Application Privacy Notice.

1Who is responsible for your information?

The data controller is:

EXPLR PBC, Inc.
82 Nassau Street #60050
New York, NY 10038
United States

Email: nationalstemfestival@explr-media.com

EXPLR operates the National STEM Festival UK Edition and has ongoing Festival operations in the United Kingdom.

2Information we collect

Age eligibility

The Competition is open only to applicants who are at least 13 years old on the date they submit their application. Date of Birth is used at the start of the application to check age eligibility and to determine the appropriate minor/adult workflow.

If the age check shows that an individual is under 13, they must not continue with or submit an application. They may return on or after their 13th birthday if applications are still open. EXPLR does not intentionally accept or retain a Competition application from a child under 13.

Applicant information

• first and last name;
• preferred name;
• date of birth;
• email address;
• telephone number where applicable;
• home postcode;
• UK Competition region;
• school, college or education-setting information and postcode, as applicable;
• current education stage; and
• gender or other optional impact information included in the application.

Parent or legal guardian information

For applicants under 18, we collect:

• parent or legal guardian name;
• relationship to applicant;
• email address;
• mobile telephone number; and
• applicable acknowledgements, permissions and electronic signatures required for the Competition and conditional Champion provisions.

Project information

• project title;
• Festival Theme;
• written project responses;
• acknowledgements and references;
• Project PDF;
• Project Video URL and access information;
• information about use of AI, mentors or other assistance; and
• judging scores and reviewer comments.

Opportunity Bonus information

We may ask whether an applicant currently qualifies for means-tested Free School Meals or substantially equivalent means-tested educational support.

This information is not shown to judges.

Prospective Finalist/Champion profile and media information

To avoid repeatedly requesting information from students and families during the Finalist and Champion selection timetable, the original application also collects a limited prospective profile pack. This may include:

• one approved portrait/headshot;
• an optional second project-related photograph, where offered;
• a short biography;
• name-pronunciation information;
• prospective quotes or media-preparation responses;
• a Champion Participation Commitment;
• acknowledgement of the public-facing requirements of National STEM Champion status;
• conditional Champion media permissions; and
• applicable applicant and parent/legal guardian electronic signatures and submission records.

These materials are collected in advance. They are not part of Phase 1 judging, are not provided to Phase 2 judges for scoring, and are not publicly usable merely because an applicant submits them or becomes a Finalist. The Project Video is treated separately because it is a required Phase 2 judging material.

National STEM Champion participation information

If you become a National STEM Champion, we may additionally collect information reasonably required for:

• Festival participation;
• travel and accommodation;
• emergency contact and safeguarding;
• media and communications;
• accessibility requirements where voluntarily provided through the appropriate Champion process; and
• prize administration.

Health, accessibility or other special-category information needed for National STEM Champion participation is not collected through the initial Competition application.

Where such information is required later, it will be requested through the appropriate Champion participation process, with additional privacy information explaining the applicable purpose, lawful basis, special-category condition and safeguards.

Where information comes from

Most application information is provided directly by the applicant or, where applicable, their parent or legal guardian.

Judging scores, reviewer comments, administrative scoring information and Competition-status information may be created by authorised judges or Festival administrators as part of the Competition process.

Required and optional information

Fields marked as required are necessary for the relevant Competition purpose described in the application and Official Rules & Terms. If required information is not provided, the applicant may be unable to submit, remain eligible for a particular stage, or be considered for National STEM Champion status.

Optional demographic questions may be left unanswered without affecting judging.

An applicant who does not provide the information required to establish Opportunity Bonus eligibility cannot receive that Bonus. Applicants must answer:

• Yes
• No
• Unsure
• Prefer not to say

but may choose not to provide qualifying information by selecting Prefer not to say.

3Information you should not submit

Do not include identifiable medical records, diagnoses, genetic information, biometric identifiers or other sensitive personal information about yourself or another person in your initial application, written project responses, Project PDF, Project Video or prospective profile/media materials unless EXPLR specifically requests that information through an appropriate separate process.

Projects involving human participants must use anonymised or aggregated information in the Competition submission.

Do not submit personal information about research participants, patients or other individuals unless the Festival specifically requests it through an appropriate separate process.

For profile photographs, avoid including other identifiable people unless you have appropriate authority or permission to provide the photograph for the uses described in the application and Official Rules & Terms.

EXPLR does not use applicant photographs, video or voice to create facial-recognition templates, voiceprints or other biometric-identification profiles.

