Refunds Policy

Effective Date: [October 2025]

Issued by: Catalyst FC (“CFC”) in coordination with the Fund Operator

1. Overview

This Refunds Policy outlines how and when Catalyst funded projects must return funds to Catalyst FC (“CFC”) following suspension, termination, or cancellation under the Project Catalyst Terms and Conditions (“Terms”). Our goal is to ensure fairness, transparency and consistency in how grant funds are managed, monitored, and, when necessary, recovered within the Catalyst ecosystem.

2. When a Refund is Required

A project must return funds to CFC if any of the following occur:

(i) The project is terminated by CFC for breaching the Terms, the applicable Fund Rules, or the specifications. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Receiving funding for multiple projects with the same or substantially similar scopes.

• Providing false, plagiarized, or infringing content.

• Committing acts of fraud, dishonesty, or misrepresentation.

• Misusing funds or changing the project scope without following approved change procedures.

• Failing to submit required or requested deliverables, or missing deadlines.

• Failing to complete onboarding requirements on time.

(ii) The project is voluntarily terminated by the funding recipient under the Terms. In such cases, any unused funds or funds associated with incomplete milestones must be returned to CFC within the timeframe specified in the Terms and this Policy.

3. Refund Amount

The refund amount will be determined by CFC based on (i) the portion of the project that has not been completed, (ii) the value of undelivered milestones, and (iii) any evidence of unused or misused funds. CFC may request supporting documentation showing how funds were spent up to the date of termination. In cases involving fraud, misappropriation, or non compliance with AML/KYC requirements, CFC reserves the right to seek full repayment of the funds and to pursue additional remedies available under the Terms and applicable law.

CFC will provide a funding recipient with written notice specifying the refund amount, the reason for the refund, and the deadline for returning the funds.

All refunds must be transferred in ADA to the official Catalyst Refund Wallet:

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Each transaction must include "Project ID - refund" in the metadata.

The funding recipient must provide transaction details (including the TX hash) to CFC via the Catalyst Zendesk portal or any other communication channel designated by CFC.

4. Refund Timeline

Refunds must be completed within 14 calendar days of CFC’s written request, as required under Section 5(f)(iii) of the Terms. Failure to comply within this period may result in ineligibility for future Catalyst rounds (minimum 12 months).

Upon receipt of funds, CFC will confirm the refund via email. Refunds are recorded in Catalyst’s internal systems for transparency and audit compliance.

5. Contact

For all refund-related matters, please contact the Catalyst team via the Zendesk portal. Please include your Project ID in all your communications.