The short version
- We cancel the competition: full refund of your entry fee, automatically, you do not need to ask.
- We make a major change, such as a different city or materially different dates: you can withdraw and get a full refund.
- You withdraw before [PLACEHOLDER: withdrawal cut-off date]: full refund.
- You withdraw after that date: we do not refund the entry fee, because judging places and mentor time have been set aside for you. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law still apply.
- Your entry is withdrawn by us for something that is not your fault: full refund.
The entry fee is the only amount we charge to enter. The entry fee for the 2027 season will be published before registrations open. We do not charge a booking fee, a card surcharge or any stage fee, so a refund of the entry fee is a refund of everything you paid us.
If we cancel
If we cancel the competition, or a whole division or category you entered, we refund your entry fee in full. We will email every lead contact affected, and we will refund to the payment method you used without you having to ask.
We will decide and announce by [PLACEHOLDER: go or no-go date] whether the national final is going ahead. If the answer is no, entry fees are refunded in full.
The entry fee does not cover travel, accommodation or materials, and we do not reimburse those costs. Please do not book travel until the final is confirmed. If you have already booked and we cancel, you may still have rights under the Australian Consumer Law, and we will tell you what we know as early as we can so you can act on it.
If we change something
A change is major if it would have changed your decision to enter. For example:
- the national final moves to a different city;
- the festival dates move to materially different dates;
- your category is merged into another one or does not run;
- the format of your challenge changes so much that your project no longer fits it.
We will tell you as soon as we know. If you do not accept the change, you can withdraw and ask for a full refund within [PLACEHOLDER: number] days of us telling you, whatever the withdrawal cut-off date says.
Smaller changes are part of running a season: a judging session moved by a week, a workshop rescheduled, a mentor swapped. Those are not major changes, and the entry fee is not refundable for them.
If you withdraw
You can withdraw an entry at any time by emailing us. Whether the fee comes back depends on when you do it.
- Before [PLACEHOLDER: withdrawal cut-off date]: full refund.
- On or after that date: no refund of the entry fee. By then we have set aside a judging place, matched a mentor and planned the season around your entry.
Registrations close on 19 February 2027. Indicative dates, final schedule to be confirmed. If a team member leaves but the team keeps competing, there is nothing to refund, because the fee is charged per entry and not per person.
If a hub event is cancelled
Regional hubs are planned and not confirmed. Judging is designed to run online, so if a hub event does not happen your entry still progresses and there is no refund of the entry fee. If the only way your team could take part was at a hub, and that hub does not run, contact us and we will work out either an online alternative or a refund.
How to ask for a refund
- Email hello@techfestaustralia.com.au from the address you registered with.
- Include your registration reference, the team name and the reason.
- We aim to acknowledge within 5 business days.
- Approved refunds go back to the original payment method within [PLACEHOLDER: refund turnaround]. Your bank may take a few days more to show it.
- We do not charge a fee to process a refund.
If you paid by card and you are not satisfied with how we handled a refund, you can also ask your bank about a chargeback.
Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law
Nothing in this policy excludes, restricts or modifies the consumer guarantees. If there is a major problem with the service we supply, you can choose to cancel and get a refund, and the amount may be reduced by the value of what has already been provided as expected. These rights sit on top of the policy above, not underneath it.
If you think we have got a refund wrong, complain to us first at hello@techfestaustralia.com.au. If that does not resolve it, you can contact the consumer protection agency in your state or territory, or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission at accc.gov.au.
This draft still needs a legal review. Entity name, ABN, postal address and the entry fee are placeholders until the organiser confirms them. TechFest Australia is an independent program. It is not run by, funded by or affiliated with any government.
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