Our Privacy Policy | Creathlon Website

Effective Date: 13.07.2026

Updated: 13.07.2026

Creathlon Limited

Company No. 15453647 (Registered in England & Wales)

Registered Office: First Floor, 3 Cumbrian House, 217 Marsh Wall, London, England, E14 9FJ

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Registration Ref: ZB945497

1. Purpose of This Policy

This Privacy & Data Protection Policy explains how Creathlon Limited ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, stores, shares and protects your personal data when register for, participate in or otherwise interact with Creathlon competitions, services or activities.

We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and any other applicable data protection legislation.

Our aim is to collect and process only the personal data reasonably necessary to administer our competitions, operate our platform, comply with our legal obligations and provide our services. Additional information may be requested where reasonably necessary for specific stages of a competition, including eligibility verification, validation, publication, prize administration, legal compliance or the protection of the integrity of a competition.

Different competitions may involve different processing activities depending on the relevant Competition Brief and Terms & Conditions. Where a competition provides for the publication of Entries, exhibitions, open-access repositories, Creative Commons licensing, research initiatives, artificial intelligence programmes or collaboration with Competition Partners, Sponsors or Affiliates, personal data may be processed for those purposes as described in the applicable Competition Brief, Terms & Conditions and this Privacy Policy.

Creathlon Limited is incorporated in England and Wales and operates from the United Kingdom. While our competitions may be open to international participants, participation is voluntary and initiated by the Participant. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, the relationship between Participants and Creathlon is governed by the laws of England and Wales.

By using our website or participating in a Creathlon competition, you acknowledge that your personal data will be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and the applicable legal bases described herein.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We collect personal data that you voluntarily provide when registering for, participating in or communicating with us in connection with a Creathlon competition or other activity.

Depending on the nature of the Competition or service, we may collect:

• Full name;

• Email address;

• Country and/or city of residence;

• Address and card details (anonymised as necessary) provided for payment

• Organisation, employer, university, studio or other affiliation (where voluntarily provided);

• Any other information you choose to provide during Registration or in communications with us.

Where you participate as part of a Team, we collect the names and registration details of all Team Members and the designated Team Leader. These details are used for Competition administration, communications, eligibility verification, authorship attribution and Prize administration where applicable.

Upon Registration, our platform may generate and store unique identifiers associated with your participation, including:

• TEAMID (assigned to an Entry or Team);

• timestamps; and

• any other identifiers reasonably required for the administration and operation of the Competition.

These identifiers are used for Competition management, anonymous evaluation where required, validation and platform administration. While these identifiers do not generally identify you on their own, they may be linked to your Registration information for administrative purposes.

Where reasonably necessary, particularly during validation, shortlisting or Prize administration, we may request additional information, including:

• proof of identity;

• date of birth;

• proof of residence;

• banking or payment information;

• tax information where required by applicable law;

• confirmation of Team composition;

• confirmation of employment or organisational affiliation where reasonably necessary to identify potential conflicts of interest;

• mugshots or photographs for interview/blog posts publishing;

• documentation demonstrating ownership, authorship, licences, permissions or other rights relating to Submission materials; and

• any other information reasonably necessary to verify eligibility, administer the Competition or comply with legal or regulatory obligations.

Providing additional information requested for validation or interviews/blog posts is voluntary. However, where such information is reasonably required to verify eligibility, administer a Prize, comply with legal obligations or operate the Competition, failure to provide the requested information may prevent us from continuing your participation, validating your Entry or awarding a Prize.

Where provided for in the relevant Competition Brief and Terms & Conditions, we may publish certain personal information in connection with Competition outcomes. This may include the names of Participants, Team Leaders and Team Members, organisational affiliations voluntarily provided during Registration, country or region of residence, project titles, Submission materials and copyright attribution. Where Submission materials are published under a Creative Commons licence or similar publication framework, author names may form part of the published copyright notice or attribution in accordance with the applicable licence and the Competition Terms & Conditions.

