Privacy policy
Regional Business Partner Network - Privacy Policy
Last updated 8 February 2023
This Privacy Policy sets out how Callaghan Innovation and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) (“we”, “us” or “our”) handle personal information collected through this website, www.regionalbusinesspartners.co.nz (Website). We will not use, share or disclose personal information collected or received through this Website except as set out in this Policy (or otherwise permitted or required by law).
Information we collect about you
We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us through this Website, such as your:
- name
- contact details (such as your phone number and email and physical address)
- job title, and
- if applicable, your business/employer name and NZBN, and contact details.
We may also collect information from you automatically, such as information we or our service providers collect in relation to your use of the Website. This information may include your:
- IP address
- search terms
- pages viewed
- date and time you visited this Website
- operating system (eg, Windows 10, Mac OS X)
- type of web browser (eg, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome)
- language settings, and
- screen resolution.
In addition, we may use cookies to gather data about trends in website usage using a tool called Google Analytics. This data will be viewable by website administrators and certain other staff. It may also be shared with other government agencies. This information is aggregated and it does not identify you personally.
Cookies are small text files that are sent by a website and stored on your computer's hard drive to collect information about how you browse the website. Cookies are used to:
- measure how you use the Website so it can be updated and improved based on your needs, and
- remember the notifications you’ve seen so that we don’t show them to you again.
You can read Google’s privacy statement at the Google Safety Centre (Google Safety Centre - Stay safer online(external link)). You can manually disable cookies at any time. Check your browser's 'Help' to find out how (disabling cookies is unlikely to affect your ability to use this Website).
Other information collected as part of Regional Business Partner Programme
We may also collect personal information from you when you receive services and support from us as part of the Regional Business Partner Programme (RBP Services), and information that you otherwise provide to us or our staff (including growth advisors and navigators) when you interact with us. This information may include your:
- certain information about your business (e.g. information to enable us to tailor the RBP Services to your business’ needs), and
- information you may share when you interact with us (e.g. via phone or email correspondence or in person discussions).
Providing some information is optional. However, if you choose not to provide us with information, we may be unable to provide certain RBP Services to your business.
If you choose not to provide requested information
You can use www.regionalbusinesspartners.co.nz without disclosing any personal information. However, if you wish to register to become a service provider for the regional business partner network (RBP Network) or to register your business to receive services from a service provider or a regional business partner (including their growth advisors or navigators), then you will be prompted to provide information during the registration process. If you choose not to provide us with such information, then we may be unable to register you to become a service provider or to receive business support services through the RBP Network.
If you share information about other people
If you provide information about another person (e.g. other individuals at your business), you must ensure that you are authorised to disclose that information to us and that, without taking any further steps required by the Privacy Act 2020, we may collect, use and disclose such information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
How we use your personal information
We collect personal information via this website in order to:
- register you to become a regional business partner service provider or to register your business to receive services from a regional business partner service provider
- register your business’ interest in receiving the RBP Services, including in our records and electronic database
- administer the RBP Network
- survey customers of the RBP Network about the services they receive from regional business advisors
- monitor and audit the RBP Network and the performance of those delivering the RBP services, including regional business advisors
- report to Government and other government agencies, and/or
- otherwise action or respond to the information provided.
We collect personal information as part of the provision of RBP Services in order to:
- provide the RBP Services
- verify other information that we hold about you and/or your business to enhance our ability to offer and provide associated services to your business
- provide further information to you and/or your business about other websites and services which the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Callaghan Innovation and/or we consider may be of interest to you
- measure Customer satisfaction with the RBP Services and the RBP Programme
- monitor, audit and report on the RBP Programme and our performance in delivering the RBP Services
- in anonymised form, support statistical analysis of regional and national business development, and/or
- for any other purpose that you agree with us from time to time.
We may also use information about your use of the Website to:
- administer, evaluate, and improve the Website
- improve our services, including services that we offer via the Website, and/or
- prepare and use data about access to and use of the Website.
Who we share your information with
Besides our staff (which includes growth advisors, navigators and our administrative personnel), we share this information with:
- our contractors who help us to provide the RBP Services and measure Customer satisfaction with the Services and the RBP Programme
- the Regional Business Partners who are appointed by us to provide services and support to businesses that are registered with the RBP Network and the regional business service providers
- Callaghan Innovation (and their respective service providers) to administer the RBP Programme and report to Government on Callaghan Innovation’s role in respect of the RBP Services and Programme
- our contractors who help us to administer, or undertake work on, this Website, and/or
- any organisation engaged to provide any Regional Business Partner successor programme or services implemented by MBIE and/or Callaghan Innovation.
We may be required to disclose information (which may include personal information) under the Official Information Act 1982 or to a Parliamentary Select Committee or Parliament in response to a Parliamentary Question.
How we will store your information
When you provide personal information via this Website it will be held by MBIE and shared as set out above. We will store and keep your personal information secure in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and any of our contracts will be subject to our information security and privacy requirements.
We will only retain personal information as long as it is required for the purposes for which the information may lawfully be used.
Where any information provided (which may include personal information) to, or through, this Website constitutes public records, it will be retained to the extent required by the Public Records Act 2005.
Security
The Website has security measures in place to prevent the loss, misuse and alteration of information under our control. To maintain the cyber security of our systems and information, our systems (including the Website) are subject to ongoing monitoring (including activity logging), analysis and auditing.
We may use information about your use of the Website to prevent unauthorised access or attacks on the Website or to resolve such events. We may use this information even if you are not involved in such activity.
We may use services from one or more third party suppliers to monitor or maintain the cyber security of our systems and information. These third party suppliers will have access to monitoring and logging information as well as information processed on the Website and other IT systems.
Service Provider communications
If you are an RBP Service Provider, we will store your contact details in a secure third-party database for the purposes of communicating with you. You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time, however this may mean you do not receive communications from us in a timely manner. When you unsubscribe from these communications, your details will be deleted from the database.
Your rights of access and correction
You have the right to request access to your personal information that is held by us, or request a correction, by emailing info@regionalbusinesspartners.co.nz.
If we have a good reason for refusing a request for correction, you are entitled to request that a statement be attached to the information of the correction that was sought but not made.
For more information on the privacy laws in New Zealand and contact details for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, visit the Privacy Commissioner's website at www.privacy.org.nz(external link).
General
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version posted on the Website will apply.
The Website may contain links to third party websites or applications. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third party websites or applications.
