WEBSITE AND CLIENT PRIVACY NOTICE
How we handle website visitors, enquiries, business contacts, cookies and client information.
Last updated: 24 August 2026
Business: Bakerwood Research Services
Privacy enquiries: natalie@bakerwoodresearch.com
Address: 3 Plymouth Drive, Bramhall, SK7 2JB
Which privacy notice applies to you?
This notice covers our website, business enquiries and client relationships. If you register to take part in market research, our separate Participant Privacy Notice also applies to your participant profile and research-related information.
1. Who we are and how to contact us
Bakerwood Research Services is responsible for deciding how personal information covered by this notice is used. This makes us the data controller for our own website, enquiries and business-client records.
Postal address: 3 Plymouth Drive, Bramhall, SK7 2JB.
Privacy contact: natalie@bakerwoodresearch.com.
Our website is provided through Squarespace. We may also use Microsoft 365, Microsoft Forms and other appropriate business-service providers when relevant to the service you request.
2. Who this notice applies to
This notice applies if you:
• visit or browse our website;
• send us a website contact-form enquiry, email, telephone message or other business communication;
• represent an existing or prospective client, supplier, research agency or professional partner;
• request a quotation, discuss a research project or enter into a business relationship with us; or
• exercise a privacy right, raise a concern or make a data protection complaint.
Participant registration, recruitment screening and research-project participation are governed by our separate Participant Privacy Notice and any study-specific information supplied to you.
3. The personal information we collect
3.1. Website and device information
Depending on the website features, security settings and cookies you use or permit, we or our website provider may receive:
• your internet protocol (IP) address and approximate geographic area;
• browser, device and operating-system information;
• the date and time of your visit, pages viewed, referring website and technical error information;
• cookie or similar-technology identifiers and records of your cookie choices; and
• information necessary to protect the website, prevent misuse or troubleshoot faults.
We do not assume that every category is collected on every visit. The information generated depends on the tools and settings actually enabled on our website.
3.2. Enquiry and contact information
When you contact us, we may collect your name, business or organisation, job title, email address, telephone number, contact preferences and the information you include in your message. A project brief may include the proposed research audience, methodology, geography, timescales, recruitment requirements and an indicative budget where you choose to share these details.
3.3. Client and business-relationship information
If we work together, we may hold project correspondence, quotations, proposals, contracts, purchase orders, project contact details, instructions, approvals, scheduling records, invoice and payment information, service notes and communications about a complaint or dispute. We may also record communication preferences and unsubscribe requests.
3.4. Information you should not send through a general contact form
Please do not include sensitive or unnecessary information.
Do not send health or medical information, ethnicity, religion, political views, sexual orientation, passport or identity-document copies, full payment-card details, or identifiable research participant information through our general website contact form. Where sensitive information is genuinely needed, we will explain the appropriate lawful basis and provide a suitable, more secure process.
If sensitive information is sent to us unexpectedly, we will assess whether it is necessary and lawful to keep it. Where it is not, we will restrict access and delete or remove it as appropriate.
4. Where we obtain personal information
• Directly from you when you complete a contact form, email us, call us, meet us or discuss a research project.
• Automatically through relevant website security logs, technical operations and permitted cookies or analytics.
• From your employer, client organisation, a professional referral or another organisation involved in a relevant business enquiry.
• From appropriate publicly available professional sources where this is relevant, proportionate and lawful.
Where personal information is obtained from another source, we will provide any additional privacy information required by law within the applicable time limits, unless a lawful exception applies.
5. How and why we use your information
• To provide, administer, secure and improve our website and respond to technical issues or suspected misuse.
• To answer enquiries, arrange calls, discuss your requirements and prepare a quotation or proposal.
• To assess, plan and deliver research-recruitment or related professional services requested by a client.
• To manage business communications, contracts, project administration, invoicing and payments.
• To maintain appropriate professional contact and send business updates only where permitted by law and your preferences.
• To keep necessary financial, accounting, tax and regulatory records.
• To respond to privacy requests, investigate complaints, resolve disputes and establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
• To review website usage or preferences where the relevant cookie or similar-technology rules have been satisfied.
We use personal information only for compatible, clearly explained business purposes. We do not sell personal information or treat a business enquiry as permission to add you automatically to a promotional mailing list.
6. Our lawful bases for using personal information
6.1. Legitimate interests
We may rely on legitimate interests under Article 6(1)(f) of the UK GDPR where processing is necessary and proportionate to operate our business, respond to an enquiry, manage contact with representatives of a business client, secure our website, prevent misuse or deal with a potential legal claim. We consider the impact on individuals and do not rely on this basis where their rights and interests override our legitimate interests.
