Fhunded
To comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), where personal data relating to a data subject is collected, Lancashire County Council would like to provide you with the following details.
Contact details of this Lancashire County Council service:
Note that for queries intended for this specific service, do not contact the Data Protection Officer (DPO) mailbox, instead please direct your query to the following point of contact:
Reasons for processing your personal data
We process personal data to enable the effective delivery of a business support and investment facilitation programme that connects entrepreneurs, investors, and partner organisations across Lancashire.
Processing your information allows us to:
- Identify and engage participants
We use personal data to understand who is taking part in the programme, whether as a founder, investor, partner, or event attendee, and to communicate with you about relevant opportunities and activities. - Facilitate introductions and networking
Personal and professional information helps us match individuals and organisations with shared interests, enabling targeted introductions between businesses seeking investment and those able to provide it. - Deliver events and programme activity
We process personal data to organise and manage events, including registration, attendance tracking, accessibility requirements, and follow-up engagement. - Provide tailored support and guidance
Information about you and your organisation allows us to direct you to appropriate advice, resources, and support services, including improving readiness for investment or participation in networks. - Manage participation in networks and initiatives
Where you take part in structured networks or groups, your data is used to administer membership, coordinate activity, and maintain effective engagement over time. - Communicate updates and opportunities
We use your contact details to share information about events, funding opportunities, and relevant programme developments, where this is appropriate to your involvement. - Work with delivery partners and stakeholders
In limited and controlled circumstances, we may share relevant information with partner organisations to coordinate support, co-deliver activities, or facilitate introductions where this aligns with the purpose of the programme. - Monitor performance and improve services
We analyse information about participation and outcomes to understand how the programme is performing, identify trends, and improve the design and delivery of future support. - Support public accountability and reporting
As a public authority, we may use personal data to demonstrate the impact of our economic development activities, ensure appropriate use of public resources, and comply with legal or regulatory requirements.
We only process personal data where it is necessary and proportionate to achieve these purposes, and we ensure that information is used in a way that individuals would reasonably expect in the context of engaging with a business support and investment programme.
Use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies
We are increasingly utilising AI technologies to process your personal data. This is primarily utilised within Lancashire County Council using Microsoft Copilot Web and Microsoft Copilot 365. Please consult our Artificial Intelligence privacy notice for more details of how we use these specific platforms.
We do not use AI to make automated decisions. There is always a human intervention to review and approve any outputs from the AI tools. Decisions are not made solely by automated means.
We may use AI tools to support communication, analyse information, and improve how this programme is delivered. These tools assist staff but do not make decisions about you. Any outcomes are subject to human review, and appropriate safeguards are in place to ensure your personal data is handled securely, fairly, and in line with data protection law.
Legal basis for processing personal data
We process personal data under the following lawful bases:
- Article 6(1)(e) – Public task
Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority. Lancashire County Council delivers this programme as part of its wider responsibilities for economic growth and business support under the Local Government Act 2000 and Localism Act 2011, together with its powers to promote economic, social and environmental wellbeing.
- Article 6(1)(a) – Consent
In some circumstances, we rely on your consent to process personal data, for example where you choose to receive specific communications or participate in optional activities. You may withdraw your consent at any time.
- Article 6(1)(f) – Legitimate interests
Where processing is carried out by or on behalf of partner organisations, it may be necessary for legitimate interests such as facilitating networking, engagement and programme delivery, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
We ensure that all processing is necessary, proportionate, and carried out in line with data protection legislation.
This programme is not intended to collect or process special category data (such as information about health, ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs) or criminal offence data. Participants are asked not to provide this type of information.
If such data is disclosed inadvertently, it will not be used and will be securely deleted in line with data protection requirements, unless there is a clear and lawful basis to retain it (for example, where required by law).
Information we process about you
We collect and process personal data relevant to your participation in this programme. This may include:
- Identity and contact information such as your name, job title, organisation, email address, and telephone number
- Business and professional details including information about your organisation, sector, experience, investment interests, or areas of support required
- Application and participation data such as expressions of interest, programme applications, event registrations, attendance records, and involvement in networking or support activities
- Profile and matching information used to help connect participants with relevant opportunities, partners, or investors
- Communications and feedback including correspondence with you, enquiries, and any feedback you provide about the programme
- Technical and usage data where you engage with digital platforms or online events, such as basic usage information to support delivery and improvement of services
We only process personal data that is necessary and proportionate to support programme delivery, participant engagement, and service improvement.
Recipients of the personal data that we process about you
We may share your personal data with a limited number of organisations where it is necessary to deliver and support this programme. This may include:
- Delivery partners and programme stakeholders involved in coordinating, funding, or supporting activities
- Business support organisations and networks to facilitate relevant opportunities, introductions, and collaboration
- Investors or participating organisations, where appropriate, to enable informed connections and engagement
- Service providers and systems suppliers who support the administration of the programme (for example, event management or digital platforms), acting under contract
- Regulatory bodies or auditors, where required, to provide assurance, monitoring, or compliance with legal obligations
We only share personal data where it is necessary, proportionate, and in line with data protection legislation, and we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information.
Any transfers to another country
Your personal data is primarily processed within the United Kingdom. In some cases, it may be processed or stored outside the UK, for example where we use IT systems or service providers that operate internationally.
Where this occurs, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data, such as the use of adequacy regulations or legally approved transfer mechanisms (for example, International Data Transfer Agreements). These measures ensure that your information continues to receive a high standard of protection in line with UK data protection law.
Retention periods
Lancashire County Council will only store your information for as long as is legally required or in situations where there is no legal retention period they will follow established best practice.
| File type | Description | Security | Retention period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founder registration records | Personal and professional details provided by founders when registering interest or submitting pitch information. | Stored in secure LCC systems or approved supplier platforms with role-based access controls. | Retain for up to 6 years from last contact or engagement |
| Investor (Fhunded Angels) records | Investor contact details, status, preferences and participation history within the Fhunded Angels network. | Access restricted to authorised Business Growth officers; protected by contractual processor controls. | Retain for up to 6 years from last contact or withdrawal |
| Event registration and attendance lists | Details of individuals registering for and attending Fhunded events, including accessibility needs where provided. | Held within approved event platforms with limited access and secure transfer methods. | Retained for up to 3 years after the event for operational follow-up and reporting. |
| Communications and correspondence | Emails and records of contact relating to programme delivery, engagement and follow-ups. | Stored in secure LCC email and CRM systems; access limited to delivery staff. | Retained for up to 3 years after last substantive contact. |
| Pitch decks and investment materials | Business documents submitted by founders that may contain personal data. | Stored in controlled-access systems; shared only with relevant parties where appropriate. | Retained while active in the programme plus 2 years, then reviewed for deletion or anonymisation. |
| Website enquiries and contact forms | Personal data submitted via the Fhunded website contact or enquiry forms. | Secured via hosting platform controls and LCC access management. | Retained for up to 12 months if no further engagement follows. |
| Analytics and aggregated insight data | Aggregated or pseudonymised data used for reporting, trend analysis and ecosystem insight. | Stored within approved platforms with technical and organisational safeguards. | Personal identifiers removed at earliest opportunity; anonymised data may be retained indefinitely. |
| LCC staff delivery records | Names, roles and contact details of LCC officers involved in delivery and governance. | Protected within corporate HR and operational systems. | Retain for 6 years from end of employment |
| Dealroom Platform Data | Business profiles, investor interactions, deal tracking | Hosted on secure third-party platform with data protection agreements | Retained for up to 6 years from last engagement or withdrawal |
| Technical Data (Web Interactions) | IP address, usage logs from online forms and microsites | Protected by firewalls and monitoring systems | Retained for 12 months |
Your rights
You have certain rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), these are those rights:
- to be informed via Privacy Notices such as this.
- to withdraw your consent. If we are relying on your consent to process your data, then you can remove this at any point.
- of access to any personal information the council holds about yourself. To request a copy of this information you must make a subject access request in writing. You are entitled to receive a copy of your personal data within 1 calendar month of our receipt of your subject access request. If your request is complex then we can extend this period by a further two months, if we need to do this, we will contact you. You can request a subject access request, either via a letter or via an email to Information Governance Team, address below.
- of rectification, we must correct inaccurate or incomplete data within one month.
- to erasure. You have the right to have your personal data erased and to prevent processing unless we have a legal obligation to process your personal information.
- to restrict processing. You have the right to suppress processing. We can retain just enough information about you to ensure that the restriction is respected in future.
- to data portability. We can provide you with your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine readable form when asked.
- to object. You can object to your personal data being used for profiling, direct marketing or research purposes.
- in relation to automated decision making and profiling, to reduce the risk that a potentially damaging decision is taken without human intervention.
If you want to exercise any of these rights, then you can do so by contacting:
Information Governance Team
Lancashire County Council
PO Box 78
County Hall
Preston
PR1 8XJ
Email: dpo@lancashire.gov.uk
To ensure that we can deal with your request as efficiently as possible you will need to include your current name and address, proof of identity (a copy of your driving licence, passport or two different utility bills that display your name and address), as much detail as possible regarding your request so that we can identify any information we may hold about you, this may include your previous name and address, date of birth and what council service you were involved with.
Identity and contact details of the data controller
- Lancashire County Council, PO Box 78 County Hall, Fishergate, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 8XJ
Contact details of the data protection officer
- Our Data Protection Officer is Joanne Winston. You can contact her at dpo@lancashire.gov.uk or Lancashire County Council, PO Box 78 County Hall, Fishergate, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 8XJ
Further information
For more information about how we use personal information see Lancashire County Council's full privacy notice.
If you wish to raise a complaint on how we have handled your personal data, you can contact the Information Governance team who will investigate the matter.
Lancashire County Council, PO Box 78 County Hall, Fishergate, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 8XJ or email: dataprotection@lancashire.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are processing your personal data not in accordance with the law you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).