Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

1.1 This Privacy Policy explains how 4A Trades (a trading name of 4A Ventures Limited, “4A Trades”, “we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, stores and protects personal data when you interact with our website, our services and our team.

1.2 We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (“UK GDPR”) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1.3 This policy applies to personal data we receive from: visitors to our website; customers who order workers or request quotes; contractors and sub-contractors registering for our Strategic Partnership or labour network; members of the public submitting enquiries via our forms, by email or by phone.

2. Who We Are

2.1 4A Trades is a trading name of 4A Ventures Limited, registered in England and Wales. Our principal contact details are:

• Telephone: 0330 133 7901
• Email: Sales@4ATrades.co.uk
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm

2.2 For the purposes of UK data protection law, 4A Ventures Limited acts as the Data Controller in respect of the personal data it collects and processes.

3. What Personal Data We Collect

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

3.1.1 Contact and Identity Data

• Full name and trading name;
• Telephone number and email address;
• Business or site address, postcode and location data;
• Job title, company name and role where relevant.

3.1.2 Service and Enquiry Data

• Details of the work you are ordering, the trades you require, project timescales and worker numbers;
• Information you provide about your business, trade, qualifications and territory when applying for a Strategic Partnership;
• Correspondence, enquiries and the content of any messages you send us.

3.1.3 Payment and Commercial Data

• Billing address and VAT details;
• Bank account details where required to process payments or pay contractors;
• Invoice history, turnover declarations (for Partners) and transaction records.

3.1.4 Technical and Usage Data

• IP address, browser type, device information and operating system;
• Pages visited, referring URL, time spent and interactions with our website;
• Cookie identifiers and similar tracking data (see Section 9).

3.2 We do not knowingly collect special category data (such as health information, racial or ethnic origin, or trade union membership) unless it is strictly necessary and you have given explicit consent.

4. How We Collect Your Data

4.1 We collect personal data in the following ways:

• Directly from you when you fill out a form on our website, submit an order, request a quote, apply for a partnership, email us, call us or otherwise correspond with us;
• Automatically when you use our website, through cookies, server logs and analytics tools;
• From third parties such as referring contractors, lead generation partners, publicly available business directories, Companies House, credit reference agencies (where relevant), and platforms we advertise on.

5. Why We Process Your Data (Lawful Basis)

5.1 We will only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so under UK GDPR. The principal lawful bases we rely on are:

5.1.1 Contract Performance. To take steps at your request before entering a contract, and to perform our obligations once a contract is in place, including: processing your order for workers; managing your Strategic Partnership; invoicing, payment handling and commission reconciliation.

5.1.2 Legitimate Interests. To run, promote and develop our business in a way that is proportionate and respectful of your rights, including: responding to enquiries submitted through our website; preventing fraud and abuse of our services; measuring the effectiveness of our marketing; recovering unpaid commission or invoices.

5.1.3 Legal Obligation. To comply with applicable laws, including tax, accounting, anti-money laundering, health & safety, employment law and court orders.

5.1.4 Consent. Where required, such as for certain types of direct marketing, optional analytics cookies or newsletter sign-ups. You can withdraw consent at any time.

6. How We Use Your Data

6.1 We may use your personal data to:

• Deliver labour, workers and trade services you have ordered, including arranging site attendance and processing related paperwork;
• Administer and operate the Strategic Partnership programme, including lead generation, SEO listings, tender support, pricing assistance, RAMS provision and business mentoring;
• Respond to enquiries, provide quotes and maintain client records;
• Issue invoices, collect commission, process payments and handle financial administration;
• Send operational communications (such as booking confirmations, certificates and status updates);
• Send relevant marketing communications where we have a lawful basis to do so, with an option to unsubscribe in every message;
• Maintain and improve our website, diagnose technical issues and protect against fraud and abuse;
• Meet our statutory obligations, including HMRC reporting and anti-money laundering checks.

7. Who We Share Your Data With

7.1 We do not sell your personal data. We may share your personal data with the following categories of recipient, strictly where necessary and under appropriate contractual safeguards:

• Contractors and workers engaged to fulfil an order or deliver a service to you;
• Strategic Partners within their Exclusive Territory, where we introduce qualifying work or leads;
• Professional advisers such as accountants, solicitors, insurers and auditors;
• Technology suppliers who host our website, process form submissions, operate our CRM, process payments, or deliver email services;
• Regulators and public authorities where disclosure is required by law;
• Successors in title in the event of a sale, merger, restructure or assignment of the 4A Trades business.

7.2 Where personal data is transferred to a third party, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including data processing agreements and, where applicable, International Data Transfer Agreements.

8. How Long We Keep Your Data

8.1 We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting or reporting requirements.

8.2 As a general rule:

• Enquiry and quote data: retained for up to 24 months from last contact;
• Customer and contractor records: retained for the duration of the relationship plus 6 years thereafter, in line with statutory accounting requirements;
• Financial and tax records: retained for a minimum of 6 years as required by HMRC;
• Website analytics and technical logs: retained for up to 26 months;
• Marketing consents and unsubscribe records: retained for as long as is necessary to evidence compliance.

8.3 When personal data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised.

9. Cookies and Tracking

9.1 Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to operate the site, remember your preferences, measure performance and support marketing. Cookies may be set by us (first-party) or by third-party services we use (for example, analytics and advertising platforms).

9.2 The categories of cookie we may use are:

• Strictly necessary cookies, which are required for the website to function and cannot be switched off;
• Performance and analytics cookies, which help us understand how visitors use our site so we can improve it;
• Marketing cookies, which may be used to show you relevant advertising on this and other websites.

9.3 You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Blocking all cookies may mean parts of the site do not function correctly.

10. Your Rights

10.1 Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in respect of your personal data:

• Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
• Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Right to erasure: to ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances;
• Right to restriction: to ask us to restrict processing in certain circumstances;
• Right to data portability: to request transfer of your data to another controller where applicable;
• Right to object: including the right to object to direct marketing at any time;
• Rights in relation to automated decision-making: we do not currently use automated decision-making that produces legal effects concerning you.

10.2 To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 12. We will respond within one month of receipt, as required by UK GDPR.

10.3 There is no fee for exercising your rights, unless your request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, in which case we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse the request.

11. Data Security

11.1 We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration or disclosure. These measures include access controls, encryption in transit, secure hosting and staff confidentiality obligations.

11.2 In the unlikely event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, we will notify the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) within 72 hours and, where required, the affected individuals.

12. Contacting Us and the ICO

12.1 If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact us:

• By email: Sales@4ATrades.co.uk
• By phone: 0330 133 7901

12.2 You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe we have not handled your personal data in accordance with the law. The ICO can be contacted at:

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Helpline: 0303 123 1113
• Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

12.3 We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns before you approach the ICO, and encourage you to contact us first.

13. Changes to This Policy

13.1 We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, in technology, in legal requirements or for other operational reasons. The Version Date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.

13.2 Where changes are material, we will take reasonable steps to bring them to your attention, including updating this page and, where appropriate, notifying you directly.