General Terms & Conditions

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
OF EXPAND FUTURE GMBH

Last updated: September 2026


1. SCOPE


1.1

These General Terms and Conditions ("GTC") apply to contractual relationships
between Expand Future GmbH ("Expand Future", "we", "us") and its business
clients ("Client").


1.2 B2B ONLY

Our commercial services are intended exclusively for entrepreneurs,
companies, organisations and persons acting for purposes relating to their
trade, business or professional activity.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise, Expand Future GmbH does not conclude
consumer contracts.


1.3

These GTC apply to standardised and customised services supplied by
Expand Future GmbH unless separate contractual terms apply.


1.4 PRIORITY OF INDIVIDUAL AGREEMENTS

An individual:

• proposal;
• Engagement Agreement;
• Project Agreement;
• Statement of Work;
• Order Form;
• programme-specific agreement;
• Data Processing Agreement;
• or another individually negotiated written agreement

takes precedence over these GTC to the extent of any inconsistency.


1.5

Terms and conditions of the Client apply only where Expand Future has
expressly accepted them in writing.


2. SERVICES


2.1

Subject to the licences and legal permissions applicable to the respective
activity, Expand Future may provide services including:

• market and opinion research;
• international market research;
• market validation;
• market tests;
• international expansion and market-entry implementation;
• professional business development;
• business introductions and contact facilitation;
• automatic data processing and information-technology services;
• AI-enabled business systems;
• digital workflows;
• automation;
• professional workshops;
• digital, live and hybrid programmes;
• build sprints;
• implementation formats;
• annual professional programmes;
• project-based services;
• other individually agreed B2B services.


2.2

Marketing or programme names do not independently determine the legal scope
of a service.

The relevant:

• programme description;
• order confirmation;
• proposal;
• statement of work;
• individual agreement

determines the actual scope.


2.3 CUSTOMISED MANDATES

Substantial customised assignments, including international expansion,
market-research, technology, AI, business-development or capital-related
assignments, may be governed by an individual written agreement defining:

• scope;
• deliverables;
• responsibilities;
• project phases;
• milestones;
• timetable;
• fees;
• expenses;
• intellectual-property rights;
• confidentiality;
• data protection;
• regulatory responsibilities;
• variable compensation where applicable.


3. MARKET AND OPINION RESEARCH


3.1

Research services may include:

• market analysis;
• market validation;
• market tests;
• qualitative and quantitative research;
• interviews;
• questionnaires;
• surveys;
• customer research;
• stakeholder research;
• expert research;
• competitor research;
• trend research;
• demand research;
• willingness-to-pay research;
• target-market assessments;
• distribution and partner research;
• data collection and analysis;
• interpretation and presentation of results.


3.2

Research findings are based on:

• the agreed research scope and methodology;
• sources reasonably available at the relevant time;
• information supplied by the Client;
• information supplied by research participants or third parties;
• relevant assumptions and limitations.


3.3

Market research does not guarantee future:

• customer behaviour;
• demand;
• revenue;
• market acceptance;
• market share;
• commercial success;
• regulatory outcomes.


3.4

Unless expressly included, research does not constitute:

• legal advice;
• tax advice;
• regulated financial advice;
• a regulatory legal opinion;
• a technical certification.


4. INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION


4.1

Expansion-related services may include, within the legally permitted scope:

• market research;
• market validation;
• target-market assessment;
• localisation research;
• customer research;
• competitor research;
• market-entry research;
• potential partner and distribution research;
• market tests;
• data analysis;
• technical or digital implementation;
• professional introductions;
• project coordination;
• implementation support.


4.2

International expansion depends on circumstances beyond Expand Future's
control, including:

• customer demand;
• competition;
• economic conditions;
• regulations;
• local partners;
• Client implementation;
• product suitability;
• pricing;
• financing;
• third-party decisions.

Expand Future therefore does not guarantee successful entry into any market.


5. BUSINESS INTRODUCTIONS AND CAPITAL-RELATED CONTACTS


5.1

Where agreed and legally permitted, Expand Future may identify or connect
companies, start-ups, professional business partners, investors or other
professional counterparties and facilitate the initiation of professional
contact.


5.2

Any such activity is performed only within the trade licences,
authorisations and other legal permissions actually held by Expand Future
GmbH.


5.3

Expand Future may support communication, professional business development
and international-expansion processes surrounding an introduction where
legally permissible.


5.4

Each introduced party remains independent and is responsible for its own:

• due diligence;
• evaluation;
• legal review;
• tax review;
• financial review;
• negotiation;
• decision whether or not to pursue a relationship or transaction.


5.5

Expand Future does not guarantee:

• a response;
• a meeting;
• investor interest;
• financing;
• investment;
• negotiation;
• partnership;
• transaction;
• particular valuation;
• completion within any particular period.


6. NO REGULATED FINANCIAL SERVICES


6.1

Unless expressly identified under a separately applicable regulatory
authorisation, Expand Future does not:

• provide personalised investment advice;
• recommend financial instruments;
• assess suitability or appropriateness of an investment for an investor;
• provide portfolio management;
• receive or transmit orders regarding financial instruments;
• execute securities transactions;
• hold client or investor funds;
• provide regulated securities brokerage;
• provide regulated investment mediation;
• provide insurance mediation;
• make investment decisions on behalf of third parties.


6.2

Where an investment or financing opportunity is considered, the relevant
parties must obtain their own appropriate legal, tax, financial and regulatory
advice.


7. IT, AUTOMATION AND AI SERVICES


7.1

Within the legally permitted scope, Expand Future may design, configure,
integrate or implement:

• digital business systems;
• software-supported workflows;
• CRM-related systems;
• AI-enabled systems;
• automations;
• data-processing workflows;
• marketing systems;
• sales systems;
• client-operation systems;
• internal operational systems;
• reporting systems;
• integrations between third-party applications.


7.2 THIRD-PARTY TECHNOLOGY

Projects may depend on independent third-party:

• software;
• APIs;
• AI models;
• cloud services;
• automation platforms;
• CRM systems;
• hosting systems;
• payment systems.

Such technologies remain subject to their own:

• availability;
• pricing;
• licences;
• usage restrictions;
• technical limitations;
• product changes;
• contractual conditions.


7.3

Expand Future does not guarantee uninterrupted availability or unchanged
functionality of independent third-party technology.


7.4 AI OUTPUTS

AI-generated or AI-assisted outputs may be probabilistic and may contain:

• errors;
• omissions;
• inaccuracies;
• outdated information;
• inconsistent results.

Material outputs must be appropriately reviewed before reliance is placed
on them.


8. EU ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ACT


8.1

Where a project involves artificial intelligence, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689
(the "EU AI Act") and other applicable legislation may impose different
obligations depending on:

• the relevant AI system;
• intended purpose;
• circumstances of deployment;
• risk classification;
• role performed by each party.


8.2 REGULATORY ROLES

Depending on the factual circumstances, a party may qualify as, for example:

• provider;
• deployer;
• importer;
• distributor;
• another regulated actor.

The applicable legal role is determined by law and the factual circumstances
and cannot be changed merely through contractual wording.


8.3

An individual project agreement may allocate operational responsibilities
between the parties.

Mandatory statutory obligations remain with the party to which applicable law
assigns them.


8.4 STANDARD SERVICES DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDE FORMAL AI COMPLIANCE SERVICES

Unless expressly agreed in writing, an AI workshop, lab, build sprint,
implementation programme or project does not include:

• formal legal advice on the AI Act;
• conformity assessment;
• certification;
• CE conformity procedures;
• formal high-risk classification;
• regulatory registration;
• preparation of all statutory technical documentation;
• fundamental-rights impact assessments;
• continuous regulatory monitoring;
• post-market monitoring imposed on a regulated provider;
• representation before regulatory authorities.