4Why we use your information

We use applicant information for the following purposes.

Competition administration and eligibility

We use applicant, parent/guardian, school, age, region and contact information to operate the Competition, confirm eligibility, prevent administrative duplication and communicate with applicants and families.

Lawful basis Our legitimate interest in administering a fair, safe and effective national STEM competition.

Judging

We use project submissions, PDFs, Project Videos and judging information to assess entries and select Finalists and National STEM Champions.

Lawful basis Our legitimate interest in operating and judging the Competition.

Parent and guardian communication

Where an applicant is under 18, we use parent or legal guardian contact information for essential Competition, safeguarding and participation communications and for applicable minor-participant documentation.

Lawful basis Our legitimate interest in safely administering a youth programme.

Opportunity Bonus

We use means-tested Free School Meals or equivalent eligibility information to administer the Opportunity Bonus described in the Official Rules & Terms.

Lawful basis Our legitimate interest in operating the published Competition scoring framework and supporting equitable access to the Festival.

Opportunity Bonus information is not visible to judges. Where applicable, the 5-point Opportunity Bonus is added administratively during Phase 1 only, does not change the score awarded by an individual judge, and does not carry forward into National STEM Champion scoring.

Impact measurement

We use information such as region, postcode, education setting, gender and Opportunity Bonus data to understand who the Festival is reaching and measure participation and impact.

Where a question is optional, applicants may choose not to answer it.

Lawful basis Our legitimate interest in evaluating and improving the Festival and demonstrating its reach and impact.

Identifiable demographic information is not provided to judges.

Prospective Finalist/Champion profile preparation

We collect a limited profile/media pack during the original application so that applicants and families do not have to provide the same information again during the compressed Finalist and Champion selection timetable and so that, if an applicant progresses, EXPLR can prepare accurate Festival and media materials without unnecessary delay.

Lawful basis Our legitimate interest in efficiently and fairly administering Finalist and potential Champion selection and communications, balanced against the particular privacy interests and rights of child applicants.

We reduce the privacy impact by keeping these reserved materials out of judging, not publicly using them merely because they are submitted, restricting staff access, and applying shorter deletion periods than for core Competition records.

Finalist announcements

If you become a Finalist, we may publish your:

• name;
• UK Competition region; and
• project title.

Lawful basis Our legitimate interest in recognising Finalists, communicating Competition results and demonstrating that the Competition has been fairly administered.

Finalist status alone does not activate broader public use of the prospective photographs, biography, media-preparation responses or Project Video.

National STEM Champion participation and publicity

Being a National STEM Champion is a public-facing role. The conditional Champion provisions are completed within the original application but remain inactive unless and until EXPLR officially selects the applicant as a National STEM Champion and the required Champion Participation Commitment has been made.

Once those conditions are met, EXPLR may use the information and media described in the Official Rules & Terms and incorporated Finalist Information & Champion Media Agreement, including:

• name;
• region;
• project title and public-facing project description;
• approved biography;
• approved photographs;
• Project Video;
• approved quotes and media-preparation responses; and
• photographs, video and recordings created during Festival activities.

Lawful basis Our legitimate interest in operating, documenting, communicating and promoting the National STEM Festival and the achievements of its Champions.

Required Champion publicity is part of the public-facing Champion role and is not treated as optional marketing consent. Optional activities or unrelated marketing uses, where applicable, are handled separately.

Legal, safeguarding and regulatory responsibilities

We may process or retain information where necessary to comply with applicable law, respond to lawful requests, protect legal rights, investigate a security or integrity issue or address safeguarding concerns.

5How judging privacy works

Phase 1

Phase 1 is designed as a blind review.

Phase 1 judges should not receive:

• applicant name;
• applicant photograph;
• email address;
• telephone number;
• parent/guardian details;
• school, college or education-setting name;
• demographic information;
• Opportunity Bonus information;
• prospective Finalist/Champion profile or media materials; or
• Project Video.

Applicants must remove identifying information from their Project Title, written project responses and Project PDF.

Phase 2

Authorised Phase 2 judges may review the applicant's required judging materials, including the original written project submission, Project PDF and Project Video.

Phase 2 judges are not provided with demographic information, Opportunity Bonus eligibility information, prospective photographs, biography, media-preparation responses, guardian permissions or conditional Champion media provisions for scoring purposes.

Only information reasonably necessary for Phase 2 judging is made available.

