Somerset Growth Hub Privacy Notice
For general information about how Somerset Council process personal your data, please see our overarching Privacy Notice here: Somerset Council Privacy Notice
Purposes for processing
Somerset Growth Hub provides support, information, and services to Somerset businesses. We collect and process personal data to:
- Respond to enquiries and requests for support
- Assess needs and connect businesses to appropriate services
- Improve our services and website functionality
- Complete statistical returns and funding claims to Government departments
Categories of personal data
Personal data
We may collect and process the following personal data:
- Name
- Age
- Postcode
- Contact details (email, phone number that contains personal details)
Special category data
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Disability
Legal basis for processing
- Article 6(1)(e) Public Task: processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.
- Article 9(2)(g) Substantial Public Interest.
Data Sharing
We may share personal data with:
- Internal council services (e.g. Economic Development, Skills & Climate)
- Government Departments (e.g. Department for Business and Trade)
Data is only shared where necessary, lawful, and proportionate to provide services or government reporting.
We will use your information so that we can provide suitable business services to you, which may include sharing your data with scheme providers to whom you wish to be referred. Your business data may also be aggregated with that of other businesses to inform trends and other business insights that can inform service providers or our Funders. This may include processing information about the type and intensity of business support we provide and the nature of your business support enquiry. It may also include matching your business data to other data sources to understand more about companies like yours and general business patterns and trends. We will also use your information for independent project monitoring and evaluation.
To meet our funding obligations, the Somerset Growth Hub is required to use your data to provide certain business and statistical information about the service we provide to you, to our funding bodies. This may include providing general business information, as well as details about schemes or services to which you have been referred.
The Growth Hub service for Somerset is funded by the Department for Business and Trade. Somerset Council is the Accountable Authority and the service is managed and delivered by Somerset Council.
Data Retention
We will retain the information in accordance with statutory retention periods (up to 7 years) and the Council’s retention schedule.
Your Rights
You have the right to ask Somerset Council for a copy of your personal data, the right to rectify or erase your personal data, and the right to object to processing. However, these rights are only applicable if the Council has no other legal obligation concerning that data. Further information about your rights and how to exercise them can be found in our overarching privacy notice and at: Somerset Council Your Information Rights.
You also have the right to complain to the Council about the handling of your personal data, by writing to the Data Protection Officer at informationgovernance@somerset.gov.uk, and to the regulator at ico.org.uk. Full details can be found in the overarching privacy notice at the link above.