8.5 PROHIBITED OR SPECIALLY REGULATED USES

The Client may not knowingly instruct Expand Future to implement an AI use
prohibited under applicable law.

Where Expand Future reasonably identifies a potentially prohibited,
high-risk or otherwise specially regulated use, Expand Future may:

• request additional information;
• suspend the relevant implementation;
• require specialist assessment;
• change the agreed scope;
• decline the affected implementation.


8.6 TRANSPARENCY

Where the AI Act or other applicable legislation requires persons to be
informed that they are interacting with an AI system, the party responsible
for the relevant interaction shall ensure the required information is
provided.

Where labelling, disclosure or technical marking is legally required for
AI-generated or AI-manipulated content, the responsible party shall comply
with the obligations applicable to its legal role.


8.7 AI LITERACY

Each party is responsible for AI-literacy measures that applicable law
directly requires from it concerning persons operating or using AI systems
on its behalf.


8.8 CLIENT USE AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

Following implementation or handover, the Client is responsible for:

• its actual use of the system;
• authorised users and access controls;
• data subsequently introduced;
• changes to workflows;
• changes to intended purpose;
• new integrations introduced by the Client;
• human oversight required on the Client side;
• sector-specific legal obligations applicable to the Client.


8.9

The Client must inform Expand Future where a material change in intended use
could reasonably change the legal or regulatory assessment of the system.


8.10

Expand Future remains responsible for statutory obligations that applicable
law assigns directly to Expand Future in the role it actually performs.


9. TIME-LIMITED BUILD AND IMPLEMENTATION FORMATS


9.1

Where a system or solution is created in a:

• workshop;
• build sprint;
• implementation lab;
• two-day build;
• fixed-duration implementation project;

the agreed deliverable is limited to the expressly agreed scope.


9.2

Unless expressly included, such an engagement does not include:

• unlimited future development;
• permanent system administration;
• continuous technical maintenance;
• permanent cybersecurity monitoring;
• unlimited support;
• continuous model evaluation;
• ongoing AI Act compliance management;
• ongoing GDPR compliance management;
• continuous regulatory monitoring.


9.3

Any included follow-up support is limited to the period, format and scope
identified in the relevant offer or agreement.


10. STANDARDISED PROGRAMMES


10.1

Standardised programmes may include combinations of:

• digital materials;
• self-learning content;
• workshops;
• live sessions;
• group implementation;
• technical build periods;
• implementation support;
• professional mentoring;
• annual access programmes.


10.2

The relevant programme description determines:

• duration;
• access period;
• number of sessions;
• participant limits;
• support;
• technical scope;
• materials;
• live components.


10.3

Unless expressly included, participation does not include:

• unlimited individual consulting;
• unlimited implementation;
• unlimited technical support;
• unlimited revisions;
• guaranteed access to any specific external partner.


11. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES


11.1

The Client must provide materially accurate, complete and timely information
reasonably necessary for the agreed services.


11.2

The Client remains responsible for:

• its own commercial decisions;
• information supplied by it;
• necessary internal approvals;
• compliance obligations applicable to its own business;
• implementation decisions;
• checking material assumptions;
• obtaining legal, tax, financial or regulatory advice where needed.


11.3 CLIENT DATA

Where the Client supplies:

• customer data;
• employee data;
• contact lists;
• research data;
• CRM data;
• documents;
• other personal data;

the Client confirms that it is legally entitled to provide the information
and instruct the agreed processing.


12. CONTRACT FORMATION


12.1

Website information, programme descriptions, presentations and marketing
materials generally constitute invitations to submit an offer and are not
binding contractual offers unless expressly stated otherwise.


12.2

A contract may be concluded through:

• acceptance of a written proposal;
• signature;
• order confirmation;
• an unambiguous electronic booking;
• payment for a clearly specified B2B service or programme;
• another express written agreement.