We also collect certain technical information automatically when you use our website, including device information, browser information, IP address, cookies, website logs and analytics data. This information is used to operate, maintain, improve and secure our platform. Further information is available in our Cookies Policy.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data directly from you and, in limited circumstances, from third parties where reasonably necessary for the administration and operation of our competitions and services.

We may collect your personal data in the following ways:

• when you register for a Competition or create an account on our Platform;

• when you submit an Entry or other Competition materials;

• when you communicate with us by email or through other official communication channels;

• when you subscribe to newsletters, updates or other communications;

• when you respond to surveys, questionnaires or feedback requests;

• when you provide additional information during validation, verification, Prize administration or other Competition processes;

• when you participate in exhibitions, interviews, promotional activities or other Competition-related events;

• through cookies, website analytics, server logs and similar technologies when you use our Platform; and

• from third parties where reasonably necessary to verify eligibility, identity, payment information, sanctions compliance, legal compliance or other matters relating to the administration of a Competition.

Where you participate as part of a Team, certain personal data relating to you may be provided by the designated Team Leader during Registration or throughout the administration of the Competition. By participating as a Team Member, you acknowledge that the Team Leader is authorised to provide information relating to the Team in accordance with the Competition Terms & Conditions.

We may also receive personal data from Competition Partners, Sponsors, Affiliates, payment providers, professional advisers, service providers or other organisations where reasonably necessary for the administration, operation, promotion, validation or legal compliance of a Competition.

Where we receive personal data from third parties, we will process that information only where we have an appropriate legal basis for doing so under applicable data protection legislation.

For more information about cookies and tracking tools, please refer to our Cookies Policy.

4. Why We Process Your Data

We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so under applicable data protection legislation. Depending on the purpose of processing, this may include the performance of a contract, compliance with legal obligations, our legitimate interests, or your consent where required.

We may process your personal data for the following purposes:

• administering Competition registrations, Entries and Submissions;

• communicating with Participants throughout the Competition;

• verifying identity, eligibility, Team composition, authorship, ownership and compliance with the Competition Terms & Conditions;

• managing the evaluation, validation, moderation and administration of Competitions;

• sharing Submission materials with Jury Members, Assessors and authorised reviewers, anonymously where required by the Competition Brief;

• publishing Competition Results, selected Entries, author attribution and other Competition outcomes where provided for in the relevant Competition Brief and Terms & Conditions;

• administering Prizes, payments, financial verification and taxation requirements where applicable;

• operating exhibitions, publications, archives, open-access repositories, educational resources and other Competition-related activities;

• collaborating with Competition Partners, Sponsors, Affiliates and shareholder or group companies where reasonably necessary for the administration, promotion or operation of a Competition;

• carrying out Competition-specific initiatives, including research, technology development or other activities described in the relevant Competition Brief and Terms & Conditions;

• conducting and publishing interviews, blog posts on our Platform and social media channels;

• preventing fraud, misrepresentation, breaches of contract, security incidents and other unlawful or inappropriate activities;

• complying with legal, regulatory, accounting, auditing, insurance, sanctions and other compliance obligations;

• improving our website, Platform, competitions and services through analytics, testing and user feedback; and

• sending marketing communications about future competitions, events or services where you have provided your consent or where otherwise permitted by law.

We will only process personal data for purposes that are compatible with those described in this Privacy Policy or where we are otherwise permitted or required to do so by applicable law.

Where a Competition involves publication of Entries, Creative Commons licensing, open-access publication, exhibitions, research programmes or similar initiatives, personal data will only be processed for those purposes where provided for in the relevant Competition Brief and Terms & Conditions.

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal data.

We may share your personal data only where reasonably necessary for the administration, operation, promotion and legal compliance of our Competitions and services, or where required or permitted by applicable law.

Your personal data may be shared with the following categories of recipients:

• Jury Members and Assessors

Submission materials may be shared with Jury Members, Assessors and authorised reviewers for the purposes of evaluation, moderation and validation. Where anonymous judging is required by the Competition Brief, identifying information will be removed before Submission materials are provided.

