Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Accord IT Ltd ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data when you visit our website (accord-uk.co.uk), use our services, or interact with us in any way.

This policy is written in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please read it carefully.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following personal data about you:

Data you provide directly

• Full name
• Business name and job title
• Email address
• Phone number
• Business sector and size
• Information about your AI usage and governance (via our AI Governance Diagnostic Tool)
• Any other information you provide when contacting us or booking a service

Data collected automatically

• IP address and browser type
• Pages visited and time spent on our website
• Referral source (how you found our website)
• Device type and operating system

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes and on the following legal bases:

To provide our services (Contractual necessity)

• Processing your AI Audit enquiry and delivering the service
• Providing AI training, strategy, and implementation services
• Communicating with you about your engagement with us

To respond to enquiries (Legitimate interests)

• Responding to enquiries submitted via our website forms
• Following up on potential service enquiries
• Sending relevant information about our services where you have expressed interest

To comply with legal obligations

• Maintaining records as required by law
• Responding to lawful requests from regulatory authorities

With your consent

• Sending marketing communications about our services, events, and training workshops
• You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at info@accord-uk.co.uk

4. How We Store Your Data

Your personal data is stored securely using the following systems:

• Google Forms & Google Sheets — enquiry data submitted via our website forms is stored in Google Workspace, which is GDPR compliant and hosted within the EU/UK
• Email — correspondence is stored in our secure email system
• Calendly — if you book a call via our scheduling system, your name and email are processed by Calendly in accordance with their privacy policy

We do not store payment card data. All payments are processed by third-party payment providers.

5. How Long We Keep Your Data

• Enquiry data — retained for 2 years from the date of last contact
• Client data — retained for 6 years from the end of the engagement (in line with legal and accounting requirements)
• Marketing data — retained until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe
• Website analytics — retained for 26 months

6. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data with third parties. We may share your data only in the following circumstances:

• Service providers — Google Workspace, Calendly, and other tools we use to deliver our services, all of whom are bound by data processing agreements
• Legal requirement — where we are required to disclose data by law, court order, or regulatory authority
• Business transfer — in the event of a merger or acquisition, your data may be transferred as part of that process. We will notify you in advance

All third parties we work with are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with UK GDPR.

7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access — to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure — to request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances
• Right to restrict processing — to request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
• Rights related to automated decision-making — we do not make automated decisions that significantly affect you

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@accord-uk.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days. There is no charge for exercising your rights.

8. Cookies

Our website uses minimal cookies. We do not currently use third-party advertising or tracking cookies. The cookies we use are strictly necessary for the website to function correctly.

We may update our cookie usage in the future, at which point we will update this policy and seek your consent where required.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites including Google Forms, Calendly, and others. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal data.

10. Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously. We have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, or alteration. These include:

• Secure HTTPS connection on our website
• Access controls limiting who can access personal data
• Use of GDPR-compliant third-party platforms
• Regular review of our data handling practices

In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours and affected individuals without undue delay.

11. Children's Data

Our services are directed at business professionals and are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. For significant changes, we will notify you by email where we hold your contact details.

13. How to Contact Us or Make a Complaint

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Phone: 0303 123 1113
• Address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF