Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions

In these Terms and Conditions, the following definitions apply:

• "SMS", "we", "us", "our" refers to Sustainable Management System Inc., incorporated in the State of New York, USA, and its authorised operating entities and affiliated organisations, including Sustainable Management System Bangladesh and Sustainable Management System UAE.
• "SMS Training Academy" refers to the professional training and certification division of SMS operating at smscert.com and associated subdomains.
• "Platform" refers to the SMS Training Academy website, learning management system (LMS), participant portal, and all associated digital services.
• "Participant" refers to any individual who registers an account, enrols in a training programme, or accesses any service offered by SMS Training Academy.
• "Client" refers to any organisation, employer, or sponsor that purchases training services on behalf of Participants.
• "Programme" refers to any training course, module, workshop, webinar, eLearning course, or professional development offering made available through the Platform.
• "Certificate" refers to any digital or physical certificate of completion, participation, or professional credential issued by SMS Training Academy.

2. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Platform, registering an account, making a payment, or enrolling in any Programme, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, together with our Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy, which are incorporated by reference.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Platform or enrol in any Programme. If you are enrolling on behalf of an organisation, you represent and warrant that you have authority to bind that organisation to these Terms.

3. Eligibility

The Platform is available to individuals who are at least 18 years of age. By using the Platform, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement. Some Programmes may have additional prerequisites — these are listed on the relevant Programme page and must be satisfied before enrolment.

4. Account Registration

To access training services, you must create a Participant account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete registration information;
• Maintain and promptly update your account information to keep it accurate and complete;
• Keep your login credentials confidential and not share access with any third party;
• Notify us immediately at training@smscert.com if you suspect any unauthorised access to your account;
• Accept responsibility for all activities conducted through your account.

SMS reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that contain inaccurate information or that are found to be in breach of these Terms.

5. Enrolment

Enrolment in a Programme is confirmed only upon receipt of full payment (or confirmed purchase order for approved corporate clients) and issuance of a confirmation notice by SMS Training Academy. Until such confirmation is issued, a place on the Programme is not guaranteed.

SMS reserves the right to refuse enrolment, limit class sizes, or cancel a Programme if minimum participant numbers are not met. In the event of cancellation by SMS, enrolled Participants will receive a full refund of fees paid.

6. Payments & Fees

6.1 Accepted Payment Methods

Secure online payments are processed through approved payment partners, selected automatically based on your billing location and currency at checkout — you are never asked to choose a payment partner yourself. Additional payment methods and currencies may be introduced over time; this section reflects what is currently available.

Method	Currencies	Availability
Online Banking / Mobile Financial Services (Bangladesh)	BDT (Bangladeshi Taka)	Bangladesh participants
Bank Transfer	USD, GBP, EUR, BDT	Corporate clients & approved participants

6.2 Payment Processing Entities

Payment may be processed by Sustainable Management System Inc. (USA), Sustainable Management System Bangladesh, Sustainable Management System UAE, or an authorised affiliate or approved payment partner, depending on the Participant's location, the Programme's originating entity, and the payment currency selected at checkout. The processing entity is identified on the payment confirmation and, where applicable, on the payment partner's checkout page.

6.3 Currency and Taxes

Programme fees are displayed in the applicable currency at checkout. Where currency conversion is required, the rate applied is determined by the payment partner at the time of transaction. SMS is not responsible for currency conversion losses or bank-imposed foreign transaction fees.

Participants and Clients are responsible for determining and paying any applicable taxes, duties, levies, or VAT/GST arising from their enrolment, in accordance with the laws of their jurisdiction. SMS will issue tax invoices upon request.

6.4 Late Payment

For corporate clients with approved credit terms, invoices are payable within the period stated on the invoice. SMS reserves the right to withhold access to Programmes, certificates, and digital materials pending payment, and to charge interest on overdue balances at a rate of 1.5% per month or the maximum rate permitted by applicable law, whichever is lower.

7. Refunds & Cancellations

Refund eligibility depends on the type of Programme, the timing of the cancellation or withdrawal request, and the circumstances involved. Full details are set out in our Refund and Cancellation Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

Payment gateway transaction charges (typically 2–4% of the transaction value) are non-refundable in all circumstances, as they represent costs incurred by SMS on processing the original payment. Where a refund is approved, the refunded amount will be net of these gateway charges unless SMS determines in its sole discretion that a full refund is appropriate.

