Privacy Notice for the Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme

Privacy Notice for the Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme

What is the purpose of this document?

This privacy notice explains how we, Norfolk County Council, use your information when you apply to access opportunities on our website. This includes us providing the ‘Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme’ across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex and our events from time to time. To clarify, Norfolk County Council is the managing body for the Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme.

By ‘use’ we mean what we do with your information and how we store and share it.

Where you have provided consent via the Expression of Interest form for for the Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme, you may withdraw this consent at any time by emailing: info@innovationmentoring.co.uk

Further details about Us and Your Rights

We are aligned with Norfolk County Council’s general privacy notice which can be found via the  general privacy notice on the NCC website. This explains:

  • who Norfolk County Council are;
  • your rights under the UK GDPR (including complaints).

You can also ask us for a copy of these details.

Our cookie policy explains how our website developer, Capsule, uses cookies on our website: Cookie Policy

You can also ask us for a copy of these details.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information about you to:

Expression of Interest (Consent)

  • contact you regarding your eligibility for the Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme (via email, phone, or video call);
  • assess your eligibility based on information you provide in the eligibility form;
  • carry out proportionate checks about your business (e.g. reviewing publicly available information such as Companies House records or your business website).

You can withdraw your consent and therefore your expression of interest at any time by contacting us: info@innovationmentoring.co.uk

Applications (Contract – including steps prior to entering into a contract)

  • process and manage your application to the Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme;
  • assess your suitability and allocate appropriate support, such as assigning a mentor or coach;
  • refer or signpost you to other relevant business support programmes (e.g. Connected Innovation, New Anglia Growth Hub, or MENTA), where this may benefit you;
  • contact you with alternative support options where your business is not suitable for this programme.

Events (Contract)

  • invite you to relevant events or webinars (e.g. ‘Preparing a Bid for Success’) to support your business development;
  • administer your participation in events (whether in-person or online).

We also use your information to review the quality of our services and improve how we work.

We also use your information in other ways compatible with the above.

What information we collect and use about you

We collect and use the following information to support your application(s) to access opportunities on our website, including your participation in the Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme and/or our events from time to time:

  • your business name;
  • your full name;
  • your job role or position;
  • your email address;
  • your phone or mobile number;
  • your business or personal address (if provided);
  • your district council
  • the size of your business size;
  • your business sector;
  • Support needed
  • information to identify which stage of the Innovation Grant Mentoring process you are at;
  • information you provide through our online webform, including support requests, feedback, and details of how you heard about the programme.

We use this information to administer the Innovation Grant Mentoring programme and our events, communicate with you, understand your support needs, and evaluate the effectiveness of the service.

We may also collect and use “special category” information if you attend an in-person event where this is necessary to meet your needs. This may include information relating to:

  • accessibility requirements;
  • dietary requirements.

This information is classed as “special category data” under the UK GDPR. We may only collect this data when it is relevant and for the purposes described above.

We do not collect information concerning criminal convictions and offences.

The UK GDPR makes sure we keep your special category and criminal conviction information safe and secure. More details are on our website in the document named ‘Special category data and criminal offences data policy’. This explains how we follow these legal duties.

Information concerning a ‘legal’ rather than a ‘natural’ person is not personal data.

However, the UK GDPR does apply to personal data relating to individuals acting as sole traders, employees, partners, and company directors wherever they are individually identifiable and the information relates to them as an individual rather than as the representative of a legal person. A name and a corporate email address clearly relates to a particular individual and is therefore personal data.

Where We Get Your Information From

We receive most of this information from you, by completing our online form or through using our website, but we also receive it from:

  • referrals into our programme from people who work for Norfolk, Suffolk or Essex County Councils, which could include those that work for the New Anglia Growth Hub, Ambitious Essex or the Essex Growth Agency;
  • referrals from our contacts within Economic Development teams within local district councils across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex;
  • by signing up to or attending a webinar via our Eventbrite page.

Who we share your information with

We share your information with:

  • Local Economic Development Teams across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, but primarily Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex County Councils to provide relevant reporting information about the programme and events to provide the best business support for you and your business;
  • our Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme board panel members, who make recommendations to NCC on the award of mentoring or coaching who have signed non-disclosure agreements;
  • business mentors and coaches are who are employed by Norfolk County Council to work on the Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme, who have also signed non-disclosure agreements;
  • other business organisations like MENTA or local universities to referral support for your innovative ideas or aspirations.

All information is shared on a need-to-know basis. We do not share more than we need to.

We also share your information with companies that help us do our job. They also have to keep your information safe and only use it to help us. This is safeguarded through our contract with them.  For example, this includes IT providers such as Microsoft, Eventbrite and Capsule, who provide the web development for our website. For further information on Capsule please visit their privacy notice Capsule’s Privacy Notice.

We do not process your information outside of the UK or EU.

Our Lawful Basis for Using Your Information

We have legal reasons under the UK GDPR to use your information because it is necessary:

  • you have provided your consent – You have provided your consent for us to use your personal information in relation to an expression of interest in the Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme. This includes contacting you and assessing your initial eligibility. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
  • we also process personal information where it is necessary for the performance of a contract (including steps prior to entering into a contract) – Processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract to provide you with coaching/mentorship or an event. This includes:
  • assessing eligibility based on the information you provide
  • delivering mentoring or coaching support
  • managing your application and participation
  • providing information about relevant events linked to the programme
  • interest form for fully funded mentoring or coaching or providing information about relevant events).

You do not have to give us this information, however, we may be unable to progress your enquiry or application, which may result in you not being considered for the Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme or other relevant business support initiatives or attending one of our events.

We have legal reasons to use (including share) your special category information because it is necessary to meet our legal obligations under Section 20 of Equality Act 2010 and Section 3 of Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This includes making reasonable adjustments and ensuring equality of access when you attend an in‑person event, such as information relating to:

  • accessibility requirements
  • dietary requirements

This information is used solely for the purposes outlined above and will be securely deleted no later than 30 days after the event has taken place.

How Long We Keep Your Information

When the information is no longer needed for the above reasons, it will be securely deleted or shredded. If NCC decides to no longer provide the ‘Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme’ across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex and/or our events, the data will be stored for 6 years from the dates when the relevant activity ends.

For dietary and accessibility requirements your information will be retained for 30 days.

How We Keep Your Information

The information is stored electronically on SharePoint.

Automated Decision Making

We do not make automated decisions (including profiling) about you.

Changes To This Notice

We update this privacy notice from time to time, so please review it often. The date below is updated every time this privacy notice is updated.

This privacy notice was created June 2026.