Notice

Spin-out founder survey: privacy notice

Published 24 May 2023

© Crown copyright 2023

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spin-out-founder-survey-privacy-notice/spin-out-founder-survey-privacy-notice

We are collecting evidence on UK spin-outs and the spin-out process to create a better evidence base to inform the government’s Spin-out Review and for policy decision-making in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and HM Treasury (HMT).

This notice sets out how we will use your personal data, and your rights. It is made under Article 13 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

Your data

The Spin-out Founder Survey will include optional questions on:

  • gender
  • age

Participants who agree to be recontacted (for an in-depth interview, further discussion, a future wave of the survey or related research) will be asked to provide their:

  • name
  • email address
  • phone number

We will also collect and process any personal data you volunteer by way of evidence or example in your responses to the survey or by contacting the spinoutfoundersurvey@dsit.gov.uk mailbox.

Participation in the survey is voluntary and questions relating to personal data can be left unanswered.

Purpose

University spin-outs are critical to the UK innovation ecosystem and have an important role to play in the government’s ambitions for the UK to become a science superpower capable of nurturing the world’s next Silicon Valley. This survey will aim to enhance the evidence base to support the review by providing robust data on the experiences of UK spin-out founders, including spin-out background information and perspectives on the process of spinning out.

Data on gender and age is being collected to help us understand how well we are capturing diverse views and to help us understand the profile of UK spin-out founders. The information will be used for research purposes only. Participants are under no obligation to answer these questions.

Data linking

You will be asked if you agree to match your data to:

  • the existing Beauhurst dataset on spin-outs. This will provide a better overall picture of UK university spin-outs.

All information collected as part of this project will be used for research purposes and forming an evidence base for better policy decision-making.

The legal bases for processing your personal data are:

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, such as the exercise of a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown, or a government department; the exercise of a function conferred on a person by an enactment; the exercise of a function of either House of Parliament; or the administration of justice

For the purpose of this project, the public task relates to collecting evidence on the views of spin-out founders in the UK to create a better evidence base for the spin-out review and for policy decision-making.

The legal basis for processing data for participants who agree to be recontacted for an in-depth interview, further discussion, a future wave of the survey, related research or matching your personal data to the Beauhurst dataset will be consent.

All information will be used for research and statistical purposes only and all data analysis will be about groups of people rather than individuals.

Recipients

Your personal data will be processed by DSIT.

Where necessary some data may be shared with HMT. This will not include any personal data.

As your personal data will be stored on our IT infrastructure it will also be shared with our data processors Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.

Retention

Your personal data will be kept by us for:

  • where the legal basis for processing is public task, it will be kept indefinitely for statistical purposes. Data records will be reviewed every two years and deleted when no longer necessary.

  • where the legal basis for processing is consent:

    • interviews/discussions/related research – personal data for the purpose of recontacting participants for interviews/discussions/related research will be retained for a period of 12 months after they complete the survey.
    • future waves – personal data for the purpose of recontacting participants for future waves of the survey will be retained for a period of 3 years after the survey is closed.

Your rights

You have the right to:

  • request information about how your personal data are 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 are completed, including by means of a supplementary statement
  • request that your personal data are erased if there is no longer a justification for them to be processed
  • in certain circumstances (for example, where accuracy is contested) 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
  • withdraw consent to the processing of your personal data at any time
  • object to the processing of your personal data
  • request a copy of any personal data you have provided, and for this to be provided in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format

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

You have the right to withdraw consent to the processing of your personal data at any time. Should individuals change their mind and want to withdraw consent they should contact spinoutfoundersurvey@dsit.gov.uk.

International transfers

Your data will not be held or transferred outside of the UK.

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: casework@ico.org.uk

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

Contact details

The data controller for your personal data is DSIT. You can contact the Data Protection Officer at:

DSIT Data Protection Officer

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
22-26 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2EG

You can contact spinoutfoundersurvey@dsit.gov.uk for questions about the survey.

Changes to this privacy notice

We may change this privacy notice. In that case, the ‘last updated’ date at the bottom of this page will also change. Any changes to this privacy notice will apply to you and your data immediately.

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

Last updated 22 May 2023.

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