Privacy policy

EDGE Innovation Ltd. Privacy Policy

This privacy notice will let you know what Edge Innovation (‘our’, ‘us’, ‘we’) does with your personal data. We will tell you:

• what information we need and why
• what we do with your information
• who we share your information with
• how long we keep your information
• the rights you have

Some activities and services will have additional privacy notices or transparency statements providing more detail on how your information is used.

To find out more about our work in innovation, enabling change through design to create positive impact for people, read more about us here.

We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office with the registration number ZB498706. Edge Innovation is the data controller for the personal information we process, unless otherwise stated.

Your data protection rights

Data protection legislation gives you eight rights over your personal information. Whether a particular right applies depends on why information is being processed. Below we have outlined each of the rights and specified where a right would always apply.

The right of access

You have the right to ask for copies of the personal data that we hold on you. This right always applies. However, there are exemptions which mean you may not get all the information you have requested.

The right to rectification

You have the right to ask for any inaccurate or incomplete information to be updated. This right always applies.

The right to erasure

In some circumstances you have the right to ask for information to be erased.

The right to restrict processing

In some circumstances you have the right to ask us to restrict the way we use your personal data.

The right to object to processing

In some circumstances you have the right to object to the ways in which we are using your personal data.

The right to be informed

You have the right to be told how your personal information will be used before it is collected from you. This privacy notice is key part of how we are fulfilling this right. Additional privacy notices and transparency statements may also be provided.

The right to data portability

In some circumstances you have the right to request a copy of your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, or have it sent to another organisation.

Rights related to automated decision-making including profiling

You have the right to not be subject to automated decision making, if this results in legal or other significant effects on you.

When you contact us to exercise any of your rights, we will:

• acknowledge that your request has been received
• inform you if your request is not applicable, and give the reasons why
• endeavour to act on your request within the statutory time period, usually 1 calendar month
• let you know if more time is needed to respond to your request
• explain any exemptions we have applied

More information on your rights and how and when they apply can be found on the Information Commissioner’s ‘Your data matters’ page.

Our data protection policy

We are committed to fostering a culture of transparency and accountability by demonstrating compliance with the principles set out in data protection legislation.

You can find out more about how we comply with data protection legislation in our data protection policy.

This privacy notice outlines how we use personal data, including data we collect from or about you.

To keep you informed about how we use personal information some of our activities and services may also provide additional privacy notices or transparency information.

What information do we collect and why?

To give you the best possible experience with Edge Innovation, we collect information from your interactions across our services. The Information we may collect consists of:

• Your Name
• Your Position with a Company
• Contact Email
• Contact Number
• Address

Some of this information is actively provided, for example, when you register for one of our events, subscribe to our news service, contact us via the website, email or telephone, respond to a survey or fill out a form relating to our events and projects.

Periodically we ask for voluntary information, which is used to help us improve our services and create a more personalised experience, however this information is not essential to our project/business and therefore it is not a requirement for you to provide this information. It will be clearly indicated in all instances if the information is essential or a service improvement request.

When visiting our website you are able to do so anonymously. However, we do collect information based on actions you take whilst using the website, such as what pages you access. This does not include any personal information about you but does include records of those interactions, your Internet Protocol address, general location, information about your device (such as device or browser type), and referral information (how you found our website).

In addition when applying for additional support services such as a grant or business development support further information will be required in order to check eligibility. This may vary depending on the specificity of the funding requested and will be outlined within the application forms, terms and conditions. The information which you provide could include sensitive business financial information if required, in relation to funding, grants, investment or our financial programmes.

We need this information so that we can:

• set up an account for you within our digital information systems
• share information with you relating to the activities and services you have selected.

We will contact you based on your specified choices and only in relation to the provision of information relevant to the services and activities you have chosen and not in relation to any other aspects, unless requested.

What we do with your information

We will use your information for purposes related to your specified choices and only in relation to the provision of information relevant to the services and activities you have chosen and not in relation to any other aspects, unless requested. This includes, but is not limited to:

• managing your accounts on our digital platform(s)
• informing you of upcoming funding and engagement opportunities and other support that is available to you
• informing you of related innovation, business, design thinking resources, and training and other support available to you

To deliver our business support services to you and manage contracts, this can include:

• The provision of business support and development work. This can include using your information to check eligibility.
• Delivery of events and activities.
• To process your information for funding, including grants, investment meetings, funding applications or other specific projects we have launched.
• Your information can be used for audit and management information purposes, to report to our funders and to produce statistics/data/reports.
• As part of the recruitment process, to process job applications and manage any subsequent contracts of employment.
• For the delivery of consultancy projects.
• Delivery of training and learning programmes.
• To notify you about changes to your services.