8. Instructor-Led Training (ILT & VILT)

Instructor-Led Training (ILT) programmes are delivered in person at designated venues. Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) programmes are delivered live online via secure video conferencing platforms. For both formats:

• Participants are required to attend all scheduled sessions. Attendance records are maintained and may affect certificate eligibility.
• Participation in activities, exercises, and assessments is expected as part of the learning experience.
• SMS reserves the right to remove any Participant whose conduct disrupts the training environment or violates these Terms, without refund.
• Programmes, venues, times, and facilitators are subject to change. We will notify enrolled Participants of material changes as soon as practicable.
• Recording of sessions by Participants — by any means — is strictly prohibited without prior written consent from SMS.

9. Events, Conferences & Alumni Programmes

9.1 Scope

This section applies to paid and free events organised by SMS Training Academy, including professional conferences, alumni reunions, industry seminars, networking events, panel discussions, and similar organised gatherings ("Events"), whether held in person or online.

9.2 Registration & Confirmation

Event registration is confirmed upon receipt of full payment (for paid Events) or submission of a completed registration form (for free Events), and issuance of a confirmation notice. SMS reserves the right to close registrations at any time and to limit attendance numbers. Registrations are non-transferable to a different Event.

9.3 Refunds & Cancellations

The standard ILT refund tiers (see Section 7 and the Refund and Cancellation Policy) apply to paid Event registrations unless the specific Event page states otherwise. Any Event-specific refund terms published on the registration page take precedence over the standard tiers.

9.4 Substitutions

Substitution of a registered Participant by a colleague from the same organisation is permitted with at least 48 hours' written notice before the Event, subject to the substitute meeting any eligibility requirements. The substitute must complete any outstanding registration information before the Event commences.

9.5 No-Show

Failure to attend a paid Event without prior written cancellation constitutes a no-show. No refund is available for no-shows. A no-show does not entitle the Participant to access event recordings, materials, or certificates where these are conditional on attendance.

9.6 Recording & Media

Recording, live-streaming, photographing, or distributing Event content by Participants without prior written consent from SMS is strictly prohibited. SMS may record Events for internal or promotional purposes; Participants attending acknowledge consent to appear in such recordings unless they notify the Event organiser in writing at registration or upon arrival.

9.7 Event Changes

SMS reserves the right to change an Event's format, speakers, programme, venue, date, or timing. If SMS cancels an Event entirely, registered paid Participants will receive a full refund or credit at their election. SMS is not liable for any consequential costs incurred by Participants (travel, accommodation, visas, etc.) arising from Event changes or cancellations beyond SMS's control.

10. Corporate & In-House Training

10.1 Scope

This section applies to customised training programmes and in-house training services delivered to Client organisations ("Corporate Programmes"), including bespoke workshops, group bookings on open programmes, training needs assessments, instructional design services, and related consulting or advisory engagements.

10.2 Quotations & Proposals

Quotations and training proposals issued by SMS are valid for 30 calendar days from the date of issue unless otherwise stated. A quotation does not constitute a binding agreement — a written purchase order, signed agreement, or confirmed booking instruction from the Client is required.

10.3 Contractual Terms

Corporate Programmes are governed by the terms set out in the written agreement or accepted quotation between SMS and the Client. Where no separate written agreement exists, these Terms apply in full. Client terms submitted in purchase orders or other documents are not binding on SMS unless expressly accepted in writing by an authorised SMS representative.

10.4 Participant Substitutions

Client organisations may substitute nominated Participants before the start of a Corporate Programme with written notice, provided the substitute meets any applicable prerequisites. Substitution requests received less than 48 hours before programme commencement may incur an administration fee.

10.5 Confidentiality

In delivering Corporate Programmes, SMS may receive confidential information relating to the Client's operations, personnel, or business. SMS will keep such information confidential and use it solely to deliver the agreed services. This obligation survives termination of the engagement.

11. eLearning Access

Upon successful enrolment and payment confirmation for self-paced eLearning Programmes, Participants are granted a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to access the Programme content for the access period specified at enrolment (typically 90 days or 12 months, as stated on the Programme page). This licence is strictly for the individual Participant's personal professional development and may not be shared, sublicensed, or transferred.

