Per-Assignment Freelance Terms & Conditions

By accepting a freelance work assignment from Pioneer Utility Resources, Inc. (“Pioneer”), you (“Freelancer”) agree to the following Per-Assignment Freelance Terms & Conditions. These terms apply only to the specific assignment you accept. These terms override all previous agreements.

1. Independent Contractor Status

You are engaged as an independent contractor. Nothing in these terms creates an employment relationship, partnership or joint venture or entitles you to any health and welfare, retirement or similar benefits. You are solely responsible for your taxes, insurance, equipment and business compliance obligations. All deliverables are considered work made for hire.

2. Scope of Work and Deliverables

Your assignment from Pioneer will describe:

the publication, project or campaign your work is for,
the type of work requested,
the expected deliverables and deadlines, and
any rate or fee agreed upon for that specific assignment.

You agree to deliver work that meets the requirements and deadlines provided in the assignment.

All work must meet industry standards in terms of quality and methods used to gather information or to create content. Specific stipulations such as the format of deliverables, requirements for one-to-one interviews or required design tools will be communicated per assignment. Generative AI is prohibited when creating editorial copy, photography, illustrations or any portion of a deliverable unless usage is clearly detailed in an assignment.

3. Ownership and Intellectual Property Rights

Your work is created as a work made for hire, meaning Pioneer (or our client, as the case may be) owns the delivered contracted work and all associated intellectual property rights. Pioneer may use, reproduce, publish, distribute, modify and adapt the work in any print or digital format, including websites, social media, archives, promotional materials and future derivative works. If, for legal purposes, the work does not qualify as a work made for hire, you hereby assign to Pioneer all rights, title and interest in the work.

4. Revisions

You agree to make reasonable revisions as needed, at no additional charge, in order for the work to meet the assignment requirements.

If major rework is needed due to a change in direction by Pioneer, Pioneer may approve additional compensation at its discretion.

5. Compensation and Invoicing

Your rate or fee will be stated in the assignment. Unless the assignment specifies otherwise:

You will submit one invoice per assignment after delivering the work—unless an alternate cadence is specifically detailed in an assignment or work agreement.
Invoices must be submitted through Pioneer’s approved process.
Pioneer will pay correctly submitted invoices within 10 business days.

All expenses must be preapproved in writing by Pioneer to be reimbursable.

You are responsible for all other costs related to completing your work.

6. Basic Confidentiality

You may receive nonpublic information from Pioneer or its clients. You agree to keep such information confidential if it is:

marked confidential, or
would be understood by a reasonable person to be confidential based on its nature or the circumstances.

You may use confidential information only for the purpose of completing your assignment. This obligation continues indefinitely after the assignment ends.

7. Noncompetition Agreement

For 24 months after completing an assignment, you agree to not solicit or accept freelance writing, editing, proofing, photography, design or other communication work of a nature similar to this assignment from the specific client or utility featured in, benefiting from or otherwise materially involved in your assignment.

Freelancers who regularly work with Pioneer become part of our extended creative team and may gain knowledge of our clients, markets, and business relationships. After accepting six or more assignments from Pioneer within a 12-month period, you agree not to independently pursue or accept similar freelance communication work from community-owned utilities or related utility associations in the United States for the following 24 months. Opportunities in this market may instead be referred to Pioneer, with the freelancer eligible to perform the work on Pioneer’s behalf.

Nothing in this Section precludes you from accepting an offer of full-time employment from any Pioneer client. Further, nothing in this Section precludes you from continuing to perform freelance work directly for a utility under an arrangement, which must be disclosed to Pioneer in writing prior to accepting this agreement, that preexisted your acceptance of the assignment.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold Pioneer harmless from any claim, loss or liability arising from:

your work on the assignment,
your conduct in performing the assignment or
your breach of these terms,

except to the extent such claim arises from Pioneer’s own gross negligence or intentional misconduct.

This includes claims relating to copyright infringement, defamation, privacy violations or violations of applicable law.

9. Contractor Representations

You represent and warrant that:

your work will be original and not infringe on the rights of others;
your work will not contain defamatory, unlawful or unlicensed content;
you have the full authority to enter this agreement;
you are legally able to perform freelance work in your jurisdiction.

10. Relationship Clarification

These terms apply only to the specific assignment you accept. They do not create any ongoing obligation for Pioneer to offer additional work, nor any obligation for you to accept future assignments.

11. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Oregon. Any disputes will be brought in the appropriate state or federal courts located in Oregon.

12. Miscellaneous

If any provision of this agreement is found unenforceable, the rest remain in effect.
These terms may be updated from time to time; the version in effect when you accept an assignment governs that assignment.