Privacy Policy

This statement was last updated on 11 February 2022.

Who we are

nibusinessinfo.co.uk is delivered by Invest Northern Ireland on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive. We are committed to protecting the privacy of all personal information obtained from you during any visits to the nibusinessinfo.co.uk website.

This Privacy Policy sets out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you choose to provide to us in connection with the nibusinessinfo.co.uk website (this "Website") will be processed.

This Website is operated by Invest Northern Ireland. Invest Northern Ireland is also the data controller (ICO Registration number: Z6586089) for nibusinessinfo.co.uk.

What information do we collect?

This Website may collect and process data that you provide to us about you, for example through filling out forms, and other information that we automatically collect from you.

Contact form

We collect questions, queries or feedback you leave, including your name, email address, telephone and postcode, if you use our online form to contact nibusinessinfo.co.co.uk. We use these details to respond to the feedback/query you send us. In some instances, this information is passed to the authorised person in Invest Northern Ireland, government department, agency or public body that we believe can best respond or assist you.

Sign-up to receive our newsletter

We collect your name, email address and postcode when you sign-up to receive our monthly email newsletter. Your postcode may be used to help us identify the volume of businesses who have signed up for the service by geographical region. In addition to our monthly newsletter, we may periodically send additional emails, which we think you may find useful (eg budget update, changes to our service). If you've signed up for email alerts, you can unsubscribe at any time by selecting the 'unsubscribe' link that appears in every email we send. We will never share your information other than for the purpose for which it was provided to us.

Business idea profiles

We collect your email address and county location when you request Business idea profiles. We will never share your information other than for the purpose for which it was provided to us.

Event organiser form

We collect your name, email address, telephone number, business address and website address when you register as an event organiser to promote your business events. We will never share your information other than for the purpose for which it was provided to us.

Event email alerts

We collect your email address when you request event alerts. If you've signed up for email alerts, you can unsubscribe at any time by selecting the 'unsubscribe' link that appears in every event email alert we send. If you wish to set up a new event alert, simply run another search on Events Finder and request an event alert, which will replace your existing alert. We will never share information other than for the purpose for which it was provided to us.

Calling our telephone helpline number

When you call the nibusinessinfo.co.uk helpline number on Tel: 0800 181 4422, you will speak to Invest NI's Business Support Team (BST). If you have an enquiry, you may provide your name, contact details and postcode, so that they can assist with your query. BST will make a file note of your query and add this to Invest NI's customer relationship management (CRM) system. Invest NI will keep this for a period of ten years in line with the Invest NI retention and disposal schedule (PDF, 1.65MB).

When you call the nibusinessinfo.co.uk helpline number, your telephone call may be recorded for training and quality purposes. Invest NI will keep these calls for a period of two years. After that time the calls are deleted. You may request for your call to the helpline not to be recorded or ask for it to be deleted at any time prior to its scheduled two-year disposal.

If the service that your telephone enquiry relates to is provided by another public body, such as a local council, please note that we will share your data with the relevant council to address your query.

Linking to other websites

nibusinessinfo.co.uk contains links to other government and non-government websites. This Website does not endorse or favour any specific commercial product or business. Non-government sites linked to from this website are present only because they may be useful additions to the information we provide.

A link to a third-party website does not imply endorsement - you must use your own judgement to decide whether the information or service on that website is suitable for your needs. If a website is not linked to ours, this does not mean or imply that it is unsatisfactory. The linked websites are regularly reviewed in the light of customer usage and feedback.

We are not responsible for the content of any linked website and cannot take responsibility for the consequences of your using the information or services on linked websites. We cannot guarantee that these links will work all of the time.

Websites that we link to may have 'Terms and conditions' that are different from ours. Do not assume that our 'Terms and conditions' apply to other websites

Security and virus protection

No data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed as totally secure. While we strive to protect such information, we do not warrant and cannot ensure the security of any information which you transmit to us. Accordingly, such transmission is at your own risk. We will not be liable for any damages or loss arising out of or resulting from any unauthorised access to, alteration to or modification of information contained on this website.

We make every effort to check and test our website during production. You must take your own precautions to ensure that the process which you employ for accessing this website does not expose you to the risk of viruses, malicious computer code or other forms of interference which may damage your computer system. It is always wise for you to run an anti-virus program on anything you download from the internet.

We accept no liability for any loss, disruption or damage to your computer system or your data caused by using this website or arising as a result of having used the website.

Information we collect from you

Information that we may automatically collect in relation to your visits to this Website does not identify you personally. It provides us with data about how you use nibusinessinfo.co.uk and engage with us. We use this information to improve our services and make them more useful to you. The information we collect includes some or all of the following:

+ Technical information

We collect your Internet Protocol (IP) address and details of which type of web browser you used.

+ Information about your visit to this Website

We collect data about your visit to the website. Once again this information does not identify you personally. This data includes:

The pages you visited, when (date and time) you visited them and how long you visited them for
The website address from which you accessed this site
The website address from which you exited this site
Queries via the site's search engine
Internet browser and devices used

We collect information on how you use the site, through cookies.

What we do with the information we collect

We use the information that we collect to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, including the following:

respond to any request/feedback you send us if you've asked us to
send email alerts to you, if you request them
provide you with information about business support, if you want it
analyse, evaluate and improve this Website via data amalgamated from multiple visitors, which does not identify you personally

Our lawful basis for collecting your information

As a public sector body, the vast majority of personal data processed by Invest NI is done so in the exercise of the 'official authority' vested in Invest NI by virtue of the Industrial Development Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 and the Industrial Development (Northern Ireland) Order 1982. Broadly these allow Invest NI to process data for economic development purposes. Where we are relying on your consent to process your personal data we will make this clear at the point of collection.

Where your data is stored?

We store your data on secure servers in the European Economic Area (EEA).

How long do we keep your information?

We will not retain data longer than is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected or as required by applicable laws or regulations. Information will be stored and then destroyed in line with the Invest NI retention and disposal schedule (PDF, 1.65MB).

The only exceptions to the periods mentioned above are where:

the law requires us to hold your personal information for a longer period, or delete it sooner
you have unsubscribed from a service (eg email newsletter)
you exercise your right to have the information erased (where it applies) and we do not need to hold it in connection with any of the reasons permitted or required under the law

Who do we share your information with?

For effective public governance and auditing purposes, Invest NI may need to share your data with its sponsor body, the Department for the Economy, the Department of Finance and the European Commission. For business improvement (evaluation) purposes, we may also share your data with Invest NI's professional advisers, consultants and contracted suppliers working on Invest NI's behalf who are subject to obligations of confidence.

As required by law, we may disclose information to government bodies and law enforcement agencies for their enforcement purposes. We will never share information other than for the purpose for which it was provided to us (economic development related activities).

Invest NI will not sell your personal information.

Your rights

As an individual whose personal data is processed by Invest NI, you have:

+ The right to be informed

Transparency is a key requirement of data protection law. You have the right to be informed about the collection and use of your personal data. This privacy notice is designed to provide you with the information needed to allow you to see how and why your personal data is used when visiting this website.

+ The right to access the data we hold on you

You also have the right to ask for the personal data that we have about you to increase your awareness of and allow you to verify the lawfulness of the processing. To protect your privacy we may ask you to verify your identity.

+ The right to have your data rectified if it is inaccurate

If you believe that personal data we hold on you is inaccurate or misleading then you have the right to request that it is rectified.

+ The right to erasure (in limited circumstances)

In some circumstances, you can ask for your personal information to be deleted, for example:

your personal information is no longer needed for the reason it was collected in the first place
you have removed your consent for us to use your information (where there is no other legal reason for us to use it)
there is no legal reason for the use of your information

Please note that we cannot delete your information where:

we're required to have it by law
it is necessary to perform our functions as a public body
it is necessary for legal claims

It is envisioned that the right to erasure will be limited as the legal reason the vast majority of personal data is processed by Invest NI is in the exercise of its 'official authority' - ie following the requirements of legislation.

+ The right to have your data restricted or blocked from processing

In certain circumstances, if you raise a complaint on how we have handled your personal data, you may also request that we 'restrict processing' meaning that the data will be preserved from further processing 'as evidence' either while we investigate your complaint or to support your complaint to the ICO.

+ The right of data portability (in limited circumstances)

Where you have provided your personal data directly to us that is processed by automated means and is done so purely on the basis of your consent, then you will have the right to obtain and reuse your personal data in an electronic format for your own purposes across different services.

+ The right to object to direct marketing

You have an unconditional right to object to direct marketing at any time. As noted within this privacy notice nibusinessinfo.co.uk will not send you direct marketing without your consent and you can withdraw your consent at any time by selecting the 'unsubscribe' link within each email.

+ The right to object to processing of your personal data

Processing is the term under data protection law that describes all uses of your personal data. This will include the collection, sharing, storage, retention and destruction of your data.

You have the right to object to any aspect of our processing of your personal data:

that is processed for the performance of a task in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority;
that is processed based on Invest NI's legitimate interests;
that is processed for purposes of scientific/historical research and statistics; and
if it involves any automated decision making or profiling carried out by Invest NI

If you would like to exercise your right of access in relation to information held on you by Invest Northern Ireland, email dpo@investni.com

Contacting us

If you have any specific data protection queries or concerns, you can address them to Invest Northern Ireland's Data Protection Officer at dpo@investni.com

How can you make a complaint about how your data is processed?

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of how Invest NI processes your personal data, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office, the data protection regulator in the UK.

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

Tel: 0303 123 1113
Email: casework@ico.org.uk

Changes to this privacy policy

Future changes to this Website's Privacy Policy will be published on this page and, where appropriate, sent to you by email notification. Please check back frequently to read any updates or changes to this Privacy Policy.

If you require a copy of this notice in an alternative format (including Braille, disk, audiocassette or in minority languages to meet the needs of those who are not fluent in English), then please contact the Equality Team on Tel: 028 9069 8273, Text phone: 028 9069 8585 or email equality@investni.com.

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