Privacy policy: Business and Enterprise Group

Last updated: 27 July 2011

This is the privacy policy for the Business and Enterprise Group (“we“, “us“, “our“).  You can find details of the companies within the Business and Enterprise Group and the trading names they use on our website by clicking here.

This policy applies to the personal information you give us or which we receive.  Please read this policy carefully and, if you have employees, please bring it to their attention too.

1. What information do we collect about you?

We may collect and use the following information about you:

  • Information which you give us as our customer – for example when we advise you, when you attend an event, or when you ring us or we call you.  Please note that calls may be recorded for training and quality assurance purposes.
  • Information that you provide on any application form, claim and follow-up forms for funding in relation to a project.
  • Information which you give us when you apply for funding – which might be for a project or for your organisation.
  • Information we receive from external agencies, intermediaries or others who have referred you to the Business and Enterprise Group for assistance.

2. What happens to the information?

The information will be used for the following purposes:

  • To help your business. We will use it to provide business support services and to advise you on your business.
  • To process your application for funding.  If your application is successful, we will produce a funding agreement and administer the funding.  We will also use the information for audit and management information purposes, to produce statistics and to promote the success of the project.
  • To send you information that you ask us for and, if you have asked to be put on our mailing lists, information which we feel may be of interest to you.
  • To send you information you have opted in to receiving from One North East and the Skills Funding Agency.
  • To share with other delegates, with your permission, at certain events.
  • To notify you about changes to our services.
  • For customer satisfaction monitoring and evaluation of our services.  Information about you will be passed to a third party organisation who may contact you to obtain your views on the service you have received, including customer satisfaction.

We also use your information to:

  • Ensure funding goes to the right businesses for the right purposes;
  • Measure the quality of our services and improve them;
  • Better understand the local business market;
  • Help us to service customers’ needs more effectively;
  • Ensure we meet our targets and other contractual commitments; and
  • Prevent and detect fraud and irregularity.

Where we store your information

We store information in the UK on our own servers and in paper files.  We also use a customer relationship management (CRM) database which is based in the US.  We access the CRM from the UK, which means we transfer personal information to a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and store it there too.  The software supplier, Oracle America Inc., is a signatory to the US Government’s Safe Harbor framework, which means that the transfer complies with European data protection law and your information is protected.

Some of our staff may access your information from outside the EEA, for example using a laptop or handheld device.

IT suppliers outside the EEA, like Oracle, may also have incidental access to your information for the purpose of providing IT support.

If you give us your personal information, we will assume you agree to these transfers and uses.  If you do not, then please do not give us your information.  We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that we comply with data protection laws when we transfer your information outside the EEA and that your information is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.

How long will we hold your information?

We will store your information at least for the duration of any customer relationship we have with you, or as otherwise required by our Funders.

3. Who else will receive the information?

We may disclose your information to the following types of organisation:

(1) Funders, auditors, advisers and authorities

Our services are funded by a number of external organisations (Funders).  Your Information may be passed to those Funders, their auditors and advisers for their own purposes such as:

  • Audit and monitoring;
  • Detection and prevention of fraud and irregularity;
  • Documentary evidence of funding;
  • Production of case studies and demonstration of best practice;
  • Sending you further information which may be of interest to you (but only if you agree).

Our Funders may be required to disclose information about you or your business in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, unless an exemption applies.  Although companies in the Business and Enterprise Group are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we may be asked to assist Funders with requests that they receive.

We may share your information with our advisers so we can take advice, or to our own auditors for auditing purposes.  We will disclose your information to regulatory or enforcement authorities if asked to do so, or to a third party in the context of actual or threatened legal proceedings.

As well as the employees, officers, auditors and other agents of the Business and Enterprise Group, the Secretaries of State, the European Commission, the European Court of Auditors, the National Audit Office, ONE the SFA, the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) and the Adult Learning Inspectorate (and any successor to any of the foregoing bodies) may examine, audit or copy the information contained in any document or record (whether paper or electronic) relating to the services provided to you.

If you provide information to Business and Enterprise North East Limited (BE-NE), your information and information about any of your employees who receive training funded through BE-NE may be disclosed to the following additional Funders:

  • One North East, the Regional Development Agency for the North East of England (ONE)

BE-NE receives core funding, supplementary funding and European funding from ONE, which has a right to the information that BE-NE customers supply and will use it for the same purposes we do and also for: research and analysis; evaluation; performance management and monitoring; auditing; improving business support services; and promotion of public service principles such as non-discrimination.