6.2. Contract
Where a contract is with you personally, or you personally ask us to take steps before entering into a contract, we may rely on Article 6(1)(b) for information that is genuinely necessary for that purpose. If you are a contact representing a separate company or organisation, we will normally rely on legitimate interests or another appropriate basis rather than assuming that the company's contract is a contract with you personally.
6.3. Legal obligation
We may rely on Article 6(1)(c) where processing is necessary to comply with applicable tax, accounting, regulatory, court or other legal requirements.
6.4. Consent
We rely on consent where it is required, including for optional marketing communications or non-exempt cookies and similar technologies. You can withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
If providing certain information is necessary to answer your enquiry, prepare a proposal or perform a requested service, we will explain this where appropriate. If you choose not to provide it, we may be unable to respond fully or provide that service.
7. Website contact forms and client enquiries
Our website may include a contact form supplied through Squarespace. Information submitted through that form is processed using the form settings and storage destinations configured for our website. Depending on those settings, an enquiry may be delivered to an authorised Bakerwood business email address and stored within the website platform or other authorised business systems.
We use enquiry information to respond to you, assess your requirements, keep a reasonable record of our conversation and manage any resulting business relationship. We ask only for information reasonably relevant to the enquiry and limit access to people who need it for those purposes.
Submitting an enquiry does not automatically register you as a research participant, sign you up for promotional messages or give permission for unrelated use of your details.
8. Cookies, analytics and similar technologies
Cookies are small pieces of information stored on a device when you visit a website. Similar technologies may include local storage, tags, pixels and identifiers. Our use depends on the Squarespace features, optional integrations and website settings actually enabled at the time of your visit.
8.1. Strictly necessary technologies
Technologies that are genuinely essential to provide a service you request, protect the website, maintain a session or remember your privacy choices may operate without optional cookie consent where the relevant legal exception applies.
8.2. Statistics and appearance settings
UK law allows narrow exceptions for certain technologies used solely to collect website-use statistics for service improvement or to adapt a service's appearance or functionality to a visitor's preferences. We will rely on an exception only where all relevant legal conditions are met, clear information is provided and you have a simple, free way to object. Technologies that fall outside those conditions will not be used without the consent required by law.
8.3. Optional anaLytics, advertising and third-party content
If we introduce non-exempt analytics, advertising technologies, social-media trackers, embedded external content or other optional cookies, these will be activated only after valid consent where consent is required. We will not treat pre-ticked boxes, silence or continued browsing as consent.
8.4. Your cookie choices
Where a cookie banner or preference centre is needed, you will be able to reject non-essential technologies as easily as accepting them and to change or withdraw your choices without unnecessary difficulty. You may also use relevant browser settings or contact us to ask how to object to qualifying statistical or appearance technologies. Our Cookie Policy or cookie-preference notice should identify the technologies actually in use, their purposes, providers and applicable storage periods.
9. Business marketing and communication preferences
We may communicate with professional business contacts about services relevant to an existing or prospective business relationship where we have an appropriate lawful basis and the applicable direct-marketing and electronic-communications rules allow it. Where opt-in consent is required, we will obtain it before sending the relevant marketing communication.
The rules can differ between incorporated businesses and individual subscribers, including sole traders and some partnerships. We will identify ourselves and provide a clear way to unsubscribe or object. You can also opt out by emailing natalie@bakerwoodresearch.com.
If you opt out, we may retain the minimum information necessary to maintain a suppression record and avoid contacting you again inappropriately. Research participant details will not be repurposed for unrelated promotional marketing.
10. Who we may share personal information with
Where necessary and appropriate, personal information may be available to the following recipients:
• Website and hosting providers: Squarespace and relevant website-support or security providers.
• Business technology providers: Microsoft 365, Microsoft Forms and other authorised communications, storage or project-administration providers where actually used.
• Professional advisers: accountants, legal advisers, insurers or other advisers who need information for a legitimate professional purpose.
• Project and service partners: authorised subcontractors or suppliers involved in delivering an agreed client project, subject to appropriate confidentiality and data protection arrangements.
• Financial or payment providers: banks, invoicing or payment-service providers where required for an agreed business transaction.
• Authorities and legal recipients: regulators, courts, law-enforcement bodies or other recipients where disclosure is legally required or justified.
We share only the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose and seek appropriate contractual, technical and confidentiality protections. We do not sell personal information. If our business is reorganised or transferred, relevant information may be disclosed where lawful and subject to appropriate safeguards.
11. International transfers
Some website, cloud, email or support providers may process or access information outside the United Kingdom. The location of processing depends on the services used, contractual arrangements, account settings and support requirements. We do not assume that information is always stored only in the UK.
