Respondent Privacy Notice

In summary 

We use your personal information to carry out research on behalf of our clients. Your responses are usually combined with others and reported in a way that does not identify you. Where identifiable information (such as quotes, audio or video) may be used, we will make this clear before you take part. Taking part is voluntary, and you can withdraw at any time. We take steps to keep your data secure and only keep it for as long as necessary. 

Verve Partners Ltd and its affiliates (“Verve”) are committed to protecting your personal information. This notice explains what data we collect about you, how we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and your rights under UK data protection law including the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and, where applicable, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA). 


This notice applies when you take part in research carried out by Verve on behalf of our clients. 


For each research project, we may provide additional information about how your data will be used, including details about observation, recordings, or specific uses of your responses. This will be shared with you before you take part. 

Who is responsible for your personal information 

For most research projects: 

  • Our client is the data controller. They decide why and how your personal data is collected and used. 

  • Verve is the data processor. We carry out the research on the client’s instructions. 

You will receive the controller and processor details as part of the information provided when you decide whether to take part. 

In simple terms, this means the client decides how your personal data is used, and we carry out the research on their behalf. If you have questions about how your data is used, you can contact either us or the client. 

What personal data we collect 

We may collect: 

  • contact details (name, email, phone number) 

  • demographic details (age, gender, region) 

  • your views, comments and responses in interviews, groups, workshops or surveys 

  • audio or video recordings (where relevant and where you have been informed) 

  • data provided by trusted suppliers such as panel providers, recruiters or survey hosts 

If we need to collect special category personal data (for example health, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious beliefs or past criminal conviction information), we will explain this clearly in the project-specific notice. 

In most cases, your responses will be combined with those of other participants and reported in a way that does not identify you. If there are any exceptions (for example, use of video clips, audio recordings or direct quotes), we will make this clear before you take part. 

Where we get your personal data 

We may obtain data: 

  • directly from you, and 

  • indirectly from trusted third-party suppliers such as panel providers or recruitment partners who have obtained consent or another lawful basis to share your details. 

Where data is received from third parties, we will tell you the categories of data provided, the source, and whether it came from publicly available sources. 


Why we use your personal information and our lawful basis 

We use your personal information to carry out research on behalf of our clients. This may include testing new product ideas, understanding consumer behaviour, measuring brand awareness and similar research activities. 

Our lawful bases may include: 

  • Consent – for participation in research activities and, where required, for processing special category data 

  • Legitimate interests of our client – to understand opinions, behaviours and experiences 

  • Public task – where the client is a public authority commissioning research 


For special category personal data, we may rely on: 

  • Your explicit consent, or 

  • Research conditions under Article 9(2)(j) and Schedule 1 DPA 2018, with safeguards in place 

The project-specific notice will confirm which lawful bases apply. 

We do not use your personal data to make decisions about you as an individual. 

Who we share your personal information with 

We may share your personal data with: 

  • employees of Verve who are conducting the research 

  • clients commissioning the research (usually in anonymised form unless you have agreed otherwise) 

  • trusted suppliers supporting fieldwork and analysis, such as: 

  • panel providers 

  • recruitment agencies

  • survey platforms 

  • transcription services 

  • viewing facility hosts 

  • incentive or reward fulfilment providers 

  • support services (such as helpdesk platforms) 


In some projects, clients may observe research sessions live or access recordings or transcripts. Where this applies, we will clearly inform you before you take part and explain who will have access. 

We only share what is necessary, and all third parties must follow data protection law and protect your information. 

International transfers 

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

  • a UK adequacy regulation 

  • the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) 

  • the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses 

This means your personal data may be processed in other countries, but we ensure it is protected to standards equivalent to those in the UK.  


How long we keep your personal information 

We keep identifiable personal data only for as long as needed to complete the research. 

Typical retention periods include: 

  • identifiable data during fieldwork – up to 12 months after the project ends 

  • audio or video recordings – up to 12–24 months where they cannot be fully anonymised 

  • anonymised data – may be kept for longer as it no longer identifies you 

How we protect your personal information

To comply with the UK GDPR and DPA 2018, we have

  • policies and procedures guiding safe handling of data 

  • mandatory staff training 

  • technical and organisational security measures 

  • contracts with suppliers requiring appropriate safeguards 

We also comply with the DPA 2018 research safeguards to ensure research does not cause damage or distress and is not used to make decisions about individuals. 


Your rights 

Depending on the project, you may have the right to:

  • access your personal data 

  • correct inaccurate information 

  • erase your data 

  • object to or restrict processing

  • move your data (portability) 

  • withdraw consent at any time (where consent is the lawful basis) 

  • If you withdraw from a study, we will stop using your identifiable personal data where possible. However, we may not be able to remove information that has already been anonymised or included in research outputs. 


Some rights may be limited where applying them would seriously impair research outcomes or where data has already been anonymised. If a right cannot be met, we will explain why within one month. 

  • For example, if your data has already been anonymised and can no longer be linked to you, we may not be able to identify or delete it. 


You can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): 

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF 
ico.org.uk  

Contact us 

If you have questions or want to exercise your rights, please contact: 

Name: Data Protection Officer 
Email: grc@vervevero.com  
Address: Verve Partners Ltd, Work.Life Bermondsey, 5-7 Tanner Street, London, England, SE1 3LE