• Competition Partners, Sponsors, Affiliates and Group Companies

Where reasonably necessary, personal data may be shared with Competition Partners, Sponsors, Affiliates, research partners, exhibition partners, educational institutions, publication partners, technology partners, shareholder companies and companies under common ownership or control with Creathlon Limited for purposes including:

• administration of Competitions;

• validation and verification;

• Prize administration;

• publication and promotion;

• exhibitions and events;

• educational initiatives;

• research and development;

• Competition-specific programmes;

• platform development; and

• other activities described in the relevant Competition Brief and Terms & Conditions.

Recipients will only receive the information reasonably necessary for those purposes.

• Service Providers

We use trusted third-party service providers to support the operation of our Platform and Competitions.

These providers may include organisations providing:

• website and Platform hosting;

• cloud infrastructure and secure storage;

• payment processing;

• banking services;

• email and communication services;

• analytics and website monitoring;

• cybersecurity;

• document management;

• customer support;

• legal, financial and accounting services; and

• other professional or technical services reasonably necessary to operate our business.

Examples of current providers include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Vercel, Microsoft 365, Resend, Stripe, PayPal, Revolut and similar providers. These providers process personal data only on our behalf or as otherwise permitted by applicable law.

• Regulatory Authorities and Professional Advisers

Where required or permitted by law, we may disclose personal data to courts, regulators, governmental authorities, law enforcement agencies, insurers, auditors, legal advisers, accountants and other professional advisers for legal, regulatory, compliance or dispute resolution purposes.

• The Public

Where provided for in the relevant Competition Brief and Terms & Conditions, selected Entries may be published through the Creathlon Platform, websites, exhibitions, publications, open-access repositories, educational resources, promotional materials, social media or other media.

Depending on the Competition, published information may include:

• project title;

• Submission materials;

• names of the Team Leader and Team Members identified during Registration;

• organisational or institutional affiliations voluntarily provided during Registration or at Validation;

• country or region of residence where appropriate;

• copyright notices;

• Creative Commons licence information; and

• other information reasonably necessary to identify authorship, explain the Competition or comply with applicable licensing requirements.

For certain Competitions, such as those that promote open-access publication, Submission materials may be released under a Creative Commons licence or other open licence specified in the Competition Brief and Terms & Conditions. In such cases, the names of the Team Leader and Team Members identified during Registration may be published as part of the copyright attribution accompanying the Submission materials. This publication is undertaken to identify authorship, provide appropriate credit and comply with the applicable licence requirements.

Once Submission materials have been lawfully published, including under an open licence, they may be copied, shared, archived, referenced or redistributed by third parties in accordance with the applicable licence. While we will take reasonable care in the initial publication of your information, we cannot control or remove copies subsequently retained or published by independent third parties.

Competition Results, selected Entries, exhibitions, promotional materials and other Competition-related content may be published through Creathlon's official websites, newsletters and social media channels. We will only publish personal data where authorised by the relevant Competition Brief, Terms & Conditions, this Privacy Policy or otherwise permitted by applicable law.

We require all recipients of personal data to process that information only for the purposes for which it was shared and, where applicable, to comply with appropriate contractual, confidentiality and data protection obligations.

6. Where We Store Your Data

We use secure cloud-based infrastructure, software platforms and trusted third-party service providers to store, process and protect personal data in connection with the operation of our website, Platform and Competitions.

Personal data may be processed using systems that support:

• website and Platform hosting;

• cloud storage and file management;

• databases and application infrastructure;

• email and communication services;

• payment processing and financial administration;

• customer support and business administration;

• analytics, website monitoring and cybersecurity;

• document management and collaboration tools;

• marketing and newsletter distribution; and

• backup, disaster recovery and other operational services.

Our principal service providers currently include, where applicable:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) – cloud infrastructure, databases, storage and computing services;

• Vercel – website and Platform hosting;

• Microsoft 365 – email, business operations, document management and internal collaboration;

• Resend – transactional and marketing email delivery;

• Stripe, PayPal, Revolut and banking providers – payment processing and Prize administration;

• Analytics, monitoring and security providers used to improve, maintain and protect our Platform.

