Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using BizEng ("Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Platform. These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and BizEng.

2. Description of Service

BizEng is an online marketplace that connects civil engineering experts with clients in Sri Lanka. The Platform facilitates:

• Project posting and management with two modes: Open for Bids (experts bid on your project) and Admin Assignment (admin finds a suitable expert for you).
• Expert verification, qualification validation, and profile management.
• Bidding, proposal submission, and expert selection.
• Milestone-based project tracking with deliverable approvals.
• Secure wallet and escrow payment processing.
• Direct communication between clients and experts.
• Review and rating system for completed projects.

3. User Accounts

• You must be at least 18 years old to use this Platform.
• You must provide accurate and complete information during registration.
• Each user may maintain only one account unless otherwise authorized by BizEng.
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.
• You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.
• BizEng reserves the right to verify user identity and request additional documentation.

4. Client Responsibilities

Clients using the Platform agree to:

• Provide accurate, complete, and clear project requirements and specifications.
• Respond promptly to expert communications, milestone submissions, and approval requests.
• Review deliverables within 7 days of submission and either approve or request revisions.
• Ensure funds are available in their wallet before awarding projects.
• Make timely payments for completed and approved milestones.
• Conduct their own due diligence before selecting or hiring an expert.
• Not use the Platform for any illegal, fraudulent, or unauthorized purposes.
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations of Sri Lanka.

5. Expert Responsibilities

Experts using the Platform agree to:

• Maintain accurate, complete, and up-to-date profile information including qualifications, certifications, and portfolio.
• Submit genuine and competitive bids that reflect their actual capabilities and availability.
• Complete accepted projects within the agreed timeline and scope.
• Communicate professionally and promptly with clients throughout the engagement.
• Submit original work that does not infringe on any third-party intellectual property rights.
• Maintain the confidentiality of client project information.
• Set a realistic communication schedule and be available during the stated hours.
• Not engage in any activity that circumvents the Platform's payment or communication systems.

6. Expert Verification

To promote trust on the Platform, BizEng performs basic verification checks on experts:

• Experts may be required to submit verification documents including NIC, professional certificates, degree certificates, and proof of experience.
• BizEng reviews submitted documents and may approve, reject, or request additional information.
• Verification status is displayed on expert profiles and may affect eligibility for certain projects.
• Submission of fraudulent or forged documents will result in immediate account termination.
• BizEng reserves the right to revoke verification at any time if new information comes to light.

Important: Expert verification and verification badges indicate only that the expert has submitted documents that appear genuine at the time of review. BizEng does not guarantee the accuracy, authenticity, or completeness of any expert's credentials, qualifications, or experience. Clients are strongly encouraged to conduct their own independent due diligence before engaging any expert.

7. Project Posting and Bidding

• Clients may post projects specifying their requirements, budget, timeline, and preferred posting mode.
• Open for Bids mode: Experts submit bids with their proposed approach and fee. Clients review bids and select the best expert.
• Admin Assignment mode: BizEng admin reviews the project and assigns a suitable verified expert based on expertise and availability.
• BizEng does not guarantee that any bid will be accepted or that an expert will be assigned.
• All bids and project assignments are binding once accepted by the client.
• Projects are subject to admin review before being published or assigned.

8. Milestones and Deliverables

• Projects are organized into milestones with defined deliverables, deadlines, and payment amounts.
• Experts submit deliverables for each milestone upon completion.
• Clients must review and either approve or request revisions within 7 calendar days of submission.
• If no response is received within 14 calendar days, milestones are deemed approved.
• Milestone payments are released from escrow to the expert upon client approval or deemed approval.
• Clients may request reasonable revisions within the agreed scope before approving a milestone.
• Additional work outside the agreed scope requires a separate milestone or contract amendment.

9. Wallet and Escrow Payments

• All payments on the Platform are processed through BizEng's secure wallet system.
• Clients deposit funds into their wallet, which are then held in escrow when a project is awarded.
• Escrow funds are released to experts incrementally as milestones are completed and approved.
• All transactions are processed in Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR).
• BizEng is not a bank and does not earn interest on escrowed funds.
• Withdrawals from expert wallets are subject to verification and may take up to 3 business days.

10. Platform Fees and Commissions

BizEng charges fees for the use of the Platform:

• A service commission is applied to each transaction processed through the Platform.
• The commission rate is displayed during the payment and project creation process.
• Commission rates may vary based on project size, posting mode, or user type.
• BizEng reserves the right to adjust commission rates with 30 days' notice to users.
• Users may not enter into transactions outside the Platform to avoid fees.

11. Intellectual Property

• Clients retain full ownership of project materials, specifications, and documentation they provide.
• Deliverables created by experts become the client's property upon full payment and milestone approval.
• Experts retain the right to display completed work in their portfolio unless otherwise agreed.
• BizEng owns all rights to the Platform, its design, software, branding, and underlying technology.
• Users may not copy, modify, reverse engineer, or exploit any part of the Platform without written permission.

12. User Content

Users retain ownership of content they upload but grant BizEng a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, store, and distribute such content solely for the purpose of operating and improving the Platform.

13. Confidentiality

All users agree to maintain the confidentiality of:

• Project-specific information, specifications, and documents shared during engagements.
• Personal data of other users protected under applicable privacy laws.
• Trade secrets, business processes, and proprietary information accessed through the Platform.
• Communications conducted through the Platform's messaging system.

14. Prohibited Conduct

Users must not:

• Use the Platform for any illegal, fraudulent, or unauthorized purpose.
• Circumvent the Platform's payment system or conduct transactions outside the Platform.
• Share contact information (email, phone, social media) to avoid Platform communication tools.
• Upload malware, viruses, or any harmful code.
• Harass, abuse, defame, or harm any other user.
• Impersonate another person, entity, or BizEng staff.
• Scrape, crawl, or collect data from the Platform without authorization.
• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information, bids, or reviews.
• Create multiple accounts to manipulate bidding, ratings, or platform features.

15. Dispute Resolution

• Users should first attempt to resolve disputes directly with each other through professional communication.
• If a mutual resolution cannot be reached, either party may escalate the dispute to BizEng for mediation.
• BizEng will review evidence from both parties and make a fair and binding decision.
• Disputes involving payments may result in funds being withheld in escrow until resolution.
• BizEng's decision on payment disputes is final and binding on both parties.
• Legal disputes not resolved through mediation shall be subject to the jurisdiction of courts in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

16. Limitation of Liability

• BizEng acts solely as an intermediary platform and is not liable for the acts, omissions, or work quality of any client or expert.
• BizEng does not guarantee project outcomes, expert performance, expert suitability, or client payment.
• Clients are responsible for conducting their own due diligence before hiring any expert.
• To the fullest extent permitted by law, BizEng's total liability shall not exceed the total fees paid by the user in the 12 months preceding the claim.
• BizEng shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from the use of the Platform.

17. Modification of Terms

• BizEng reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time.
• Material changes will be communicated via email, Platform notification, or announcement.
• Updated Terms will be posted with a revised "Last Updated" date.
• Users will be given at least 30 days to review material changes before they take effect.
• Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

18. Termination

• Users may terminate their account at any time by contacting BizEng support.
• BizEng may suspend or terminate user accounts for violation of these Terms, applicable laws, or for conduct that harms the Platform or other users.
• Accounts with prolonged inactivity (over 12 months) may be deactivated after notice.
• Upon termination, users must cease all use of the Platform.
• Outstanding payments, escrow balances, and ongoing projects will be handled according to these Terms.

19. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Sri Lanka. Any legal actions arising from these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the courts of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

20. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, please contact us: