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Community Investment Fund and Plinth Grant Management System privacy notice

Who will own my data once I submit it

We will own your data once it has been submitted.

Why do you need my information?

If you/your organisation wish to apply for a grant from the Community Investment Fund (CIF) you will be required to submit an application form via the Plinth software platform.

When we collect and use your information, we need this to:

  • process your application
  • moderate your application
  • send you outcomes of your application to us
  • communicate to you if we require any further information as part of your application

We use your information to assess eligibility, undertake due diligence, administer grants and payments, monitor outcomes, meet audit requirements, produce reports and improve services.

We may collect names, organisation details, contact information, registration details, application responses, uploaded documents, monitoring information, IP addresses and related grant management information

What allows you to use my information?

The primary lawful basis is Article 6(1)(e) UK GDPR Public Task.

Article 6(1)(c) Legal Obligation may also apply.

Special category data will be processed in accordance with Article 9 UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 where necessary.

How will my information be stored?

Your information is held securely on systems within our IT network.

What rights do I have when it comes to my data?

Under data protection legislation you have the right to request access to the information that we hold about you.

You can request a copy of your data or ask questions about how it is used on our Data Protection and Your Rights page and then submit your request by following your preferred method of contact in the 'How do I ask for my personal information' section.

In certain circumstances, if you are a member of the public, under data protection legislation, you may also have the right to:

  • withdraw consent
  • receive your information in a machine readable format
  • have the right to inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed
  • object to decisions being taken by automated means

To make a request follow the instructions on our Data protection for you page.

Who can I complain to if I am unhappy about how my data is being used?

You can complain directly to our Data Protection team online or by post.

  • Online: Contact the DPO
  • By post: Data Protection Officer, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office using the following details:

How AI is used within Plinth

AI may be used to check eligibility, summarise applications, identify missing information, review supporting documents and generate draft feedback. AI outputs are reviewed by Council officers. No grant decision is made solely by automated processing.

Who your information may be shared with

Information will be processed by Plinth, and shared with regulatory bodies such as Companies House and the Charity Commission, auditors, advisers, technology providers and law enforcement where required by law.

Council Officers will access your information to assess and moderate your application forms to administer the grants. Access to your information will be by requirement only.

The Data Controller

Cheshire West and Chester Council are the Data Controller. Plinth acts as a Data Processor under a Data Processing Agreement.

Automated decision-making

The Council does not make grant award decisions solely through automated decision-making within the meaning of Article 22 UK GDPR.

Protecting your information

Security measures include encryption, role-based access controls, audit logs, testing, backups and staff training. Access to your information is given only to Officers in relation to the processing of your grant application

How long we keep your information

  • Information is retained in accordance with the Council retention schedule, grant requirements and audit obligations and then securely deleted or anonymised.
  • Successful applications – information retained for 10 years
  • Unsuccessful applications – information retained within the financial year your application made then deleted
  • Withdrawn applications – applications deleted when the fund application window closes

Will my information be transferred outside the UK?

Your information is stored securely by Plinth within the UK/and EU

Please refer to Plinth’s Privacy Statement here in relation to your information and how they process your data on behalf of the Council.

AI Transparency Statement

AI supports administrative processing only. Human oversight is maintained throughout the grant lifecycle and applicant data is not used to train AI models.