Founding partners
Ten founding places for Edinburgh independents.
The first ten hotels to join NovaBid (no more than two per group) pay 10% commission for life (plus VAT where applicable), are listed first in our directory, and have a direct line to me. We work with independent hotels only, and we check ownership at Companies House before inviting anyone.
What founding partners actually get
Founding Partner vs Standard
Confirmed in writing when you join, not a perks list that quietly evaporates.
From the founder
Why the first ten matter
Businesses will only post trips once there are hotels to answer them, so the first ten hotels get better terms in exchange for backing NovaBid early.
The math
What it costs
The business pre-pays through Stripe (Pay by Bank or card) the moment they book, so you never chase payment. You raise your own VAT invoice to the business, as for any guest. The booking value belongs to the hotel. NovaBid remits it less commission: the transfer is initiated at booking, held in your own Stripe account, and paid to your bank once your free-cancellation window closes. No listing fee, no subscription, no per-quote charge, the commission is the only cost there is. NovaBid acts as the hotel’s booking agent. Your contract for the stay is with the hotel.
When do you actually get paid?
Booking confirmed
The business pays the full amount through Stripe. Say £300 for a two-night stay.
The transfer starts at booking
Our commission is £30 at the founding rate. We initiate the transfer of the booking value, less that £30, at that moment, through Stripe.
In your bank when free cancellation ends
The money waits in your own Stripe account and is paid to your bank automatically once your free-cancellation window closes, before the guest arrives.
The founding rate is 10%, locked for life, against 12% standard, plus VAT where applicable. We offer it because the first ten hotels are what make the marketplace real. A fair trade, in writing.
Works with
Your reservation system
Using another system? Bookings arrive by email, ready for the front desk to key in.
Ten places, then the founding terms close
The founding rate, the badge and the placement are for the first ten hotels. Once the tenth joins, later partners join on standard terms.
FAQ
Questions hotels ask
What if I join later, can I get the founding rate then?+
No. The founding terms exist to reward the hotels that back this first. The rate, the badge and the placement are strictly for the first ten, ever.
What if I sign up and NovaBid disappears in six months?+
Fair concern. You pay nothing unless a booking lands, and your guest relationships stay yours. Nothing is locked behind us. The downside is the time it takes to set the account up; the upside is founding terms from day one.
How is this different from the standard 12% offer?+
Same product, same dashboard, same demand. The differences: commission two percentage points lower for life, a founding partner badge on your listing, first placement in our directory, a direct line to me, and being named when we talk to the Scottish press.
Do I have to commit to a minimum volume?+
No. Bid on as many or as few trip requests as you want. The founding-partner status and rate aren't conditional on volume.