Whenever you use personal data, it is important that the individuals concerned understand what data you are using, what for, why, whether it’s shared, and what rights they have. This is part of the UK GDPR’s transparency requirements (the “right to be informed”).
These privacy notice templates are designed primarily for organisations that collect personal data offline (or at least where the data collection is not driven by a website). If your business collects data online, you will usually need the appropriate website privacy policy instead.
When Should You Use These Templates?
Use these templates if you need to provide privacy information to individuals at the point you collect their data (or shortly afterwards), for example:
- when collecting personal data through paper forms, in person, by phone, or at events;
- when you obtain personal data from another organisation and still need to give the individual the required information; or
- when you want a standalone privacy notice that can be issued in hard copy, attached to an email, or displayed on a website as a general “privacy notice” document.
What Templates Are Included?
A general-purpose privacy notice template for offline data collection, designed to help you explain what data you collect, how you use it, your lawful basis, retention, security, sharing, and individual rights.
A specialist privacy notice for employment agencies, designed to give job applicants clear information about how their personal data will be used during the recruitment process.
Why Use These Templates?
These templates help you provide privacy information in a structured, user-friendly way, so your notice reflects your actual data practices rather than relying on generic wording. They also prompt you to address the areas that are commonly overlooked, such as your lawful basis, retention periods, data sharing, and whether any automated decision-making is involved.
For more information about these documents, please click on the links below:
Standard Privacy Notices is part of Business . Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Business for 1 year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a privacy notice and a privacy policy? +
They do the same legal job, giving people the privacy information the UK GDPR requires, but they suit different settings. A website privacy policy is usually the online version aimed at site visitors. A privacy notice is the standalone document you give people when you collect their data offline, for example on a paper form or in person. Both flow from the right to be informed, so the difference is context, not substance.
When do I have to give someone a privacy notice? +
Give it at the time you collect the data directly from the person, so they know before or as they hand it over what you will do with it. If you obtain their data from another source instead, you must provide the information within a reasonable period and at the latest within one month, or sooner if you contact them or share the data first. Timing is part of the transparency duty, not an afterthought.
What must a privacy notice contain? +
It should tell the person who you are and how to contact you, what data you collect and why, your lawful basis, who you share it with, how long you keep it and any transfers abroad. It must also set out their rights and how to complain, which since 19 June 2026 means noting they can complain to you and then to the ICO. If you rely on legitimate interests or use automated decision making, say so. A good template prompts each of these.
Do employment agencies need a special privacy notice? +
An employment agency handles a lot of applicant data, so a recruitment focused privacy notice is worthwhile. It explains to job seekers what personal data the agency collects, how it is used to find them work, who it may be shared with such as prospective employers and how long it is kept. This sub-folder includes an employment agency privacy notice alongside the general purpose one, so you can pick the fit for your context.
We collect data on paper and by phone, do the rules still apply? +
Yes. Data protection is not limited to online collection, so taking details on a paper form, over the phone or at an event still triggers the duty to give privacy information. A standalone privacy notice is the practical way to meet that duty offline, whether you hand it over, read out the key points or display it. Collecting offline does not put you outside the UK GDPR.
