UK Shared Prosperity Fund Place Based Business Support privacy notice

Who is the data controller for the information I provide?

Liverpool City Council is the data controller for the information that you provide. UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) – Place Based Business Support (PBBS) is administered by Liverpool City Council’s Business and Economic Support Team, and the Libraries and Information Service for start-up support. We are committed to protecting your personal information.

Why we collect your data

The City Council’s Business and Economic Support Team and Libraries and Information Service is providing a programme of business support services to businesses based in the Liverpool Local Authority Area, or those considering establishing a business presence here, through Liverpool City Council’s UKSPF – PBBS allocation.

It is necessary for the council’s Business and Economic Support Team and Libraries Service to gather, collect, store and process personal information relating to businesses and individuals accessing UKSPF PBBS services and has measures in place to protect the privacy of individuals throughout this process.  

We collect and process your personal information to provide these services to you. This will include:

  • corresponding with prospective support recipients as well as ongoing correspondence with those who have received support
  • monitoring progress and impact resulting from UKSPF funded support
  • sharing UKSPF support recipient data, including personal data of named contacts at the company, individuals considering starting a business, Company Record Numbers, VAT number, trading status, legal status and other relevant business metrics and project updates with Liverpool City Region Growth Company Ltd (LCRGC – also known as Growth Platform), Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), UK Government’s Department for Levelling Up (DLUHC), The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and appointed business support service providers, acting on our behalf
  • provide you with information or referrals to further relevant business support services funded through UKSPF or other relevant support

What is the legal basis for collecting and processing this data?

According to the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, we must have a reason to collect and use your information to:

  • assess your eligibility for UKSPF support
  • manage and process your UKSPF support documentation e.g. diagnostic, action plan
  • correspond with you
  • monitor and evaluate impact directly resulting from your support
  • provide you with information or referrals to further relevant business support services funded through UKSPF or other relevant support.
  • share your personal data with LCRGA, LCRCA, DLUHC and DBT for programme oversight, evaluation, output monitoring as well as part of a data matching exercise - find out more about reporting and performance management for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund on GOV.UK.

The conditions that we use to process your personal information are:

  • The lawful basis that applies to this processing is Article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR; that 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; data being processed belongs to business contacts processed during the routine course of business of a government department.
  • UK GDPR Article 9(2)(g) ‘processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest, on the basis of domestic law which shall be proportionate to the aim pursued, respect the essence of the right to data protection and provide for suitable and specific measures to safeguard the fundamental rights and the interests of the data subject domestic law.
  • Data Protection Act 2018 Schedule 1 Part 2 (8) ‘equality of opportunity or treatment’.
  • Data Protection Act 2018 Schedule 1 Part 2 (9) ‘racial and ethnic diversity at senior levels of organisations’.

Information we may collect

We only obtain and use the information we need to provide our services to you and as part of the City Council’s obligation to appraise the impact of the UKSPF allocation.

Personal data collected includes:

  • name of contact at the business
  • name of contact for an individual considering starting a business
  • email address
  • contact telephone numbers
  • position in the business
  • address and postcode - this may be a residential address if the business is registered at home address, or for an individual considering starting a business

We are not permitted to collect information we do not need or will not use. This page covers information you have provided direct to us and information which has been shared with us by other organisations.

If we don’t need your personal information, we will either keep your details anonymous if we already have it for another service, or we won’t ask you for it. If we use your personal information for research or analysis, we will always keep your details anonymous or use a fake name.

We may be required to share personal information in response to Freedom of Information requests concerning our distribution and use of UKSPF PBBS. We will only keep your details anonymous where the Freedom of Information Act allows.

We don’t sell your personal information to anyone else.

Do I have to provide this information, and what will happen if I don’t?

If you are not able to provide some or all of the information, we may not be able to provide you with the services that you have requested.

Who will your information be shared with?

We use a range of organisations to either store personal information or to help us administrate the support you receive through the UKSPF and evaluate the success of the scheme.

We are required to share personal data with Liverpool City Region Growth Company Limited (also known as Growth Platform), Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, UK Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department for Business and Trade. We may also have a legal duty to provide your personal information to other organisations, for example the Court Service or HMRC.

We will share personal information with our contracted UKSPF business support providers.  These organisations will be operating for, and on behalf of Liverpool City Council, providing direct business support services.

We may share business and personal information with other UKSPF support partners, Liverpool City Region Local Authorities and other UKSPF funded business support providers. All data transfers will be recorded on a web based customer relationship management (CRM) system called Evolutive. Evolutive is provided by Alcium Software Ltd, and hosting providers (Rackspace) to manage and host Growth Platform’s CRM system, related infrastructure, services and applications.

This information is required:

  • to assist with effective relationship management of the businesses LCC provide services to in accordance with Place Based Business Support funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
  • track progress of interactions including outputs and outcomes
  • monitor contractual obligations and use for statistical purposes

We may also share your personal information with the following departments within the council:

  • Legal Services
  • Financial and Resources - collection of rents/business rates/internal audit
  • Neighbourhoods and Housing
  • City Development

Your information will not be disclosed to any other organisations, except where we are required and allowed to by law.

How long will you keep this information for?

We will retain this information for as long as legally necessary and in accordance with guidance from the UK Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

How will my information be stored?

We will store your data on internal network drives and all data transfers will be recorded on a web-based customer relationship management (CRM) system called Evolutive. Evolutive is provided by Alcium Software Ltd, and hosting providers (Rackspace) to manage and host Growth Platform’s CRM system, related infrastructure, services and applications.

Source of the data if we are recipient and hold it for others

We receive information from you but we may also receive and hold information from internal Council departments and external organisations on your behalf. This information helps us to deliver the service to you.

Will this information be used to take automated decisions about me? 

Some of the information we receive in respect of you will be automated and therefore not viewed or processed by any of our officers. This could include information we receive from the UK Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, internal teams or other public and private business support bodies.

Will my data be transferred abroad?

No.

What rights do I have when it comes to my data?

You have a number of rights that are set out on the How to access your data page of this section.

Where can I get advice?

View our Help and advice page for more information.