12.3

For customised engagements, the individual agreement defines the final scope.


13. FEES, VAT AND PAYMENT


13.1

Applicable fees are stated in the relevant:

• offer;
• booking page;
• order confirmation;
• invoice;
• individual agreement.


13.2

Unless expressly stated otherwise, prices for B2B services are net amounts
exclusive of applicable VAT.


13.3

Payments may be made by:

• invoice;
• bank transfer;
• direct debit;
• supported online payment provider;
• another individually agreed method.


13.4

High-value or customised services may require:

• an application;
• Private Review;
• individual agreement;
• invoice;

instead of public online checkout.


13.5

Payment schedules, deposits and instalments are determined by the relevant
offer or individual agreement.


13.6

Unless another payment period is expressly stated, invoices are payable within
14 days of the invoice date without deduction.


13.7 LATE PAYMENT

Statutory rights applicable to late payment in B2B transactions remain
unaffected, including applicable statutory default interest and reasonable
collection costs.


14. SUCCESS FEES, COMMISSIONS, REVENUE SHARE AND EQUITY


14.1

Any:

• success fee;
• commission;
• referral fee;
• origination fee;
• revenue share;
• profit participation;
• equity;
• shares;
• options;
• warrants;
• participation rights;
• other variable or ownership-related compensation

applies only where expressly agreed in a separate written agreement.


14.2

These GTC alone do not create any entitlement to such compensation.


14.3

Where such an arrangement is agreed, the relevant individual agreement may
define, as appropriate:

• triggering event;
• calculation basis;
• amount or percentage;
• attribution;
• payment timing;
• transaction scope;
• tail period;
• vesting;
• dilution;
• valuation basis;
• exercise rights;
• transfer restrictions;
• termination consequences;
• other applicable conditions.


14.4

Any variable or ownership-related compensation applies only to the extent
legally permissible.


14.5

The existence of a success fee, commission, revenue-share or equity arrangement
does not expand the scope of the trade licences or regulatory authorisations
held by Expand Future GmbH.


14.6

Each party remains responsible for obtaining appropriate legal, tax, corporate
and regulatory advice concerning any equity or participation structure.


15. ATTRIBUTION, TAIL PERIODS AND NON-CIRCUMVENTION


15.1

Any:

• attribution period;
• tail period;
• exclusivity;
• non-circumvention obligation

applies only if expressly included in an individual written agreement.


15.2

These GTC by themselves do not create unlimited exclusivity, automatic
non-circumvention or an automatic success-fee entitlement in respect of every
professional contact.


16. EXTERNAL COSTS

Unless expressly included in the fee, external expenses such as:

• travel;
• translation;
• specialist advisers;
• external databases;
• research participants;
• local-market partners;
• third-party software;
• advertising spend;
• production costs;

are charged only where agreed or authorised under the relevant engagement.


17. PROGRAMME BOOKINGS AND SCHEDULED CAPACITY


17.1

Programme-specific booking conditions apply in addition to these GTC.


17.2

Because services are provided exclusively on a B2B basis, statutory consumer
withdrawal rights do not apply unless mandatory law provides otherwise.


17.3

Where clearly disclosed in the respective offer, confirmed programme places,
scheduled workshops or dedicated build capacity may be non-refundable because
the relevant capacity has been reserved.


17.4

Where operationally feasible, Expand Future may voluntarily offer:

• rescheduling;
• participation by a replacement participant;
• an alternative date;
• another reasonable delivery option.

No such entitlement exists unless expressly agreed.


18. RESCHEDULING BY EXPAND FUTURE

Where Expand Future must reschedule a material live component due to:

• illness;
• force majeure;
• technical outage;
• another circumstance beyond reasonable control;

Expand Future will seek to provide a reasonable replacement date or alternative
delivery method.


19. NO GUARANTEE OF COMMERCIAL OUTCOMES


19.1

Business growth, market entry, market research, technology, partnerships,
capital processes and entrepreneurship inherently involve uncertainty.