We may replace, add or remove service providers from time to time where reasonably necessary for the operation, development, maintenance or security of our Platform and Competitions. This Privacy Policy is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of every provider we use.

Some of our service providers may process or store personal data outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area (EEA). Where personal data is transferred internationally, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are implemented in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under applicable law.

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or unauthorised access. Such measures may include:

• encrypted data transmission where appropriate;

• secure cloud infrastructure;

• access controls and authentication procedures;

• role-based access to personal data;

• regular software updates and security monitoring;

• backup and disaster recovery procedures; and

• contractual confidentiality and data protection obligations for employees, contractors and third-party service providers.

Access to personal data is restricted to individuals and organisations that require such access for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and only to the extent reasonably necessary to perform their duties.

Where Competition Entries, author attribution or other information are published in accordance with the relevant Competition Brief and Terms & Conditions, including publication under a Creative Commons licence or other open-access framework, the published materials may be stored within public repositories, archives, publications or other records maintained by Creathlon or third parties. Once lawfully published, copies may continue to exist beyond our control and may remain publicly accessible in accordance with the applicable licence or publication terms.

Further information regarding the publication and sharing of personal data is provided in Section 5 (Who We Share Your Data With).

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including the administration of Competitions, compliance with legal obligations, resolution of disputes, enforcement of our Terms & Conditions and the protection of our legitimate interests.

Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the data and the Competition in which you participate. As a general guide:

• Competition Registrations and Participant Records – retained for up to twelve (12) months following the completion of the relevant Competition, unless a longer retention period is required for record keeping.

• Shortlisted Participants, Winners and Prize Recipients – retained for up to six (6) years where reasonably necessary for legal, financial, contractual, accounting, audit or administrative purposes except where information is published on our platform publicly.

• Prize Administration and Financial Records – retained for the period required by applicable financial, tax and accounting legislation.

• Communications and Customer Support Records – retained for as long as reasonably necessary to administer the Competition, resolve enquiries or protect our legal interests.

• Marketing Preferences – retained until you withdraw your consent, unsubscribe or request their removal, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

• Website Analytics and Technical Logs – retained in accordance with the retention policies of our service providers or in anonymised or aggregated form where appropriate.

Where Submission materials, Competition Results, author attribution or copyright information have been published in accordance with the relevant Competition Brief and Terms & Conditions, including publication under a Creative Commons licence or other open-access framework, those published records may continue to be retained indefinitely as part of:

• competition archives;

• historical Competition records;

• publications;

• exhibitions;

• open-access repositories;

• educational resources;

• copyright attribution records; and

• other legitimate records relating to the Competition.

Where permitted by applicable law, we may continue to retain limited personal data where necessary to:

• comply with legal or regulatory obligations;

• establish, exercise or defend legal claims;

• preserve the integrity and historical record of a Competition;

• maintain copyright attribution and licensing information; or

• comply with the terms of an applicable Creative Commons or other publication licence.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with our internal data retention and security procedures, unless continued retention is required or permitted by applicable law.

8. Age Restrictions

Creathlon competitions are intended for individuals who are at least eighteen (18) years of age, unless a Competition Brief expressly states otherwise and proper authorisation from a parent or guardian was provided.

We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 18 in connection with our Competitions.

If we become aware that personal data has been collected from a person under the applicable minimum participation age without appropriate authorisation or in circumstances that do not comply with the relevant Competition Terms & Conditions, we may:

• suspend or terminate the relevant Registration or participation;

• delete or anonymise the personal data where appropriate;

• request additional information to verify eligibility; and/or

• take any other action reasonably necessary to comply with applicable law or the Competition Terms & Conditions.

If you believe that a child or an ineligible individual has provided personal data through our Platform, please contact us using the details provided in this Privacy Policy so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

Subject to applicable data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), you may have the right to:

• request access to the personal data we hold about you;

• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data;

• request deletion of your personal data where applicable;

• request restriction of certain processing activities;

• object to processing carried out on the basis of our legitimate interests, where permitted by law;

• request the transfer of certain personal data to another organisation (data portability), where applicable;

• withdraw your consent at any time where processing is based on consent, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn; and

• lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) or another competent supervisory authority if you believe your personal data has been processed unlawfully.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 13 (Contact).

