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Refund & Cancellation Policy

CGAD brings young leaders together through international summits, forums, and dialogues built to grow talent and support inclusive, sustainable progress. The terms below set out how cancellations, refunds, and Credit Event Vouchers (CEVs) are handled for the Global Youth Impact Summit (GYIS) 2026 and other events we organize.

1. Key Terms

  • Application Fee: A one-time charge tied to certain scholarship or funded tracks. It is never refunded.
  • Registration / Program Fee: The amount paid to secure your place, which differs by category.
  • Self-Funded & Summit Access Pass: Tracks in which delegates pay their own way.
  • Credit Event Voucher (CEV): A digital credit from CGAD usable toward a future CGAD event, subject to Section 6.

2. What This Covers

These terms apply to any registration for a CGAD event, whether booked with us directly or through an authorized registration partner. Anything bought from an outside provider — flights, hotels, visa services, and the like — falls outside this policy.

3. Core Rules

  • Application fees stay with CGAD. For funded and partially funded tracks, these fees are required, final, and not open to dispute. Selected delegates who actually take part receive any applicable reimbursement within 3–4 weeks after the summit. Attendance is required.
  • You agree at checkout. Completing registration confirms you've read and accepted this policy.
  • Changing your mind doesn't trigger a cash refund. In eligible cases we issue a CEV instead of returning cash — the one exception being a CGAD-cancelled event (Section 9).

4. Rules by Category

A) Fully Funded / Partially Funded

  • If you aren't selected, application fees remain non-refundable and can't be transferred.
  • For Partially Funded delegates, whatever portion you paid yourself is governed by the CEV schedule in Section 5.
  • Any travel reimbursement on offer is handled under Section 10.

B) Self-Funded & Summit Access Pass

  • A registration can't be passed to another person unless CGAD signs off on a substitution (Section 8).
  • If you meet the conditions in Section 5, any refund comes as a CEV (Section 6) — not cash.
  • Where an Invitation Letter was ordered, that fee plus related taxes and charges is non-refundable and comes off the top before a CEV is worked out.

C) Invitation Letter / Visa Support Package

  • This is a documentation and processing service on its own. The fee is not refundable no matter the visa result (see Section 7), including on installment plans — and any remaining installments are still owed.

5. When You Qualify for a CEV

Delegates in the Self-Funded or Summit Access Pass tracks can request a CEV based on how far out from the event they cancel. The clock is counted back from the opening day of the event:

  • 45 days or more out: A CEV worth the full amount paid, less any Invitation Letter fees, taxes, and non-refundable processing charges.
  • 30 to 44 days out: A CEV for half the amount paid, less Invitation Letter fees, taxes, and processing charges. The other half is kept as a cancellation fee.
  • 15 to 29 days out: A CEV for a quarter of the amount paid, less the same deductions. The remaining three-quarters is kept as a cancellation fee.
  • 14 days or fewer (and no-shows): No CEV. The entire amount paid is retained.

Worth noting

  • Requests have to reach us by email (Section 12) before the cutoff that applies to you.
  • If an Invitation Letter was part of your order, its fee and related charges always come out first and are never returned.

6. Using Your CEV

  • Good for: 12 months from the day it's issued.
  • Belongs to you alone: Only the original registrant can use it; it can't be handed to someone else.
  • One-time use: If your next event costs less than the voucher, the leftover stays on the same CEV until it expires.
  • No cash equivalent: A CEV can't be cashed out or swapped for non-CGAD services.
  • CGAD events only.
  • One per booking: Just a single CEV can be applied to each new registration.
  • Guard it like a ticket: Once issued, CGAD isn't liable if a code is lost or misused.

7. Visas & Invitation Letters

  • Invitation Letter fees are final. You're paying for processing and paperwork, not for a visa. The issuing embassy or consulate alone decides on any visa.
  • The travel risk is yours. Visa applications, appointments, and travel logistics are entirely the participant's responsibility.

8. Substitutions (Rare)

  • On an exceptional basis, CGAD may allow a single name change for Self-Funded or Summit Access Pass bookings, but only 45 or more days before the event.
  • Approval isn't guaranteed, may carry an admin fee, and must be confirmed in writing.
  • No substitutions are allowed inside the 30-day window.

9. If CGAD Alters, Delays, or Calls Off an Event

  • A different venue, speaker lineup, or format isn't a refund trigger — your place still stands.
  • If we postpone, your registration moves to the new dates automatically. Can't make it? Request a CEV for the full amount.
  • If we cancel outright with no new date within 90 days, you choose: a full cash refund (minus any third-party bank or currency charges we can't recover) or a CEV for the full amount.

10. Travel Reimbursement for Fully Funded Delegates (Where Offered)

  • When reimbursement is explicitly provided, it's paid after the event once we receive a completed claim form, your bank details, and the required proof (tickets, boarding passes, receipts).
  • Expect 4–8 weeks once the full set of documents is in.
  • Payment goes only to the delegate named in the award letter, in the currency originally paid, unless we state otherwise.

11. Circumstances Beyond Our Control

CGAD can't be held responsible for disruptions or cancellations caused by events outside our control — natural disasters, pandemics, strikes, regulatory shifts, or geopolitical events, among others. Site visits and city tours shown in the program depend on availability and approval and may change without notice.

12. Requesting a CEV or Eligible Refund

Email info@thecgad.org with the subject line Refund/CEV Request – [Event Name].

Please include

  • The full name and email you registered with
  • Your order or invoice number
  • The event name and dates
  • Your category (Fully Funded / Partially Funded / Self-Funded / Summit Access Pass)
  • Your reason, plus any supporting documents (for example, a visa refusal letter)

We aim to confirm receipt within 3–5 business days and reach a decision within 10 business days; involved cases can run longer. Approved CEVs are sent electronically.

13. Chargebacks & Disputes

Signing up for a CGAD event means you accept these terms. We may challenge unauthorized chargebacks and reserve the right to recover any resulting fees or losses.

14. Currency, Taxes & Charges

Prices appear in the currency shown at checkout. Bank fees, currency conversion costs, and taxes are the participant's responsibility and are not refundable.

15. Outside Costs

CGAD takes no responsibility for third-party expenses — travel, lodging, visas, and similar — whatever the reason for a change or cancellation.

16. Changes to This Policy

CGAD may revise these terms at any point. The latest version lives at www.thecgad.org and takes effect from its stated date.

17. Your Agreement

Applying or registering confirms that you've read, understood, and accepted this CGAD Refund & Cancellation Policy.