19.2

Except where a particular result is expressly guaranteed in writing or
mandatory law provides otherwise, Expand Future does not guarantee any
specific commercial, financial, market or technical outcome.


19.3

In particular, Expand Future does not guarantee:

• revenue;
• profit;
• income;
• business growth;
• customer acquisition;
• number of customers;
• leads;
• conversion rates;
• financing;
• investment;
• successful fundraising;
• investor interest;
• valuation;
• return on investment;
• meetings;
• introductions;
• partnerships;
• distribution agreements;
• commercial contracts;
• completion of a transaction;
• grants or subsidies;
• entry into a market;
• market share;
• market acceptance;
• customer demand;
• willingness to pay;
• regulatory approval;
• media coverage;
• SEO ranking;
• social-media reach;
• productivity gains;
• cost reductions;
• uninterrupted software operation;
• AI accuracy;
• automation accuracy;
• any other particular economic outcome.


19.4

Case studies, examples, estimates, scenarios, forecasts and previous results
are illustrative only.

Past results do not guarantee future results.


20. THIRD-PARTY INFORMATION


20.1

Our work may rely on information supplied by:

• the Client;
• public sources;
• databases;
• market participants;
• professional contacts;
• research participants;
• third-party providers;
• AI-assisted research;
• professional counterparties.


20.2

Unless expressly included in the agreed scope, Expand Future is not required
to independently audit or verify every item of third-party information.


20.3

Expand Future does not warrant the completeness or accuracy of information
provided by independent third parties.


21. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY


21.1

All pre-existing or generally reusable:

• methodologies;
• frameworks;
• templates;
• processes;
• prompts;
• workflows;
• decision trees;
• systems;
• playbooks;
• architectures;
• know-how;
• training material

belonging to Expand Future remain the property of Expand Future or the
respective rights holder.


21.2

Payment for a service does not transfer ownership of Expand Future's
underlying methodology or reusable intellectual property unless expressly
agreed in writing.


21.3

The Client receives the usage rights expressly provided in the relevant
programme description or individual agreement.


21.4

Client-owned:

• data;
• trademarks;
• content;
• documents;
• proprietary materials

remain subject to the Client's existing rights.


21.5 GENERALISED KNOW-HOW

Expand Future may retain and develop general:

• professional knowledge;
• non-client-specific methods;
• templates;
• processes;
• anonymised learnings;
• reusable technical approaches;

derived from its professional experience, provided that Client-confidential
information, personal data and Client-owned intellectual property are not
unlawfully disclosed or reused.


22. CONFIDENTIALITY


22.1

Both parties shall keep material non-public confidential information received
from the other party confidential and use it only for the relevant professional
purpose.


22.2

Confidential information may include:

• business plans;
• financial information;
• technical information;
• research;
• market strategies;
• transaction information;
• partner information;
• trade secrets;
• methodologies;
• customer information;
• non-public documents.


22.3

Confidentiality does not apply to information that:

• is lawfully public;
• was already lawfully known;
• was independently developed;
• was lawfully obtained from another source;
• must be disclosed under mandatory law or a lawful authority order.


22.4

Unless an individual agreement or NDA provides otherwise, confidentiality
obligations continue for five years after termination.

Trade secrets remain protected for as long as they legally qualify as trade
secrets.


22.5

Where a separate NDA exists, the NDA takes precedence in case of conflict.


23. DATA PROTECTION


23.1

Personal data is processed in accordance with applicable data-protection
law and the Expand Future Privacy Policy.


23.2

Where Expand Future acts as processor within the meaning of Article 28 GDPR,
a Data Processing Agreement is concluded where legally required.


23.3

The Client remains responsible for ensuring a lawful basis and required
transparency concerning personal data it instructs Expand Future to process.


