1. Policy Statement

1.1. This Privacy Policy sets out how the Economic Intelligence Unit collects and processes personal data

1.2. The Economic Intelligence Unit offers a comprehensive understanding of the socio-economic challenges and opportunities across the Midlands area. Established in 2002 our Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) provides rigorous, best in class, economic analysis across People, Place and Business

1.3. Full contact details for The Economic Intelligence Unit are:

Walsall Council, The Civic Centre, Walsall WS1 1TP

Any questions about this privacy policy should be directed to info@theeiu.org

2. Information that we collect from you

2.1. The information that we collect from you will vary depending upon the context of your interactions with us and the service that we are providing. It may include but is not limited to:

  • Contact details to include name, address, telephone number and e-mail address; 
  • Image captured through filming or photography where you attend an event arranged or promoted by us or one of our partners; 
  • Demographic data such as your date of birth, gender, educational background and employment history; 
  • Family, lifestyle and social information; 
  • Financial details; and 
  • Any other information that may be collected in the course of our interactions with you

In certain cases, we may process special category information such as health, ethnicity, religion or other beliefs.

3. When do we collect your Personal Data?

3.1. We collect your personal data in the following ways:

  • When you visit our website and sign up to use any of our services
  • When you engage with us on social media
  • When you complete a form with us to provide details
  • When you download or install any of our apps 
  • When you contact us by any means e.g. queries, complaints 
  • When you book on an event with us e.g. training event, sports event, networking event or seminars
  • When you choose to complete any surveys that we send to you
  • When you give a third-party permission to share data that they hold about you with us
  • When you engage with us and complete any engagement forms to enable us to deliver a service to you
  • When you provide documents to verify your identity

4. Purposes of the Processing

4.1. We collect personal data in order to deliver the best service to you. This can be to:

  • Contact you by e-mail, phone or post;
  • Obtain your opinion on our services;
  • Understand what we can do for you and to direct you to the relevant partner or organisation that will best support you;
  • Carry out research by us or third parties in order to inform our knowledge base and assist with our representation of the Black Country
  • Analyse information that we collect so that we can improve the delivery of our services;
  • Process financial transactions; and
  • For all other purposes consistent with the proper performance of our business

We may also e-mail you about activities, events, surveys or press releases issued by our partner organisations where we think that these may be of interest you. We do not pass your personal data onto our partner organisations.

5. The Lawful bases for processing personal data

5.1. We do not capture or store any personal information about individuals who access our websites, except where you voluntarily choose to give us your personal details via e-mail or by signing up to receive our e-newsletter or other material/information from us.

5.2. We will collect and process personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR guidelines and the Data Protection Act 1998 (“the Data Protection Regulations”).

5.3. The Data Protection Regulations allow us to collect personal data in certain circumstances:

Consent – This applies where you have given us explicit consent to collect and process your data. An example is when you sign up to receiving our e-newsletters

Contractual Obligation – In certain circumstances, we need your personal data to comply with our contractual obligations. An example is when you may make an application for a grant or receive a grant. In this case, we require your personal details to process the transaction

Legal Obligation - Where the processing is necessary for us to comply with the law. An example is when we may pass on personal data in compliance with a court order

Legitimate Interest – In certain circumstances, we will process your personal data where it is in our own interest or in the interest of a third party. In such a case, we will process personal data in a way that might be reasonably expected as part of running our business and which has minimal impact on your rights and freedoms. An example is where we require your personal data to report to a funding agency of services or support provided to you.

Legitimate Interest means our interests in managing and conducting our business in the Black Country.

When we process your information for legitimate interests, we will ensure that we consider and balance any impact upon you and your rights under the Data Protection Regulations.

6. Links to other Websites

6.1. Our websites may contain links to other websites including those of our partners. If you use the links to leave our site and connect to partner’s website, you should note that we do not have any control over third-party websites. Therefore, we do not accept any responsibility for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement.

7. Information Sharing

7.1. We may share your personal data across our hosted organisations and specific third parties. We will only do so if we consider that you would benefit from a service provided by another hosted organisation. Where we share your personal data, we will only do so where your privacy is protected and respected at all times. This will include IT companies who support and host our websites. only.

7.2. When requested by you, we may share your information with third parties who may send you details of goods and services that may be of interest to you. For example, if you attend an event, your information may be shared with a trainer/speaker or event sponsor.

7.3. We may share your personal data with organisations that provide or manage our funding in order to meet our legal duties.

7.4. We may share your information with other partners or organisations where it is necessary either to comply with a legal obligation or where permitted under the Data Protection Regulations e.g. where the disclosure is necessary for the purposes of prevention or detection of a crime.

7.5. We do not sell your information to any organisation.

8. How long do we keep your Personal Data?

8.1. The length of time that we hold your personal data will vary depending upon the type of information and its use. We will only hold your personal data for as long as necessary to provide services to you. In relation to any project funded by European Regional Development Fund (“ERDF”), these will be subject to their own privacy policy and data retention periods.

9. Transfer of Data

9.1. We store and process your personal data within the UK GDPR guidelines. We do not transfer your data outside the UK unless that country has adequate level of data protection.

10. Your Rights

10.1. You may request a copy of your personal data. Requests may be sent to info@theeiu.org

10.2. If you believe that any of the information that we hold about you is incomplete or inaccurate, please contact us as soon as possible and we will investigate your concern. If we find that the information is inaccurate or incomplete, we shall address this as soon as possible.

10.3. When you have given us your consent to use your personal data, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time

10.4. You have the right to object to profiling or any decisions made by us by automated means

10.5. You have the right to stop the use of your personal data for direct marketing activity at any time

10.6. If you feel that your data has not been handled correctly or you are unhappy with any response from us, you have the right to lodge a complain with the Information Commissioner. The contact details can be found at ico.org.uk or you can call 0303 123 1113.