professional analysis, consultancy or other normally chargeable work for free.

Aubrey may separately offer professional services where appropriate.
Separate work may be offered at standard or reduced rates at Aubrey's discretion.
There is no obligation to purchase any service.
Declining paid work does not, by itself, end an otherwise appropriate mentoring relationship.

10. Cost and third-party expenditure

Mentoring under this program is free of charge. Aubrey does not charge participation, membership or mentoring fees.

People receiving mentoring remain responsible for their own external costs, including searches, software, filing fees and fees charged by third-party professionals or services. Aubrey will not incur third-party expenditure on their behalf.

11. Duration, availability and communications

There is no fixed duration.
No particular number of hours, meetings, calls or messages is guaranteed.
No response-time commitment or service level applies.
The relationship may be reviewed periodically.
Either side may end mentoring at any time without giving a reason.
Email is ordinarily the principal communication channel.
Telephone, video and WhatsApp may be used where appropriate.
Social media may be used for initial contact, but substantive discussions will ordinarily move to email.
Signal is not used for this program.
The program is not an emergency, crisis or out-of-hours support service.

12. What Aubrey expects from participants

People receiving mentoring are expected to:

engage genuinely;
provide materially accurate information;
undertake their own work;
respond reasonably where a response is needed;
be open to constructive challenge;
respect reasonable boundaries on the mentor's time; and
communicate respectfully.

Aubrey may end mentoring where someone persistently refuses to engage, repeatedly expects the mentor to undertake their work for them or otherwise makes continuation unproductive.

13. Conduct

Aubrey may immediately suspend or terminate mentoring in response to:

abuse, threats or harassment;
discriminatory abuse;
material deliberate dishonesty;
fraud or attempted fraud;
attempts to involve Aubrey in unlawful activity, deception or wrongdoing;
repeated unreasonable demands; or
other conduct Aubrey reasonably considers incompatible with the program.

Someone whose mentoring is ended for conduct reasons may be prevented from applying again. There is no appeal process.

14. Sectors and activities

Aubrey will not provide mentoring intended to facilitate unlawful activity.

Aubrey will not ordinarily provide mentoring relating to:

firearms or weapons businesses;
recreational or controlled drugs;
multi-level marketing schemes; or
cryptocurrency businesses.

Adult businesses, political organizations or activities, religious organizations and other areas presenting particular ethical, regulatory or reputational considerations may be assessed individually.

Regulated sectors may be supported at a strategic level where appropriate, but mentoring is not a substitute for regulated or specialist professional work. Aubrey may decline any activity it considers legally, ethically, commercially, reputationally or operationally inappropriate.

15. Artificial intelligence

Sensible use of artificial intelligence is permitted. Aubrey may also use AI-assisted tools for research, analysis, organization or idea development.

AI-generated material must not be assumed to be correct merely because it is presented confidently.
AI is never a substitute for professional advice where professional advice is required.
People remain responsible for checking material they use.
Where a mentor specifically asks for the person's own words, thinking or analysis, AI-generated answers are not an acceptable substitute.
Aubrey may end mentoring where the relationship effectively becomes a conversation between the mentor and AI-generated responses rather than meaningful engagement with the person.

16. Confidentiality

Aubrey treats mentoring communications and information disclosed through the relationship as confidential. Aubrey will not use confidential business information received through mentoring for its own commercial advantage. Confidentiality continues after mentoring ends.

Mentoring confidentiality is not equivalent to legal professional privilege merely because Aubrey has legal expertise or separately provides legal or consultancy services.

Disclosure may be made where genuinely necessary or appropriate in connection with:

a legal obligation;
safeguarding;
whistleblowing;
a credible and serious risk of harm;
child abuse or exploitation;
serious criminal conduct; or
another circumstance in which non-disclosure would be unlawful or clearly inappropriate.

Any disclosure should be limited to what is reasonably necessary in the circumstances.

17. Confidentiality expected in return

People receiving mentoring are expected to respect Aubrey's confidential information. Private mentoring correspondence, including emails, messages, WhatsApp conversations and screenshots, must not be publicly reproduced or distributed without permission unless there is a lawful and legitimate reason for doing so. Aubrey applies the same principle to their communications.

18. Safeguarding and whistleblowing

Safeguarding concerns and whistleblowing disclosures may require a different response from ordinary confidential mentoring discussions. Aubrey may take reasonable steps where information indicates abuse, exploitation, serious wrongdoing or a credible risk of serious harm, including disclosure to a relevant authority or other suitable person where appropriate.

A separate safeguarding policy may be adopted and, where applicable, should be read alongside this policy.

19. Conflicts

Aubrey does not routinely conduct a formal professional conflict check before every mentoring relationship. A conflict assessment or check may be undertaken where circumstances make it appropriate.

Aubrey may decline or terminate mentoring where a person's interests conflict, or could materially conflict, with those of an existing client or another professional obligation.

20. Intellectual property

The person retains ownership of their own ideas, concepts, brands, inventions, products, business plans and other intellectual property.
Discussing an idea during mentoring does not give Aubrey any ownership interest in it.
Aubrey retains ownership of its templates, methodologies, frameworks, prompts, training resources and other proprietary material.
Material supplied for a person's own use may ordinarily be used for that purpose.
Aubrey material may not be sold, commercially redistributed or represented as someone else's work without permission.

21. Introductions

Aubrey may make introductions to people in its personal or professional network where it considers an introduction appropriate. Introductions are entirely discretionary and no participant has an entitlement to access Aubrey's network.

An introduction is not an endorsement of either party and Aubrey does not accept responsibility for the subsequent conduct, services, decisions or relationship of people introduced.

22. Records and privacy

Aubrey may retain reasonable records relating to mentoring, including:

contact information disclosed during the relationship;
background information voluntarily provided;
mentoring correspondence;
notes of discussions;
objectives and agreed actions; and
progress or outcomes.

Aubrey does not ordinarily seek additional personal information that is unnecessary for mentoring. People should not send identity documents, medical records, banking or payment credentials, passwords, account credentials or large document collections unless expressly requested for a legitimate purpose.

Personal information is handled in accordance with Aubrey International's Privacy Notice.

23. Case studies, testimonials and impact reporting

Aubrey may use genuinely anonymized mentoring experiences, lessons or statistics for internal learning, public education and pro bono impact reporting where the individual cannot reasonably be identified.

Names and identifying information will not be published without express permission.
Where there is a meaningful risk of identification, Aubrey may seek permission before publication.
Testimonials may be invited but are entirely voluntary.
Testimonials will not be financially incentivized and may be withdrawn from future publication.

24. Program measurement

Aubrey may keep aggregate internal records concerning:

hours contributed;
number of people supported;
proportion of working time devoted to pro bono activity;
estimated commercial value of donated time;
businesses or projects launched or reconsidered;
employment, career, revenue or funding milestones;
qualifications or training completed; and
other outcomes voluntarily reported.

These measures exist to understand the program's impact, not to impose performance targets on the people receiving mentoring. Individual outcome reporting is voluntary.

25. Ending mentoring

Either side may end the mentoring relationship at any time. Aubrey may, where appropriate, explain why it is doing so, but is not required to provide a reason.

Ending free mentoring does not automatically terminate or alter a separate paid professional engagement.

26. Changes to this policy

Aubrey may amend this policy as the program develops, including to reflect experience, capacity, compliance requirements or changes to the wider Pro Bono & Community Outreach program. The current version published on this website is the operative public policy.

27. Applying and contact

Applications and questions about the mentoring program may be sent to mentor@aubreyinternational.com.

Applicants should read this policy and the Privacy Notice before applying. Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance.