Covid-19 business grants privacy notice

This Privacy Notice should be read in conjunction with Colchester City Council’s Privacy Policy.

Information collected

• Name
• Business address
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Bank account details 
• Business Rates account number
• Companies House number
• VAT registration number
• Business type
• Number of employees
• Information on trading
• Information on income/loss
• Bank statements/lease agreements/mortgage agreements
• Other forms of evidence

Agencies we might share your information with

• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• National Fraud Initiative
• The Cabinet Office
• FDM
• Her Majesty’s Revenues and Customs
• Capita Software Services
• Enforcement Agents
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
• Valuation Office Agency
• Essex County Council

The purpose and lawful basis for processing

The lawful basis for the processing of your personal data is legal obligation. The Government has introduced a range of business support grants in response to Covid-19. Information gathered will enable the Council to provide financial assistance in accordance with government guidance and eligibility criteria and to provide details of other Covid-19 support to which businesses may be eligible to apply. Your information is stored securely in Microsoft Dynamics. 

Length of time we keep your information

Your information will be kept for 6 years. However, you do have the right to contact us and ask for your information to be removed where there is no obligation or statutory requirement for it to be kept. You can exercise this right by contacting businessrates@colchester.gov.uk

How we protect and store your personal data

We take the confidentiality of personal information very seriously and use recognised security and access controls to protect your information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or corruption. We have procedures and processes in place to ensure that your personal information is managed appropriately.

Your information may be held outside of the UK. Where this is the case, we ensure that additional measures are in place to protect your data and to ensure that we continue to comply with data protection requirements.

Updates to this privacy notice

We will continually review and update this privacy notice to reflect changes in our processes and procedures, as well as to comply with changes in the law. When such changes occur, we will revise the "last updated" date at the bottom of this notice. We encourage you to periodically review this notice and to be informed of how we protect your information.