Terms of Service

1. Introduction & Definitions

Welcome to Black Global Trust ("we", "our", "us", "BGT", or the "Platform"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of our website, platform, and services located at blackglobaltrust.com (the "Service").

By accessing or using our Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you disagree with any part of these Terms, you may not access the Service.

Definitions:

• "User" means any individual or entity that accesses or uses the Service
• "Business Owner" means a User who creates and manages a business profile on the Platform
• "Funder" means a User who accesses the Platform to discover and evaluate businesses for potential funding
• "Content" means any data, text, images, documents, files, or other materials uploaded to or generated through the Service
• "Verified Business" means a business profile that has completed our verification process
• "Premium Subscription" means a paid subscription tier offering enhanced features

2. Acceptance of Terms

By registering for an account, accessing, or using any part of the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.

You must be at least 18 years of age to use this Service. If you are under 18, you may not use the Service or register for an account.

If you are using the Service on behalf of a business or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

3. Account Registration & Security

To access certain features of the Service, you must register for an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
• Maintain and promptly update your account information to keep it accurate
• Maintain the security of your password and identification
• Accept all responsibility for activities that occur under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorised access to or use of your account
• Not share your account credentials with any third party

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if you provide false, inaccurate, or incomplete information, or if you violate these Terms.

4. Service Description

Black Global Trust provides a platform that connects Black entrepreneurs with funding opportunities through the following services:

• Funder Database: Access to information about funders, grants, and investment opportunities
• Business Directory: A directory where businesses can create profiles and showcase their businesses to funders
• Resource Hub: Business resources, templates, guides, and tools to support business development
• Business Verification: A process through which businesses may be verified and published on the Platform

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time, with or without notice, and we shall not be liable to you or any third party for any such modification, suspension, or discontinuance.

5. Subscription & Payment Terms

The Platform offers both free and premium subscription tiers:

• Free Tier: Basic access to Platform features as described on our website
• Premium Tier: Enhanced features and access to premium content, available for a subscription fee

Premium Subscriptions:

• Premium subscriptions are billed in advance on a recurring basis (monthly or annually) as selected by you
• All payments are processed through Stripe, our third-party payment processor
• By subscribing to a Premium tier, you authorise us to charge your payment method for the subscription fee and any applicable taxes
• Subscription fees are non-refundable except as required by law or as otherwise specified in these Terms
• We reserve the right to change subscription fees at any time, but such changes will not apply to your current subscription period

Cancellation:

• You may cancel your Premium subscription at any time through your account settings
• Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period
• You will continue to have access to Premium features until the end of your paid period
• No refunds will be provided for partial subscription periods

6. Content Ownership & User Content

User-Generated Content:

By uploading, posting, or submitting any Content to the Platform, you grant Black Global Trust a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, and sublicensable licence to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, and display such Content in connection with the Service and our business operations.

Ownership of Uploaded Content:

Notwithstanding the licence granted above, Black Global Trust owns all Content uploaded to or generated through the Service. You acknowledge and agree that by uploading Content to the Platform, you transfer and assign to Black Global Trust all right, title, and interest in and to such Content, including all intellectual property rights therein.

Your Representations:

You represent and warrant that:

• You own or have the necessary rights and permissions to upload and grant the licences described herein for all Content you upload
• Your Content does not and will not infringe, misappropriate, or violate any third party's rights, including intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or publicity rights
• Your Content is not defamatory, obscene, illegal, or otherwise objectionable
• Your Content does not contain viruses, malware, or other harmful code

Platform Content:

All content provided by Black Global Trust, including text, graphics, logos, images, software, and the compilation of all content on the Platform, is the property of Black Global Trust or its licensors and is protected by UK and international copyright and trademark laws.

7. Business Verification Process

Business Owners may submit their business profiles for verification. The verification process involves:

• Submission of required business information and documentation
• Review by our team to verify the accuracy and completeness of information
• Approval or rejection of the business profile at our sole discretion

We reserve the right to:

• Reject any business profile that does not meet our standards or requirements
• Request additional information or documentation at any time
• Revoke verification status if we determine that information provided was false, inaccurate, or misleading
• Remove or unpublish any business profile that violates these Terms or our policies

Verification does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or guarantee of the business, its products, services, or its eligibility for funding. Verification is solely a process to confirm that certain information provided by the business owner is accurate.

8. User Obligations & Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use the Service:

• In any way that violates any applicable law or regulation
• To transmit, or procure the sending of, any unsolicited or unauthorised advertising or promotional material
• To impersonate or attempt to impersonate Black Global Trust, a Black Global Trust employee, another user, or any other person or entity
• In any way that infringes upon the rights of others, including intellectual property rights
• To engage in any other conduct that restricts or inhibits anyone's use or enjoyment of the Service
• To introduce viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs, or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful
• To attempt to gain unauthorised access to, interfere with, damage, or disrupt any part of the Service, servers, or networks
• To reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any portion of the Service
• To use automated systems or software to extract data from the Service ("scraping")

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any breach of these Terms.

9. Intellectual Property

The Service and its original content, features, and functionality are owned by Black Global Trust and are protected by international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws.

The "Black Global Trust" name, logo, and related marks are trademarks of Black Global Trust. You may not use these marks without our prior written permission.

10. Disclaimers

Fund Matching & Connections:

Black Global Trust is a platform that facilitates connections between businesses and funders. We do not:

• Guarantee that any business will receive funding
• Endorse, recommend, or vouch for any funder or business
• Provide investment, financial, or legal advice
• Act as an intermediary, agent, or broker in any funding transactions
• Guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of information provided by users

Any decisions regarding funding, investments, or business relationships are made solely by the parties involved. You are responsible for conducting your own due diligence.

Verification Results:

Business verification is a process to confirm the accuracy of certain information. Verification does not:

• Constitute an endorsement or recommendation
• Guarantee the business's success or viability
• Certify that the business will receive funding
• Verify the business's financial status or creditworthiness

Service Availability:

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from viruses or other harmful components.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Black Global Trust, its directors, officers, employees, agents, and affiliates shall not be liable for:

• Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, revenue, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses
• Damages resulting from your use or inability to use the Service
• Damages resulting from any conduct or content of third parties on the Service
• Damages resulting from unauthorised access to or alteration of your transmissions or data
• Damages resulting from any interactions between users, including funding decisions or business relationships

Our total liability to you for all claims arising out of or relating to the use of the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid to us in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or one hundred pounds (£100), whichever is greater.

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

12. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Black Global Trust, its directors, officers, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising out of or relating to:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third party rights, including intellectual property rights
• Your Content or any Content you upload to the Service
• Your interactions with other users

13. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your account and access to the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including if you breach these Terms.

Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease. If you wish to terminate your account, you may do so by contacting us at info@blackglobaltrust.com or through your account settings.

All provisions of these Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability.

14. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

If you are a consumer resident in the European Union, you also benefit from any mandatory provisions of the law of your country of residence.

15. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material, we will try to provide at least 30 days' notice prior to any new terms taking effect.

What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion.

By continuing to access or use our Service after any revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the new Terms, you must stop using the Service.

16. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at: