Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
The purpose of AWMist is to provide businesses with commercial opportunities, intelligence and to encourage and foster collaboration between businesses, universities, local, regional, national and trans-national agencies and organisations by greatly increasing the speed and ease by which organisations can easily identify potential partners and opportunities.
The website www.AWMist.org (the "AWMist Website") is owned and operated by Advantage West Midlands and the expressions "AWM", "we" and "us" and "our" mean Advantage West Midlands (VAT Number 715 5106 60 GB) whose principal place of business is at 3 Priestley Wharf, Holt Street, Aston Science Park, Birmingham, B7 4BN.
This privacy policy (the "Privacy Policy") explains AWM's policies on privacy in relation to personal data collected from users of the AWMist Website.
We take the privacy of the users of our AWMist Website seriously. We are keen to obtain, retain and process information (including your personal and sensitive data) in accordance with the applicable legislation, including the Data Protection Act 1998. We respect your right to privacy and we understand that, as a visitor to this AWMist Website you may prefer to control your own personal information and preferences. For this reason, we may ask you to register or to provide personal information and preferences when you visit certain areas of the AWMist Website or request information.
This Privacy Policy explains our policies on privacy in relation to personal data collected from users including registered users of the AWMist Website. This Privacy Policy forms part of the conditions of use of the AWMist Website which can be found at http://www.awmist.org/legal.html. By using the AWMist Website and the services on the AWMist Website, you consent to the collection and use of your personal data by us for the purposes authorised below and for any other purpose which is reasonably necessary for the provision of and the proper administration of our relationship with you / your business and the operation of the AWMist Website.
2. What information do we collect?
We collect the information provided by you when you use this AWMist Website and other of the services on the AWMist Website and on registration.
We may collect additional information when giving us feedback or completing profile forms and questionnaires. We also monitor user traffic patterns and the use of the AWMist Website which enables us to improve the service we provide to you/your business and to enforce any maximum usage restrictions.
3. Changes to our policy
We reserve the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy without prior notice. We will only use information in accordance with the Privacy Policy under which the information was collected. If you regularly use the AWMist Website you should continue to check this Privacy Policy for updates and amendments, as you will be deemed to have accepted the changes if you continue to use the AWMist Website after any changes have been posted.
4. How do we store and maintain personal information?
All of our employees are subject to obligations of confidentiality regarding information which they have access to in the course of their employment including the personal information of users of the AWMist Website. All personal information is held in secure computer storage facilities and paper-based files. We take steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
It may be necessary for us to maintain our details about you for a number of years. However, if your information is no longer required, we will destroy records containing personal information securely.
5. How do we use the data we collect?
We use personal information collected from you for the following purposes:
- to provide a more personalised service;
- to deliver the services provided by us on the AWMist Website;
- to contact you regarding the services that you have requested;
- to carry out auditing, research and analysis in order to maintain, protect and enhance the services we provide to you/your business;
- to transfer your details to relevant third parties (including third party administrators of the AWMist Website), public bodies, industry organisations and regulators as reasonably required for the operation of our business and use of the AWM Website by others; and
- to disclose your details to government and associated organisations as required by law.
Where you have not objected to such use, we might also use your information to let you know about other services which we offer which may be of interest to you. If you do not object initially, but you change your mind later, please email us at unsubcribe@wmictcluster.org.
6. Disclosure of your information
We will only share your personal data within AWM, with any future owners of the AWMist Website and with the other persons described in this Privacy Policy.
Where you have registered your company details with us and have submitted personal data (including email addresses of named individual contacts within the company) as part of the content to be included within your business specific information, we will share such personal data with registered users of the AWMist Website when the registered users carry out searches on the AWMist Website.
Where you have registered your company details with us and have submitted personal data about yourself to enable us to contact you direct (such as an email address including your name), but you are not a named contact for the purposes of the business specific information that will available to registered users when they carry out searches of the AWMist Website, we shall only use your personal data to contact you regarding your company's registration and we shall not disclose your personal data to other registered users.
Where you submit personal data of a person other than yourself (including the email addresses of any named individual contacts within the company) you must obtain their permission in advance and refer to the person to this Privacy Policy.
We will not share your details with any third parties other than those expressly described in this Privacy Policy.
Where we are or substantially all of our assets are acquired, the transferred assets may include your information but any such transfer shall be conditional on this information remaining subject to the restrictions on its use as set out in the Privacy Policy current at the time of the transfer.
We employ other companies and individuals to carry out functions on our behalf including, sending mail, analysing and consolidating data and operating the AWMist Website. In order to carry out their functions these companies and individuals may require access to your personal data but we shall only disclose to them such relevant personal information as is needed by them to perform their functions.
Where requested to do so, we may co-operate with any court, tribunal, regulatory body, police authority or other similar authority in any investigations or proceedings concerning you or your use of the AWMist Website. This may include disclosing information about communications transmitted via the AWMist Website to such authorities where required.
We may also use and share information relating to groups of users, without identifying individuals, to learn more about customer behaviour and find ways of enhancing our service.
Where any of your personal information is transferred by us outside of the European Economic Area the ("EEA") in the course of processing or sharing information as set out above, we will ensure that the information is transferred in accordance with this Privacy Policy and as permitted by the applicable data protection legislation. By submitting your personal data, you agree to the transfer, storing and processing of your data outside the EEA.
We regard our databases of information (which may include your personal information) as an important part of our business and we will not give or sell this information to any outside organisation for use in its marketing or solicitation without your consent.
7. Cookies – What are they and how do we use them?
"Cookies" are small bits of electronic information that a website can transfer to your hard drive to help tailor and keep records of your visit to that website. If you log on to the AWMist Website, a cookie will be used to store your authentication details until you log out or close the browser window. AWM does not use cookies for any other purpose than storing authentication details and the cookies only exist during an AWMist session.
Most browsers allow you to turn off the cookie function. If you want to know how to do this please look at the help menu on your browser but note that you cannot log in to the AWMist Website with cookies disabled.
8. Links
The AWMist Website contains links to other websites. Please note that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other websites, and we recommend you read the privacy statements immediately on entering other websites. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected through the AWMist Website.
9. Your Rights
IF YOU DO NOT WISH YOUR PERSONAL DATA TO BE USED IN THE MANNER SET OUT IN THIS PRIVACY POLICY PLEASE EXIT the AWMist Website IMMEDIATELY AND DO NOT USE the AWMist Website IN THE FUTURE.
You may edit and/or remove the contact details of individuals which can be viewed by registered users of the AWMist Website at any time by logging onto your business user page.
You also have the right to request us to stop using your personal information, including information that is not accessible to registered users, and to obtain a copy of any personal information which we hold about you and to notify us of any inaccuracies.
If you would like to obtain a written copy of your personal information please write to us. You will need to verify your identity and specify what information you require. If you prefer you may also call us on 0121 380 3628.
We will be happy to answer any enquiries from you regarding this Privacy Policy, the personal data we hold about you or the use we make of it. If you have any queries, comments, or if you wish to correct or update the data we hold about you, please either email us at awmist@wmictcluster.org, or write to us at:
The Data Protection Compliance Officer
Advantage West Midlands
3 Priestley Wharf
Holt Street
Aston Science Park
Birmingham
B7 4BN.
If you wish to know more about your rights please visit the Information Commissioner's Website at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
10. Jurisdiction
This Privacy Policy will be exclusively governed by and construed in accordance with English law and the English Courts will have exclusive jurisdiction in any dispute, save that we have the right, at our sole discretion, to commence and pursue proceedings in alternative jurisdictions.