Privacy Notice

Effective date: 11 September 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Copernicus International Consulting Ltd, company number 06941196, of 1 Worsley Court, High Street, Manchester M28 3NJ (Copernicus, we, us or our) collects and uses personal data.

For the purposes of UK data-protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Copernicus is the controller of personal data covered by this Privacy Policy.

You can contact us about privacy matters at [email protected]. Trade Guide Library members can also reach us at [email protected].

1. Scope of this policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal data we collect through www.copernicus-consulting.com, including the Trade Guide Library, and by email, telephone, video call, social media, events, meetings, proposals, consultancy projects, business-development activity, supplier relationships, and other business interactions.

This policy does not apply to third-party websites linked from our website. Those websites have their own privacy policies.

2. Personal data we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

• identity and contact data, such as your name, job title, employer, business address, email address, telephone number, and professional social-media profile;
• business and enquiry data, such as your organisation, sector, markets of interest, project requirements, budget information, messages, and information you provide in an enquiry or meeting;
• client and project data, such as correspondence, instructions, meeting notes, project documents, feedback, research contacts, and information required to provide consultancy services;
• membership account data, such as your account username, the tier you hold, the date you joined, your renewal date, which guides and bulletins you have accessed, and your correspondence with us about the membership;
• payment and transaction data, such as billing name and address, the amount and date of each payment, the last four digits and type of the card used, refunds, and dispute records. Card details are entered directly with our payment processor and we do not receive or store full card numbers;
• marketing and communications data, such as your preferences for receiving communications and records of communications with you;
• technical and usage data, such as IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, referral source, approximate location derived from IP address, and interactions with our website, subject to the cookies and similar technologies actually used;
• event, networking, and professional-contact data, such as business-card details, attendee lists, meeting records, and publicly available professional information; and
• supplier and professional-services data, such as contact and payment-administration details where you work for or represent a supplier, associate, contractor, adviser, or partner.
  
  

We ask that you do not provide special-category personal data, criminal-offence data, or other sensitive personal data unless it is necessary, lawful, and specifically requested by us.

3. How we obtain personal data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us, use the Website, complete a form, create a Library account, buy a membership, request information, attend a meeting or event, engage us, work with us, or otherwise correspond with us.

We may also collect business contact details from your organisation, colleagues, professional networks, publicly available sources, event organisers, referrals, business directories, social-media platforms, lead-generation and business-information providers, and trusted associates or partners.

Where required, we will provide privacy information within the period required by applicable law.

4. How we use personal data

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

Our legitimate interests include operating and developing our consultancy business; responding to business enquiries; maintaining professional relationships; promoting relevant B2B services; improving our Website and services; safeguarding information and systems; and establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims.

5. Marketing

We may send relevant B2B information about our services, research, events, publications, or business-development activity where permitted by law.

You can ask us to stop direct marketing at any time by using an unsubscribe link where provided or by emailing [email protected]. Opting out of marketing will not stop necessary service, project, billing, or administrative communications.

If you hold a Library membership, that includes renewal notices, payment receipts and messages about your account, which we must send you whether or not you receive marketing. Regulatory Radar bulletins are part of the membership you have paid for; you can still ask us to stop sending them.

6. Cookies and similar technologies

Our Website uses cookies and similar technologies. These can include technologies necessary for Website operation and, where enabled, preference, analytics, security, embedded-content, or marketing technologies.

Information about cookies and similar technologies is set out in our Cookie Policy. Where required, we obtain your consent before using non-essential technologies, through the consent banner provided by CookieYes. You can change your preferences through that banner and through your browser settings. Disabling certain technologies may affect Website functionality.

7. Sharing personal data

We may share personal data with:

• employees, associates, consultants, subcontractors, overseas researchers, and specialist advisers who need the information to support our services and who are subject to appropriate confidentiality and data-protection obligations;
• service providers that support our IT, hosting, website, email, customer relationship management, accounting, payment, document management, analytics, security, communications, marketing, and professional-services functions;
• clients, project partners, funders, event organisers, professional advisers, and other parties where necessary for the relevant engagement or where authorised by you;
• regulators, authorities, law-enforcement bodies, courts, insurers, auditors, and professional advisers where required or reasonably necessary; and
• a buyer, investor, successor, or prospective purchaser of all or part of our business, subject to appropriate safeguards.

We do not sell personal data.

The main providers processing personal data on our behalf are:

Each acts as our processor under a written agreement, or as an independent controller where it processes data for its own regulatory purposes, as a payment processor does.

8. International transfers

Our work may involve international clients, associates, subcontractors, researchers, service providers, and projects. This can involve transferring personal data outside the UK.

Where we transfer personal data internationally, we will use an appropriate transfer mechanism and safeguards required by applicable data-protection law, such as an adequacy regulation, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to the EU standard contractual clauses, or another lawful safeguard.

Some of the providers listed in clause 7, including our payment and email providers, process personal data outside the UK. Those transfers rely on the mechanisms described above.

9. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to provide services, manage relationships, comply with legal and accounting obligations, resolve disputes, protect legal rights, and maintain appropriate business records.

Retention periods vary according to the nature of the relationship and information. We may retain contractual, project, financial, and tax records for periods required or reasonably appropriate under applicable law. We may retain limited contact and preference information until you ask us to remove it, subject to lawful retention needs.

Membership account records are kept while the membership is live and for a reasonable period afterwards. Payment and transaction records are kept for at least six years, as tax law requires.

10. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or access. No system is completely secure, and you should take appropriate care when sending information electronically.

11. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have rights to:

• request access to personal data we hold about you;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
• request deletion of personal data in certain circumstances;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing;
• request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;
• request portability of personal data where the legal conditions apply; and
• withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent. Withdrawal does not affect processing before it is withdrawn.

To exercise a right, email [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity and may ask for information necessary to process your request. We will respond in accordance with applicable law.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office. Information about raising a concern is available from the ICO’s website. We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns first.

12. Children

The Website, the Trade Guide Library, and our services are intended for business and professional users aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version will be published on the Website with its effective date.