Summary of the content of the accreditation agreement concluded by the Cervantes Institute with accredited institutions

The accreditation agreement concluded by the Cervantes Institute with institutions meeting all the requirements, conditions and other criteria laid down in the SACIC includes the following.

a) Identification of the parties
b) Object

The purpose of the agreement is to acknowledge the institution’s compliance with the requirements, conditions and other criteria laid down in the SACIC and to authorise it to use the designation ‘Cervantes Institute-accredited’ institution along with the respective logotype.
c) Parties’ obligations

See item 2.2.3, ‘Compromisos del Instituto Cervantes y el centro acreditado durante la vigencia de la acreditación’ [Commitments assumed by the Cervantes Institute and the accredited institution while accreditation is in effect] in the document Accreditation System Procedure. General Information (in Spanish, p. 18).
d) The accreditation agreement will necessarily stipulate the following.
- Accredited institutions may not, in any way whatsoever, form a structural or functional part of the Cervantes Institute, a Spanish public body, or of any its centres outside Spain. Consequently, ‘Cervantes Institute-accredited’ recognition entails no change in an institution’s legal status, which continues to be subject to the applicable legislation.
- Accredited institutions retain full responsibility for and independence in managing their academic, administrative, financial and fiscal affairs, for which the Cervantes Institute assumes no liability whatsoever.
- The Cervantes Institute maintains no employment relationship whatsoever with institution management, teaching, administrative or other staff.
- The Cervantes Institute reserves the right to survey accredited institutions whenever deemed suitable to ascertain and assess the activities conducted and services rendered and verify that all the conditions are maintained as initially assessed.
- Similarly, accredited institutions must furnish the Cervantes Institute with any information requested by the Institute on Spanish language instruction and activities associated with appreciation of the related culture.
- Accredited institutions must adhere strictly to the graphic standards laid down in the accreditation agreement on the usage of the logotype in their materials advertising the Spanish language offering.
e) Renewals

To renew their accreditation, institutions must notify the Cervantes Institute accordingly at least 8 months prior to the expiration date. Once the renewal application is accepted by the Cervantes Institute, the candidate institution must hire an evaluation agency to issue a Technical-academic report (in the event of the second renewal) or ratify the previous report (first and third renewals).
f) Prices

The Cervantes Institute charges an annual accreditation fee for the amount published on its website in January of each year. The Institute charges the fee by calendar year and applies it on a pro rata basis as appropriate.
g) Term

Accreditation is valid for a period of 3 years, renewable to a maximum of 12 years subject to explicit request and compliance with all the requirements established by the Cervantes Institute.
h) Expiration

Accreditation expires on the date initially envisaged, upon finalisation of each respective renewal or by mutual agreement.

Accreditation may also be automatically terminated when the commitments assumed by the parties in the accreditation agreement cannot feasibly be met.

It may likewise be automatically terminated at any time, subject to no prior communication, via notice served by the Cervantes Institute on the owner of the institution for any of the following reasons:
- Company non-performance of the obligations assumed under the terms of accreditation.
- Material change in the conditions verified in the Technical-academic report.
- Inappropriate use of the designation and respective logotype.
- Detraction from the Cervantes Institute’s image or institutional aims.
i) Jurisdiction

In the event of dispute or issues around the interpretation and implementation of accreditation, the parties submit to the jurisdiction of the courts and tribunals of Madrid.