Judges are required to follow confidentiality, conflict-of-interest and data-handling requirements.

6Automated decisions

EXPLR does not use solely automated decision-making to select National STEM Festival Finalists or National STEM Champions.

The Opportunity Bonus is a published administrative scoring adjustment. Human judging remains central to the selection process.

7Who we share information with

We only share information where reasonably necessary for Festival administration or another purpose described in this notice.

Authorised Festival staff and contractors

People working on the Festival may access information only where their role reasonably requires it. Access to identifying, judging, demographic and reserved media information is restricted according to operational need.

Judges

Judges receive only the information required for the phase of judging in which they participate.

Judges must comply with Festival confidentiality, data-handling and conflict-of-interest requirements.

Tally

EXPLR uses Tally as the online form processor for the application and file-upload process. Tally processes submitted form information on EXPLR's behalf as a data processor. Tally states that form data is encrypted in transit and at rest and stored in Europe.

Google Workspace

EXPLR uses Google Workspace business services to maintain controlled Competition records, email, documents, spreadsheets and administrative files. Applicant information is maintained in EXPLR-controlled organisational accounts rather than personal employee accounts.

Travel, hotel and event providers

Information is shared with these providers only if you become a National STEM Champion and where reasonably necessary to arrange participation, travel, accommodation or Festival operations.

Media organisations

Finalist public information is limited as described above.

For National STEM Champions, approved information and media may be provided to bona fide media organisations for Festival-related editorial coverage in accordance with the Official Rules & Terms and incorporated Champion media provisions.

Festival partners and sponsors

Supporting the Festival does not give a partner or sponsor access to the raw applicant database. Where a qualified representative serves as a judge, they receive only the information appropriate to that judging phase. Approved Champion materials may be shared for the limited Festival-related uses described in the Official Rules & Terms.

EXPLR does not sell applicant information.

8International data transfers

EXPLR is incorporated in the United States and operates the National STEM Festival in the United Kingdom. Some Festival administration therefore involves access to or processing of UK personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Tally states that its form data is stored in Europe and that it provides a Data Processing Agreement. Tally also uses subprocessors, and depending on the features enabled, some subprocessors may process information in other jurisdictions.

Google Workspace may process information internationally as described in Google's applicable business data-protection and transfer terms.

Where UK personal information is transferred outside the United Kingdom, EXPLR applies the transfer safeguards and contractual measures required by applicable UK data-protection law.

You may contact EXPLR for further information about safeguards applicable to international transfers.

9How long we keep information

We do not keep identifiable information for longer than we reasonably need it. Different records have different retention periods because they serve different purposes.

Tally application-intake copy

After applications close and submissions, uploaded files and required records have been securely transferred into EXPLR-controlled Competition records, EXPLR intends to delete the Tally application-intake copies within 30 days after applications close, unless temporary retention is reasonably necessary to resolve a technical, security or legal issue. Where Tally's deletion process places deleted material in a recoverable trash area, EXPLR intends to permanently remove it as part of the same cleanup process where operationally available.

Applicants who do not become Finalists

Core application, judging and administrative Competition records may be retained for up to 12 months after the conclusion of the 2027 Festival for Competition administration, audit, integrity, reporting and complaint purposes, after which identifiable information is deleted or anonymised unless a longer period is reasonably required for a dispute, investigation, legal obligation or documented administrative need.

The reserved prospective photographs, biography and media-preparation responses are subject to a shorter period and will ordinarily be deleted within 30 days after Finalist selection is finalised, unless temporary retention is reasonably necessary for an administrative, safeguarding, technical or legal issue.

Finalists who do not become National STEM Champions

Core application, judging and Competition-administration records follow the applicable Competition-record retention period.

The reserved photographs, biography and media-preparation responses will ordinarily be deleted within 30 days after National STEM Champion selection is finalised, unless temporary retention is reasonably necessary for an administrative, safeguarding, technical or legal issue.

The Finalist's name, Competition region and project title may remain as part of the Festival's historical record, subject to applicable data-protection rights and safeguarding considerations.

Opportunity Bonus evidence

Any supporting evidence requested solely to verify Opportunity Bonus eligibility is ordinarily deleted within 90 days after National STEM Champion selection is finalised, unless reasonably required to resolve an eligibility or scoring issue.

EXPLR may retain the resulting eligibility/status and scoring record for the normal Competition-record retention period.

National STEM Champions

Champion name, region, project title, award status and selected published Festival materials may remain as part of the Festival's historical archive.

Approved Champion photographs, Project Video, quotes, media-preparation responses and Festival-created media may be actively used for Festival-related communications for up to five years following the 2027 Festival, as described in the Official Rules & Terms and incorporated Champion media provisions.

Previously lawfully published historical Festival content may remain publicly accessible after that period as part of the Festival archive.

Impact information

Identifiable impact information is retained only for as long as needed for Festival evaluation.

Aggregated or anonymised statistics that no longer identify an individual may be retained indefinitely.

Travel, safeguarding and emergency information

Operational travel, safeguarding and emergency information is retained only as long as reasonably needed for Festival participation and any resulting administrative, insurance, legal or safeguarding requirements.

Records needed for financial, insurance, legal or regulatory reasons may be retained for the applicable required period.

10Security

EXPLR uses organisational and technical safeguards appropriate to the information involved.

These include:

• controlled organisational accounts;
• role-based and restricted staff access;
• multi-factor authentication where supported;
• secure transmission and service-provider encryption;
• separation of blind judging information from applicant identity information;
• separation of reserved prospective profile/media materials from judging datasets;
• confidentiality and data-handling requirements for judges and authorised personnel;
• restricted access to child applicants' identifying information;
• retention and deletion procedures; and
• security controls provided by contracted technology providers.

No online system can guarantee absolute security, but we take reasonable steps to protect applicant information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure or alteration.

11Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law may give you the right to:

• ask what personal information we hold about you;
• receive a copy of your information;
• correct inaccurate information;
• ask us to delete information;
• ask us to restrict how information is used;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests; and
• request portability of certain information where applicable.

Some rights are not absolute.

For example, we may need to retain limited information to preserve Competition integrity, respond to a legal claim, investigate an eligibility or safeguarding issue or meet a legal obligation.

Where we rely on consent for a particular optional use of personal information, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before consent was withdrawn.

Required Competition administration and the conditional public-facing requirements of National STEM Champion status are not presented as optional marketing consent. If you no longer wish to accept Champion status or have a safeguarding/privacy concern, contact EXPLR so the applicable Competition and privacy position can be considered.

Correcting personal contact information does not give an applicant the right to change their substantive project submission after it has been submitted.

To exercise a privacy right, contact: nationalstemfestival@explr-media.com

We may need to confirm your identity before acting on a request.

12Applicants under 18

Many National STEM Festival applicants are children. We design the application and our handling of information with particular regard to children's interests, rights and reasonable expectations.

Applicants must already be 13

You must be at least 13 years old on the date you submit your application. If you are not yet 13, do not continue with the application. You may return on or after your 13th birthday if applications are still open.

Applicants aged 13 to 17

Applicants aged 13 to 17 may provide their own application and project information, but we also require parent or legal guardian contact information and applicable guardian acknowledgements, permissions and signatures for the minor-participant and conditional Champion workflow.

We communicate directly with the young person and, where appropriate, their parent or legal guardian. We do not treat a parent's involvement as blanket consent for every use of the young person's personal information; each processing purpose is handled under the lawful basis described in this notice.

Clear explanations

Important privacy explanations should also appear in short, age-appropriate language within the application at the point information is requested, particularly for photographs, Project Video, prospective media information and public Finalist/Champion recognition.

If anything about how we use information is unclear, the applicant or parent/legal guardian may contact nationalstemfestival@explr-media.com.

13Safeguarding or privacy concerns

An applicant, Finalist, National STEM Champion or parent/legal guardian may contact EXPLR if public identification or use of particular materials creates a genuine safeguarding, security or significant privacy concern.

We will consider reasonable measures to reduce identifying information, discontinue future active use of particular materials or modify a particular use where reasonably possible and compatible with the public-facing nature of National STEM Champion participation.

Information that has already been lawfully published, broadcast or independently distributed may not always be removable from third-party or historical archives.

14Complaints

You may contact us if you have a concern about how Festival information is being used: nationalstemfestival@explr-media.com

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). You do not have to contact EXPLR before contacting the ICO.

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: ico.org.uk

15Changes to this notice

We may update this Application Privacy Notice where Festival processes, technology providers, Competition administration or legal requirements change.

If a change would materially alter how already-collected applicant information is used, EXPLR will provide appropriate notice and, where required by law, obtain any additional authorisation before applying the new use.

The current version will always be published with its effective date on nationalstemfestival.com.