ONE will share management information and statistics with other business support organisations in the UK for the purpose of improving business support services, but not in a way that identifies individuals.  If ONE’s funding to BE-NE terminates or expires, ONE will disclose the information to any new provider.  Further details of ONE’s use of information can be found in ONE’s Privacy Code at http://www.onenortheast.co.uk/page/privacycode.cfm.

  • The Skills Funding Agency (SFA)

BE-NE also receives funding from the SFA, which will receive a copy of all the information that BE-NE customers supply, which it will use for the purposes of: audit and monitoring; detection and prevention of fraud and irregularity; documentary evidence; and production of case studies and demonstration of best practice.  The SFA will also use your information, if you agree, for the purpose of sending you further information on protection of health, safety and welfare and, together with ONE, for the purposes of helping develop employment by promoting employability, business spirit and equal opportunities to improve the representation of underrepresented groups and investing in human resources.

The SFA will share your information with various educational organisations and partners.  If the SFA’s agreement with BE-NE terminates or expires, the SFA will disclose your information to a new provider.  Further details of the SFA’s use of information can be found on the form that BE-NE customers’ employees will sign when they receive training, and in the SFA’s privacy policy which can be found at: http://skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/privacy.htm.

(2) Other business support organisations

We will share management information and statistics with other business support organisations in the UK for the purpose of improving business support services, but not in a way that identifies individuals.

We may also need to share your information, both core details about you and your business and details of our interactions with you, with other business support organisations involved in your project, to improve the quality of business support given to customers.  We will discuss this with you at the time.  We will only share your information if you want to receive these additional services from other organisations.

(3) Organisations referring customers to the Business and Enterprise Group

We will usually share your information, both core details and details of our interactions with you, with any organisation which referred you to us, so they know the outcome of the referral.

(4) Business and Enterprise Group companies

We will share your information within our group, which means the ultimate holding company, its subsidiaries and their subsidiaries, as defined in section 1159 of the Companies Act 2006.  Our group companies will use your information to provide business support services to you and, if you’ve asked to be on our mailing lists, to send you further information which may be of interest to you.

(5) Contractors

We may allow third party providers and contractors who supply services to us or who process information on our behalf incidental access to your information.  We will ensure that they keep your information secure and do not use it for their own purposes.

(6) Successors

We may share your information with another organisation which buys one or more of our group companies or our assets or to whom we transfer our agreement with you and in the course of any negotiations which may or may not lead to such a transfer or sale.          

(7) The North East England Investment Centre (NEEIC)

NEEIC is a division of BE-NE.  For details of how we handle information submitted through the NEEIC site, please see the privacy policy at: https://www.neeic.co.uk/page/privacy.cfm.

4. How we safeguard your information

We will keep your information secure by taking appropriate technical and organisational measures against the unauthorised or unlawful processing of that information and against its accidental loss, destruction or damage.

5. Cookies

We use the free Google Analytics tool (see http://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/analytics/) to collect and analyse site statistics.

Google Analytics uses persistent cookies to track data.  These cookies do not collect any personally identifiable information and are only used for the statistical collection of data such as visits and page hits.  Google Analytics’ cookies store IP addresses but we cannot link those addresses to any individual or path through the website.  Google uses the cookies to read information and evaluate visitors’ use of the website in the form of statistical reports that we can access.  The Google Analytics’ code is incorporated into our site’s code so that our site serves the cookies, but Google has access to the cookies. 

Google Analytics’ terms require us to reproduce the following wording in this policy:

“This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.”

To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, see the IAB website www.youronlinechoices.co.uk.

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites visit http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

6. Further information

Any changes we may make to our privacy policy in the future will be posted on this page and, where appropriate, notified to you by email.

Please let us know (using our contact details below) if there are any changes to your information, or if you notice any mistakes in the information that we hold about you as this helps us to keep it up to date and reliable.  We may contact you from time to time to check whether the information we have on you is still accurate and up to date.

In addition, please contact us if you wish to:

  • See a copy of the information we hold on you.  Please note that there is a statutory fee for this which is currently £10.  We will also need sufficient evidence of your identity and sufficient details of the information you wish to see to enable us to locate it; or
  • Be added to, or removed from, our mailing lists.

 Data Protection Officer
The Business and Enterprise Group
Spectrum 6
Spectrum Business Park
Seaham
SR7 7TT

Tel: 0191 426 6154

Fax: 0191 581 7604

Email: privacy@business-enterprise.net  

Further information about data protection issues including the online register of data controllers can be found on the Information Commissioner’s site at www.ico.gov.uk.