Dragons' Den - Privacy Notice
How we use your personal data
The Programme is produced by BBC Studios Productions Limited (‘BBC Studios’) for broadcast, use and exploitation by BBC Studios and the BBC (the Commissioner). BBC Studios is the ‘Data Controller’ of your personal data. This means that BBC Studios decides what your personal data is used for, and the ways in which it is processed. We are responsible for handling personal data you provide in accordance with data protection law. The BBC is a separate data controller of any personal data it receives and such personal data will be subject to its own Privacy Policy. The nature of the data shared is summarised further below under ‘Sharing your personal data’.
What is the lawful basis for processing your personal data?
BBC Studios and the BBC have a legitimate interest in using your personal data for journalistic, artistic and literary purposes. We also process personal data in order to fulfil our legal obligations (for example, to meet tax reporting or safeguarding requirements).
To the extent we process special category health data and/or criminal offence data relating to you, our lawful basis is your explicit consent.
What personal data will we collect?
• Data about you which you provide in your application, including your contact details, biographical information, and information about your background, business and reason for applying to be on Dragon’s Den;
• Information in connection with background checks (see further section on background checks below) and other due diligence checks;
• Information about any physical or mental health issues that we may need to understand to ensure you are fit and well enough to appear in the Den;
• Information about any accessibility needs or reasonable adjustments we may need to make if we decide to take you forward to appear in the Den;
• Personal data of anyone else you would like to bring into the Den with you;
• Personal data of your company directors (which we may process whilst conducting due diligence checks).
Sharing your personal data
Access to your personal data will generally be restricted to relevant members of the Programme’s production team and crew. Where necessary, we may also share your personal data with:
• The BBC as the Commissioner of Dragons Den;
• Other BBC Studios and BBC specialist advisory teams (e.g. our Safety, Editorial policy and Legal teams);
• The company we have contracted to provide psychological assessment and support to entrepreneurs we decide to take forward to appear in the Den;
• Our insurers;
• The Dragons (if you are successful in the Den).
We will only share your personal data with these parties to the extent necessary in the circumstances.
Once we pass your personal data to a third party, that party will become a separate data controller of the personal data and the processing will be subject to their own privacy policies.
For information about the BBC’s processing of personal data it receives as the Commissioner, visit here.
We reserve the right to share details that may include personal data with third parties (e.g. law enforcement) if we are required or permitted to do so by law.
Background and criminal records checks
If you are shortlisted we will request your consent (which we rely on as our lawful basis) to carry out background checks of contributors using publicly available sources, including online sources, in order to determine your suitability to act as a contributor and/or for safeguarding purposes. The screening may include searching for information relating to:
• Your name, age, address, and employment details;
• Any criminal convictions and court proceedings;
• Any activities that could bring BBC Studios or the BBC into disrepute, or cause harm or offence to our audiences;
• Your participation in previous television productions;
• Information from public registers, such as Companies House or the Insolvency Register;
• Information from your social media profiles where publicly available, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
The information obtained from these searches will be used to assess your suitability to be part of the programme and to inform any measures we may need to put in place as part of our duty of care to our contributors.
If we decide to take you forward following completion of these checks we will also ask you to undertake a basic DBS check which will be undertaken via our approved third party checking service, to identify if you have any unspent convictions. Further information on these checks will be provided if you are shortlisted to appear in the Den.
You can withdraw your consent to us conducting background checks at any time prior to the checks being carried out by contacting the Production Team. The withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal. If you do not consent to us carrying out background checks, or withdraw your consent before we have carried out the searches, you will not be able to take part in the programme.
Health data
We may also collect personal data relating to your physical and mental health as well as any accessibility needs or reasonable adjustments you require.
We collect information relating to your physical and mental health to:
• Enable us to meet our duty of care obligations to you (i.e. to make sure you are fit and well enough to appear in the Den);
• Enable us to put in place any necessary reasonable adjustments;
• Ensure we provide appropriate support during auditions and – if you are successful at audition – before and after you deliver your pitch to the Dragons.
This information will only be shared with relevant members of the production team, our contracted service providers (e.g. studio management, our psychological support provider) and the BBC to the extent necessary.. Your special category health information will not be shared with the Dragons.
Further information will be provided if we decide to take your application forward.
How long we keep your data?
(a) Unsuccessful Applicants
All unsuccessful applications will be deleted within 3 months of the completion of the casting period.
(b) Shortlisted Applicants
If you are selected to pitch in the Den but your pitch is not broadcast we will delete your data within 3 months of the broadcast of the final episode of the series.
(c) Selected Applicants
If you are selected to be part of the Programme, BBC Studios may retain some information relating to your contribution in perpetuity. We will retain other information (such as your application form, Q&A Sheet, contact details, background checks and health and safety assessments for up to 7 years in line with our retention schedule.
Your rights, how to complain and where to find more information
If you would like more information about how BBC Studios uses your personal data and to find out about your rights, please visit the BBC Studios Contributor Privacy Policy.
Version 3.0 – Date published 26 March 2024
