1. Who we are
TOPDEVS SOLUTIONS LTD ("TopDevs", "we", "us", "our") is a private limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 15016255, with its registered address at 20 Wenlock Road, London, England, N1 7GU.
This Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal data when you visit https://topdevssolutions.co.uk (the "Website"), contact us, become our client, or apply to work with us. It covers what we collect, why we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and the rights you have.
For personal data covered by this Policy, TopDevs is the data controller under the UK General Data Protection Regulation ("UK GDPR") and the Data Protection Act 2018. Where we process personal data on a client's behalf as part of a software or AI project, we act as a processor, and the terms of that processing are set out in our contract with the client rather than in this Policy.
You do not need to give us any personal data to browse the Website. We collect personal data only when you choose to provide it or, for non-essential cookies, when you consent.
ICO registration number: [to be added].
2. Personal data we collect
We collect only the data we need for the purposes in section 3.
| Category | Examples | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Contact and enquiry data | Name, work email, company, job title, phone number, project description, estimated budget, the service you are interested in | You, via the contact form, email, calls or meetings |
| Client and contract data | Contact details of client representatives, billing details, correspondence, signed agreements and NDAs | You or your organisation |
| Candidate data | CV, employment history, skills, portfolio links, interview notes | You, recruitment platforms, referees you name |
| Technical and usage data | IP address, browser and device type, pages visited, referring page, date and time of visit, approximate location | Your device, via cookies and analytics tools (with consent where required) |
| Marketing preferences | Whether you agreed to receive updates, and your unsubscribe requests | You |
We do not intentionally collect special category data (such as health, ethnicity or religious beliefs) or criminal offence data. Please do not include such data in enquiries or CVs.
If you share personal data about other people (for example, colleagues named in a project brief), please make sure they are aware of this Policy.
We may combine usage data into aggregated statistics that do not identify anyone.
3. How we use personal data and our lawful bases
Each use of personal data relies on a lawful basis under Article 6 UK GDPR.
| Purpose | Lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Replying to enquiries, holding consultations, preparing estimates and proposals | Steps at your request before entering a contract; legitimate interests in responding to business enquiries |
| Delivering services, managing projects, invoicing and client support | Performance of a contract; legitimate interests where the contract is with your employer |
| Assessing job and contractor applications | Steps before entering a contract; legitimate interests in recruiting |
| Sending news and updates about our services | Consent, or for existing business contacts, legitimate interests under the soft opt-in rules of PECR |
| Website analytics and improvement | Consent (for non-essential cookies) |
| Keeping the Website and our systems secure, preventing fraud | Legitimate interests |
| Keeping accounting and tax records, responding to authorities | Legal obligation |
| Establishing, exercising or defending legal claims | Legitimate interests |
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have balanced them against your rights and expectations. You can ask us for details of that assessment.
Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time, for example by using the unsubscribe link in any email. Withdrawal does not affect processing that took place before it.
We do not make decisions about you based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that have legal or similarly significant effects.
4. Cookies and similar technologies
We use strictly necessary cookies to run the Website, and analytics or marketing cookies only with your consent, in line with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR).
Cookies are small files a website stores on your device so it can remember information between visits. We use:
- Strictly necessary cookies — needed for the Website to work and to remember your cookie choices. These do not require consent.
- Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors use the Website, for example which pages are viewed most. Set only if you accept them.
- Marketing cookies — may be set by third-party tools such as social media plugins. Set only if you accept them.
You can change your choices at any time through the cookie settings link on the Website or in your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect how the Website works. The full list of cookies we use is in our Cookie Policy: [link to be added].
The ICO's guidance at ico.org.uk explains how cookies work and how to manage them.
5. Who we share personal data with
We do not sell personal data. We share it only in these cases:
- Service providers acting on our instructions, such as hosting, email, CRM, analytics, video-call, accounting and recruitment tools. They are bound by contracts requiring them to protect the data and use it only for our purposes.
- Engineers and contractors working on your project, under confidentiality obligations and only to the extent they need.
- Professional advisers such as lawyers, accountants and auditors.
- Authorities, courts and regulators where the law requires it, or to protect our rights, property or safety and those of others.
- A buyer or successor if our business, or part of it, is sold, merged or restructured. We will tell you before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
- Anyone else with your consent.
The Website may link to third-party sites and social networks such as LinkedIn. Their privacy practices are their own, so please read their policies.
International transfers
Some of our service providers and team members may be located outside the UK. When personal data is transferred outside the UK, we make sure it is protected by one of these safeguards:
- the destination is covered by UK adequacy regulations;
- the International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses is in place; or
- another safeguard permitted under Articles 46–49 UK GDPR applies.
You can contact us for a copy of the relevant safeguards.
6. How long we keep personal data
We keep personal data only as long as the purpose requires, then delete or anonymise it. Indicative periods:
| Data | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Enquiries that do not lead to a contract | Up to 2 years after our last contact |
| Client contracts, invoices and accounting records | 6 years after the end of the financial year they relate to (Companies Act 2006, HMRC requirements) |
| Candidate data | Up to 12 months after the recruitment decision, or longer with your consent |
| Marketing contacts | Until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent |
| Analytics data | As set in the analytics tool, typically up to 14 months |
We may keep data longer where needed to resolve a dispute or defend a legal claim, for the relevant limitation period.
7. How we protect personal data
We use technical and organisational measures appropriate to the risk, including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), access controls and multi-factor authentication, role-based access on a need-to-know basis, confidentiality obligations for staff and contractors, and regular review of our tools and suppliers.
No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. Please avoid sending sensitive information, such as passwords or payment card details, by email.
If a personal data breach is likely to result in a risk to your rights, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours, and you directly where the risk is high.
8. Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to:
- be informed about how we use your personal data, which this Policy does;
- access your personal data and receive a copy;
- rectification of data that is inaccurate or incomplete;
- erasure of your data where there is no good reason for us to keep it;
- restrict our processing in certain circumstances;
- data portability, receiving data you gave us in a structured, machine-readable format;
- object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing at any time;
- withdraw consent where we rely on it;
- not be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing with legal or similarly significant effects.
To exercise a right, email us at the address in section 11. We may ask you to confirm your identity first. We respond within one month, which may be extended by two further months for complex or numerous requests; we will tell you if so. Requests are usually free of charge.
Some rights have limits. For example, we may need to keep invoices for tax purposes even if you ask us to delete them.
9. Children
Our Website and services are intended for businesses and are not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect their data. If you believe a child has given us personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.
10. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Policy to reflect changes in our services or the law. The date at the top shows the latest version. If changes are significant, we will place a notice on the Website or, where appropriate, tell you by email.
11. Contact us and complaints
For any question about this Policy or your personal data, contact:
TOPDEVS SOLUTIONS LTD\ 20 Wenlock Road, London, England, N1 7GU\ Email: contacts@topdevssolutions.co.uk