Your information can also be used to help improve our business services such as:

• Your data may be evaluated to measure the quality of the events and projects we deliver and used to improve them.
• To personalise your experience - your information helps us to test, improve and personalise our services to better respond to your individual needs.
• To improve our website – we continually strive to improve our website offerings based on the information and feedback we receive from you which will help us to improve the customer journey.
• If you decide to opt-in to our news/mailing list/subscription list, you will receive emails no more than once a week that may include company news, relevant events, partner news, updates, industry updates and related product or service information you have elected for.
• To grow our business and contact potential new clients about relevant business services we offer.
• To better understand the local business market and analyse our impact on the wider economy.
• To ensure that we meet our contractual commitments and obligations.

Who we share your information with

We will not share your personal information linked to the following activities and services with any other person or organisation:

• Funding and support opportunities for businesses
• Funding and support opportunities for charities and social enterprises
• Innovation and design thinking information, resources and training

We will only share information where you have explicitly given permission for us to do so. This will be related to funding, business development support, grants or bursaries which require the data you provide for applications and auditing purposes. The specified funding agencies we are working in partnership with then become the data controller (organisation which stores your personal data). We will always make it clear to you during any application process who you are applying to, the data required and how your data will be processed and stored.

Our Funders

Edge Innovation is part-funded by public sector funds and is therefore contractually obliged to share distinct types of information with the National Evaluators and government agencies, including local authorities and combined authorities.

This information is used for the government agency’s purposes including:

• Audit and monitoring;
• Detection and prevention of fraud and spending irregularity;
• Documentary evidence of funding;
• The production of case studies and demonstration of best practice; and
• Sending you further information which may be of interest to you.

It may be used by government agencies to monitor growth within regions of the UK and it may be shared with auditors (Government Agencies, the European Court of Auditors, the European Commission’s auditors, the National Audit Office or Government Office and their respective auditors) to scrutinise the performance of public funds.  Please note that as part of this you may be contacted to confirm that you have received advice and support from the projects which we manage. As an example of use of data for such public projects, you can find more information on the Community Renewal Fund online at Privacy notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) .

Partners and other business support organisations

If you use Edge Innovation’s services to seek business support, we may refer you to one of our partners or a business support organisation we work with. We will not share any personal information without first receiving consent from you.

When we run an event in partnership with another organisation, we will specify on the registration page that the details you provide may be shared with the partnered organisation, who will be clearly named and who will have their own privacy policy on how they use, process and store your data. Your captured data will not be used unless it is for purposes directly relating to the event that you have signed up for.

Funders, as part of our finance programmes

By submitting an application for funding and if successful, you are giving Edge Innovation your consent to process your personal information only for the purposes of administering the programme in question. This could include contacting you to:

• receive further information and/or clarification about your application
• obtain updates on the progress of your project
• obtain updated information about the performance of the business
• assess the impact of the programme on behalf of the funder
• If your business is referred into a pitching event, we will also provide your information to the relevant funder for reporting, monitoring, auditing and evaluation purposes. We will only store your personal information for as long as we are contractually required to do so.

How long we keep your information

We will only keep your information for a maximum of two years or for as long as we are contractually or legally obliged to do so (linked to funding provision, business support, auditing and or contracting purposes) by the specific funder.

We will contact you to confirm future contact prior to removing your details from our systems. You can opt out of data provision by contacting Edge Innovation, or by clicking on the opt out link at the bottom of any correspondence.

The rights you have

The rights you have will depend on which lawful basis is used to collect and process your personal data. Subject to certain conditions, you have the following rights in relation to the personal data that we hold about you:

• to obtain a copy of your personal data;
• to restrict or object to our use of your personal data;
• to ask us to delete or correct your personal data;
• where you have provided consent, to withdraw it;
• to transfer your personal data to another data controller; and
• to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you think we are not handling your personal data fairly or in accordance with the law.

You can find out information on your rights under UK data protection legislation, via the UK Government Data Protection Act

Contact us

Registered office

Edge Innovation Ltd

Northern Design Centre

Abbots Hill

Baltic Business Quarter

Gateshead

NE8 3DF

Email: hello@edge.uk

If you have a question or concern about how personal information is handled, then please contact our Data Protection Officer. You also have a right to raise issues with the Information Commissioner’s Office.