24. SUBCONTRACTORS AND DELIVERY PARTNERS


24.1

Expand Future may engage appropriately selected:

• contractors;
• researchers;
• IT specialists;
• implementation specialists;
• local-market specialists;
• technology providers;
• professional delivery partners

where appropriate for the agreed service.


24.2

Required confidentiality and data-protection safeguards will be used where
applicable.


25. CLIENT DECISIONS

The Client remains responsible for its final:

• commercial decisions;
• market-entry decisions;
• investment decisions;
• pricing decisions;
• technology decisions;
• implementation decisions;
• regulatory decisions.

Expand Future is responsible only for the scope expressly agreed.


26. LIABILITY


26.1

Nothing in these GTC excludes or restricts liability where such exclusion or
restriction is prohibited by mandatory law.


26.2

Expand Future is liable for intentional misconduct and gross negligence in
accordance with applicable law.


26.3

To the extent legally permissible in B2B relationships, liability for slight
negligence is excluded except in relation to:

• personal injury;
• mandatory statutory liability;
• breach of an essential contractual obligation.


26.4

Where liability arises from a slightly negligent breach of an essential
contractual obligation, liability is limited, to the extent legally permissible,
to damage typical and reasonably foreseeable for the relevant type of
contract.


26.5

To the extent legally permissible, Expand Future is not responsible for
indirect economic losses arising solely from independent Client decisions
based on non-binding:

• forecasts;
• market scenarios;
• research assumptions;
• third-party information;
• AI-assisted output.


26.6

Expand Future is not responsible for the independent decisions, solvency,
performance or conduct of:

• investors;
• clients;
• customers;
• business partners;
• suppliers;
• software providers;
• regulators;
• professional counterparties.


26.7

A separate individual agreement may contain an expressly agreed,
legally permissible project-specific liability limitation.


27. FORCE MAJEURE


27.1

Neither party is responsible for delay or non-performance caused by
circumstances outside its reasonable control, including:

• natural disasters;
• war;
• government action;
• pandemics;
• major infrastructure outages;
• significant cloud or internet outages;
• comparable extraordinary events.


27.2

The affected party shall take reasonable measures to mitigate the consequences.


28. TERM AND TERMINATION


28.1

The duration and ordinary termination rights of customised engagements are
determined by the relevant individual agreement.


28.2

Fixed-duration programmes terminate at the end of the agreed programme period
unless otherwise agreed.


28.3

Either party may terminate an engagement for material cause where continued
performance cannot reasonably be expected.


28.4

Termination does not affect:

• accrued fees;
• existing payment obligations;
• confidentiality;
• intellectual-property provisions;
• separately agreed variable compensation;
• provisions intended to survive termination.


29. CHANGES TO PROGRAMME DELIVERY

Expand Future may reasonably update:

• tools;
• software platforms;
• materials;
• session structures;
• implementation methods;

provided that the fundamental nature and material value of the purchased
service are not materially reduced.


30. CLIENT REFERENCES

Expand Future will not publicly disclose a confidential Client, transaction
or mandate as a reference without the required permission.

Separately agreed reference rights remain unaffected.


31. GOVERNING LAW

These GTC and contractual relationships with Expand Future GmbH are governed
by the substantive law of the Republic of Austria, excluding conflict-of-law
rules and, where legally permissible, the UN Convention on Contracts for the
International Sale of Goods.


32. JURISDICTION

For B2B contractual relationships, the competent court in Vienna, Austria,
shall have jurisdiction to the extent legally permissible unless an individual
agreement provides otherwise.


33. SEVERABILITY

If any provision is invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain
unaffected to the extent legally permissible.

Mandatory statutory law applies in place of an invalid provision.


34. LANGUAGE

These GTC may be provided in more than one language.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise, the English version is authoritative in
the event of inconsistency.


35. CONTACT

Expand Future GmbH
Seitenstettengasse 5/37
1010 Vienna
Austria

hello@expand-future.com
https://www.expand-future.com