Notice

AI Growth Zones: privacy notice

Updated 10 June 2025

© Crown copyright 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-growth-zones-expression-of-interest/ai-growth-zones-privacy-notice

This notice sets out how we will process your personal data, and your rights, if you have submitted a proposal for consideration for the AI Growth Zone selection process. It is made under Articles 13 and/or 14 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

This notice relates to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) AI Growth Zones selection process, which aims to designate priority areas to unlock investments and accelerate the build of AI-enabled data centres. This privacy notice covers the collection and processing of proposals sent for consideration as part of the AI Growth Zone selection process.

For the purposes of the UK GDPR, The Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) are the Data Controller.

1. Your data

We may process the following personal data:

  • name
  • email
  • job title, and description of job roles (if provided as part of the criteria to set out information on delivery team structure and key personnel)

Your personal data is obtained by us from proposals sent for consideration to the email address aigrowthzones@dsit.gov.uk.

2. Purpose

The purpose(s) for which we are processing your personal data is to:

  • assess your application to the AI Growth Zone selection process
  • contact you and keep you informed of the progress of your site proposals

The legal basis for processing your personal data under Article 6 of the UK GDPR is:

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 data controller, in this case to keep you informed of the progress of your proposal and where relevant assess how your proposal meets the requirements set out for the selection process.

4. Recipients

As part of our IT infrastructure, your personal data will be stored in the UK on systems provided by our data processors - Microsoft and Amazon Web Services. This does not mean we actively share your personal data with these entities; rather, they are technical service providers who host infrastructure supporting our IT systems.

5. Retention

Your personal information will be kept for a period of 1 year following your registration of expression of interest to ensure that administrative obligations are met and you can be kept informed of the progress of your proposal

6. International transfers

Your personal data will be processed in the UK.

8. Your rights

You have the right to:

  • request information about how your personal data is processed, and to request a copy of that personal data
  • request that any inaccuracies in your personal data are rectified without delay
  • request that any incomplete personal data is completed, including by means of a supplementary statement
  • request that your personal data are erased if there is no longer a justification for it to be processed
  • in certain circumstances (for example, where accuracy is contested) to request that the processing of your personal data is restricted
  • object to the processing of your personal data where it is processed for direct marketing purposes.
  • object to the processing of your personal data

To exercise your rights please contact the Data Protection Officer using the contact details below.

9. Contact details

The data controller for your personal data is the Department for Science. Innovation and Technology (DSIT). You can contact the DSIT Data Protection Officer at:

DSIT Data Protection Officer
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
22-26 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2EG

Email dataprotection@dsit.gov.uk

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your personal data, please write to the department’s Data Protection Officer in the first instance using the contact details above.

10. Complaints

If you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an UK independent regulator. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113.

Email:icocasework@ico.org.uk.

Any complaint to the Information Commissioner is without prejudice to your right to seek redress through the courts.

11. Updates to this notice

If this privacy notice changes in any way, we will place an updated version on this page. Regularly reviewing this page ensures you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we will share it with other parties. The ‘last updated’ date at the bottom of this page will also change.

If these changes affect how your personal data is processed, we will take reasonable steps to let you know.

Last updated: 10 June 2025.

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