• Access periods commence from the date of enrolment confirmation, not from first login.
• Content may be updated periodically; updated content replaces prior versions without notice.
• SMS does not guarantee uninterrupted access and reserves the right to perform maintenance, updates, or modifications to the Platform at any time.

12. Assessments & Examinations

Many Programmes include knowledge assessments or examinations as a condition for certificate issuance. Unless otherwise stated on the Programme page:

• Assessments must be completed within the Participant's access period.
• Minimum pass marks are specified on the Programme page or assessment instructions.
• The number of permitted attempts is specified per Programme. Additional attempts beyond the permitted number may incur a re-assessment fee.
• Assessments must be completed independently. Any evidence of academic dishonesty, collusion, or use of prohibited materials will result in immediate disqualification and may result in account suspension without refund.

13. Certificates

Certificates of completion or professional attendance are issued to Participants who fulfil all Programme requirements, including attendance (for ILT/VILT), completion of all required modules (for eLearning), and achievement of the required assessment score (where applicable).

• Certificates are issued digitally through the Platform and are verifiable at smscert.com/verify.
• Physical certificates may be available upon request; additional shipping costs may apply.
• The validity period of any certificate is specified on the certificate itself. SMS makes no representation that any certificate will be accepted by any third party, accreditation body, employer, or regulatory authority.
• In the event of suspected fraud, misrepresentation, or breach of these Terms, SMS reserves the right to revoke any certificate. Revoked certificates will be flagged as invalid in the verification registry.

14. Intellectual Property

All content on the Platform — including but not limited to course materials, videos, assessments, study guides, templates, frameworks, graphics, text, branding, and software — is the proprietary intellectual property of Sustainable Management System Inc. or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other applicable intellectual property laws.

Participants are granted a limited licence to access and use Programme materials solely for their personal professional development. No content may be downloaded (except as explicitly permitted), reproduced, redistributed, published, resold, modified, or used to create derivative works without the express prior written consent of SMS.

15. Acceptable Use & Prohibited Activities

Participants agree not to:

• Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable laws or regulations;
• Impersonate any person, misrepresent professional credentials, or provide false information;
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Platform, other user accounts, or SMS systems;
• Use automated tools, bots, scrapers, or other means to access or extract Platform content;
• Resell, sublicense, or commercially exploit access to the Platform or any Programme;
• Engage in any conduct that is abusive, harassing, defamatory, or harmful to other users, instructors, or SMS staff;
• Upload, transmit, or distribute any content containing viruses, malware, or other harmful code;
• Circumvent any technical measures implemented to protect Platform security or content integrity.

SMS reserves the right to suspend or permanently terminate the account of any Participant found to be in breach of this section, without refund and without prior notice.

16. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law:

• SMS Training Academy provides all Programmes and Platform services on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranties of any kind, express or implied;
• SMS does not warrant that Programmes will meet Participant-specific professional requirements, lead to employment outcomes, or satisfy the requirements of any third-party accreditation body;
• SMS's aggregate liability to any Participant or Client for any claim arising under or in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the total fees paid by that Participant or Client for the relevant Programme;
• In no event shall SMS be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits, lost data, or reputational harm.

Nothing in these Terms shall limit liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be lawfully excluded.

17. Force Majeure

SMS shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations where such failure or delay results from circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, pandemics, government actions, civil unrest, terrorism, internet outages, supplier failures, or acts of God. In such circumstances, SMS will endeavour to reschedule affected Programmes and will notify enrolled Participants promptly. Where rescheduling is not practicable, affected Participants will receive a credit or refund at SMS's discretion.

18. Amendments to These Terms

SMS reserves the right to update or amend these Terms at any time. Material changes will be notified to registered Participants by email and/or via a notice on the Platform at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Platform or enrolment in any Programme after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

19. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, USA, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall first be subject to good-faith negotiation between the parties. If not resolved within 30 days, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration under the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association, in New York, New York.

Nothing in this clause prevents either party from seeking urgent injunctive or interim relief from a court of competent jurisdiction. Participants in jurisdictions with mandatory consumer protection or local governing law provisions may retain rights under those local laws that cannot be excluded by contract.

20. Contact & Legal Notices

For questions about these Terms, to request a copy, or to submit a legal notice, please contact:

These Terms & Conditions were last updated in August 2026 (Version 2.0). Previous versions are available upon written request.