Where a restricted international transfer occurs, we will use an applicable adequacy decision, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to suitable standard contractual clauses or another lawful transfer safeguard, as appropriate. You can ask us for information about the safeguards relevant to a particular transfer, subject to confidentiality and security limitations.
12. How long we keep information
We keep personal information only for as long as it is needed for its purpose, taking account of legal, accounting, security and contractual requirements.
• Website or client enquiries that do not progress: normally up to 12 months after our last meaningful communication, unless there is a justified reason to delete sooner or retain a limited record for longer.
• Active client and project records: for the duration of the business relationship and as long as reasonably needed to administer the project, meet contractual commitments or deal with follow-up matters.
• Contracts, invoices, tax and accounting records: for the applicable statutory, tax or limitation period. Depending on business structure and the type of record, this may extend beyond 12 months and can be approximately five or six years, or longer where legally required.
• Research-participant information: in accordance with our separate Participant Privacy Notice, which sets out our 12-month participant retention period and any justified exceptions, such as necessary payment, complaint or legal records.
• Cookie information and technical records: for the period relevant to the technology, security purpose or cookie choice, as explained in the applicable cookie information.
• Marketing opt-out records: as long as a minimal suppression record is necessary to honour your preferences and avoid sending unwanted communications.
• Complaints, disputes and security incidents: for as long as reasonably necessary to investigate, resolve, document or meet relevant legal obligations.
When information is no longer needed, we aim to delete it, anonymise it or securely restrict it pending deletion. Residual copies may remain temporarily in secure backups until they are overwritten or deleted through the normal backup cycle.
13. How we protect personal information
We use appropriate organisational and technical measures, taking account of the nature of the information and the risks involved. Depending on the relevant system, these measures can include restricted access, secure business accounts, multifactor authentication where available, encrypted connections, confidentiality obligations, suitable supplier arrangements, security updates and controlled retention or deletion.
No internet transmission or information system can be guaranteed completely secure. Please avoid sending sensitive information through a general enquiry form and ask us about an appropriate secure method if sensitive business information genuinely needs to be exchanged.
14. Your data protection rights
Subject to applicable conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:
• request access to personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to erase information where there is a valid basis for doing so;
• request restriction of certain processing;
• receive relevant information in a portable format where the right to data portability applies;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing;
• withdraw consent at any time where processing depends on consent;
• ask questions about any solely automated decision with legal or similarly significant effects; and
• complain to us or to the Information Commissioner's Office.
Your right to object
You can object at any time to the use of your personal information for direct marketing, and we will stop that marketing. You can also object to processing based on our legitimate interests. We will stop unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing is necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
To exercise a right, email natalie@bakerwoodresearch.com. We normally respond to a valid data protection rights request within one calendar month. We may ask for reasonable identity verification or clarification and, where the law permits, extend the response time for a complex or multiple request. We will explain any applicable extension.
15. Automated decision-making
We do not make decisions about website visitors or client enquirers based solely on automated processing where those decisions have legal or similarly significant effects. Website security controls, spam prevention or aggregated usage tools may operate automatically as part of normal website administration. Any separate research-participant matching or screening is explained in the relevant participant or study-specific notice.
16. Children
Our website's business-enquiry services and general participant registration panel are intended for adults aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly invite children to submit personal information through our general participant registration process. If you believe a child has provided information inappropriately, please contact us so that we can investigate and take suitable action.
17. External links and Microsoft Forms registration
Our website may link to external websites or services. Those services may have their own privacy information, cookies and security arrangements. Please review the relevant information before providing personal details.
Our research participant registration form is hosted using Microsoft Forms. If you choose to register, the separate Participant Privacy Notice explains the participant information collected, your permissions, research invitations, retention and how to leave the panel.
Participant registration: Join the Bakerwood participant panel
18. Privacy concerns and complaints
If you are concerned about how we have handled personal information, please contact us first so that we can investigate. You can make a data protection complaint by emailing natalie@bakerwoodresearch.com or writing to 3 Plymouth Drive, Bramhall, SK7 2JB.
We will acknowledge a data protection complaint within 30 days of receiving it. We will take appropriate steps to investigate, keep you informed where appropriate and communicate the outcome without undue delay. This complaint-acknowledgement period is separate from the normal one-calendar-month timeframe for responding to a data protection rights request.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK's data protection regulator.
ICO complaints: Make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office
19. Changes to this privacy notice
We may update this notice if our website, business processes, technology providers or legal obligations change. The latest version will show its last-updated date. Where a change materially affects how personal information is used, we will take appropriate steps to bring it to your attention.
20. Contact Bakerwood Research Services
Privacy enquiries, rights requests and complaints
Bakerwood Research Services
3 Plymouth Drive, Bramhall, SK7 2JB
natalie@bakerwoodresearch.com
Last updated: 24 August 2026.