1. Introduction

Welcome to BoostMySkills ("we", "us", "our"). We provide micro-programmes and micro-credentials in sustainability, renewable energy, smart urban solutions, etc. Through this Privacy Policy, we explain what personal data we collect from you, why we collect it, how we use it, how we protect it, and your rights under applicable data protection laws, including the EU GDPR.

2. Who we are / Contact information

Organisation: boostmyskills.eu - supported by our partners as listed on the BoostMySkills homepage.

Email: info@boostmyskills.eu

3. Scope

This policy applies whenever you use our website(s), register for courses, sign up for newsletters, use self-assessment tools, contact us through forms, or otherwise provide personal data to us. It covers users located in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and any other jurisdictions where we process personal data.

4. What data we collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data:

Account / Registration Data: Name, username email address, password, country of residence. Source: You, when you create an account or sign up. Purpose: To provide access to courses, manage your account, send you course-related notifications.

Course participation data: Which micro-programmes / micro-credentials you enrol in, progress, completion, assessments. Source: From you, via platform usage. Purpose: To deliver the learning services, manage certificates, track progress, quality assurance.

Newsletter / Communication data: Email, possibly name. Source: You, when you subscribe. Purpose: To send you newsletters, announcements, updates, and other relevant information.

Technical / Usage Data: IP address, device / browser type, operating system, pages visited, time spent, cookies, analytics data. Source: Automatically, via website / platform tools. Purpose: For website performance, improving user experience, diagnosing errors, analytics.

Cookies and tracking: Cookies (first-party and third-party), tracking pixels, similar trackers. Source: Automatically. Purpose: To manage sessions, for analytics, for social media sharing and embedding, etc.

5. Legal basis for processing

We rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

Consent — Where required (for cookies, newsletter sign-ups, etc.), we ask for your consent.

Performance of a contract / legitimate interest — To deliver the educational services, manage user accounts, send service-related communications.

Legal obligation — To comply with laws.

6. How we use your data

The data we collect is used for:

• Providing, maintaining, and improving our platform and your user experience
• Processing your enrolments, granting certificates, tracking your course progress
• Communicating with you (e.g. course info, platform changes, newsletters)
• Security, fraud prevention, and ensuring integrity of our services
• Analytics to understand usage patterns and improve services
• Compliance with legal requirements

7. Sharing your data / third parties

We may share your personal data with:

Service providers: e.g. hosting providers, email/newsletter services, analytics tools, payment or accreditation bodies (if relevant).

Partners / educational institutions: e.g. when courses are co-delivered, or accreditation is involved (for example Maynooth University, etc.).

Legal / regulatory authorities: where required by law or to protect our rights.

8. International transfers

If any of the third parties or service providers are outside the EEA (or in a country without an adequacy decision from the EU), we ensure that appropriate protections are used.

9. Data retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy, plus:

• any periods needed to comply with legal obligations (e.g. record keeping, audits)
• after you stop using our services, for as long as needed for record-keeping, resolving disputes, enforcing agreements, or responding to legal requests

When data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymise it.

10. Cookies and tracking technologies

We use cookies and other tracking technologies. Some are essential for website function, others are for analytics or third-party services. We provide a cookie / tracker banner and/or settings so you can consent or decline non-essential trackers. You can also manage cookies via your browser.

11. Your rights

Under GDPR and related laws, you have rights, including:

• Right to access your personal data;
• Right to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Right to erase your data (right to be forgotten), under certain circumstances;
• Right to restrict or object to certain processing;
• Right to data portability;
• Right to withdraw consent (for processing based on consent);
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

To exercise these rights, contact us using the contact details above. We may need to verify your identity. We'll respond without undue delay, generally within one month (or longer if permitted by law).

12. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including encryption where appropriate, securing servers, limiting access rights, regular reviews of security practices. However, no system is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security, so please take care with your passwords, etc.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time (for example, if our practices change, or laws are updated). It is your responsibility to check this Privacy Policy periodically for changes. Your continued use of the Website following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.

14. Contact us

If you have any questions, or want to exercise your rights, you can reach us at:

info@boostmyskills.eu