Please note that these rights are not absolute. In certain circumstances, we may continue to process or retain personal data where this is required or permitted by applicable law, including where processing is necessary to:

• comply with legal or regulatory obligations;

• establish, exercise or defend legal claims;

• perform or enforce our contractual obligations;

• administer or protect the integrity of a Competition;

• maintain Competition records, archives or historical publications;

• preserve authorship attribution, copyright notices or licensing information relating to published Entries; or

• comply with the terms of an applicable Creative Commons licence or other publication framework described in the relevant Competition Brief and Terms & Conditions.

Where Submission materials or related information have already been lawfully published, including through exhibitions, publications, open-access repositories or under a Creative Commons licence, we may not be able to remove or erase copies that have already been distributed or retained by third parties. Where appropriate, we will consider requests on a case-by-case basis and take reasonable steps to update or remove information that remains under our control, where required by applicable law.

10. International Users

Creathlon Limited is established in the United Kingdom and processes personal data in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation.

Our Competitions are open to Participants from around the world. As a result, personal data may be transferred to, stored or processed in countries outside the United Kingdom, including by trusted third-party service providers used to operate our Platform and Competitions, as described in Section 6 (Where We Store and Process Your Data).

Where personal data is transferred internationally, we will implement appropriate safeguards in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including where appropriate the use of adequacy regulations, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

By participating in a Creathlon Competition or using our Platform, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in the United Kingdom and other countries as reasonably necessary for the administration and operation of our services.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to limit or exclude any mandatory rights you may have under the applicable data protection laws of your country of residence where those laws apply.

11. Security

We are committed to protecting the personal data we hold and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to safeguard it against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or unauthorised access.

Our security measures may include, where appropriate:

• encrypted data transmission;

• secure cloud infrastructure and storage;

• role-based access controls and authentication procedures;

• regular software updates and security monitoring;

• backup and disaster recovery procedures; and

• contractual confidentiality and data protection obligations for employees, contractors, Jury Memeber, Affiliates and Partners and trusted service providers.

While we take reasonable steps to protect personal data, no method of electronic transmission, internet communication or electronic storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of any information transmitted to or stored by us.

Participants are responsible for maintaining the security and confidentiality of their accounts, passwords, TEAMIDs and any other registration or participation credentials associated with a Competition. Participants should not share these details with third parties and should notify us promptly if they believe their account or Competition credentials have been compromised.

We are not responsible for any unauthorised access, misuse or loss arising from the disclosure, loss or misuse of a Participant's credentials, except to the extent required by applicable law.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, Platform, Competitions, business operations, service providers, legal or regulatory requirements, or data processing practices.

The most recent version of this Privacy Policy will always be published on our website and will include the date on which it became effective.

Where we make material changes that significantly affect how we process your personal data, we will use reasonable efforts to notify affected individuals through appropriate channels, such as our website, Competition Platform or the contact details provided during Registration, where reasonably practicable.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to remain informed about how we collect, use, store, share and protect your personal data.

Your continued use of our website, Platform or participation in our Competitions following the publication of an updated Privacy Policy constitutes your acknowledgement of the revised Policy to the extent permitted by applicable law.

13. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, how we process your personal data, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights under applicable data protection legislation, please contact us using the details below:

Creathlon Limited
Email: info@creathlon.co.uk
Website: www.creathlon.co.uk

We will use reasonable efforts to respond to privacy-related enquiries promptly and, where applicable, within the timeframes required by applicable data protection legislation.

If you are dissatisfied with our response or believe that we have processed your personal data unlawfully, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) or, where applicable, the competent data protection authority in your jurisdiction.

Where appropriate, we encourage you to contact us first so that we have the opportunity to address your concerns before you contact a supervisory authority.

For specific terms used in the privacy policy, please refer to the Terms & Conditions of the competition you have registered for.

Privacy Policy