Guidance

UK Shared Prosperity Fund intervention level evaluation: Privacy notice for business support evaluations

Updated 8 May 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-growth-programmes-privacy-notices/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-intervention-level-evaluation-privacy-notice

The following is to explain your rights and give you the information you are entitled to under UK data protection legislation.

1. Data controller

DLUHC is the data controller for any information collected via surveys for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) intervention level evaluation. The Data Protection Officer can be contacted at dataprotection@levellingup.gov.uk. 

In order to conduct surveys for the UKSPF intervention level evaluation, DHLUC has commissioned two third parties, Frontier Economics and BMG Research, to collect personal data on its behalf. Frontier Economics is a specialist microeconomic consultancy. BMG Research is a specialist independent research agency. BMG Research and Frontier Economics are acting as data processors – meaning they will be conducting analysis and evaluation using your data. 

2. How we will use your data

Your personal data is being collected to help evaluate the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. You have been invited to take part in a survey as your business have been involved with a programme that has been delivered using some funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), for example, a business support programme.  

BMG Research will collect your survey responses solely for the purpose of the evaluation of UKSPF. This will only include personal data in the form of contact details (name, email address, phone number) or personal information relating to sole traders. Analysis of the data will be aggregated to produce statistical research findings for DHLUC. These findings may be shared with other government departments, partner organisations or researchers for statistical research purposes only. 

BMG Research may re-contact your business to take part in a follow-on survey before the end of 2025 and may link your responses to the first survey to the follow-on survey. 

Your contact information will not be shared with DLUHC or Frontier Economics. Once the evaluation has been published your personal data will be securely destroyed by BMG Research. 

DLUHC will publish the evaluation findings, which may include aggregated results from this survey. Your business will not be identifiable in any published findings. 

The data protection legislation sets out when we are lawfully allowed to process your data. The lawful basis under UK GDPR for collecting this data is article 6(1) (e) 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. The processing is in the public interest as it is necessary for the function of a government department, in particular to ensure public funds spent on levelling up and promoting economic development are effective. It is also necessary to carry out the functions under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003.

4. Who will my data be shared with?

Your personal contact data will not be shared with any third parties. Only BMG Research will have access to the personal data you provide and it will not be shared with Frontier Economics or DLUHC. 

5. How long will my data be held for?

Your personal contact data will be securely removed from BMG Research’s systems when the evaluation report is published, and no later than December 2025. 

6. Your rights, e.g. access, rectification, erasure

The data we are collecting is your personal contact data, and you have rights that affect what happens to it. You have the right to:  

a. know that we are using your personal contact data 

b. see what data we have about you 

c. ask to have your data corrected, and to ask how we check the information we hold is accurate 

d. complain to the ICO (see below) 

In some circumstances you may also have the right to withdraw your consent to us having or using your data, to have all data about you deleted, or to object to particularly types of use of your data. We will tell you when these rights apply. 

7. Sending data overseas

Your personal data will not be sent overseas. 

8. Automated decision making

We will not use your data for any automated decision making. 

9. Storage, security and data management

Your personal contact data will be stored in a secure IT system. It will not be transferred to any third parties. 

10. Complaints and more information

When we ask you for information, we will keep to the law, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation. 

If you are unhappy with the way the Department has acted, you can make a complaint. 

If you are not happy with how we are using your personal contact data, you should first contact dataprotection@levellingup.gov.uk. 

If you are still not happy, or for independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing, you can contact: 

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

Telephone: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745
https://ico.org.uk/

Back to top