Privacy Notice – Franchise Applicants
Last Updated On 29-Jun-2026
Effective Date 29-Jun-2026

This Privacy Notice explains how Ed's Garden Maintenance Ltd (and, where relevant, Ed's Group Limited), Thames Ditton and Esher Golf Club, Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AL, United Kingdom, collects and uses your personal data when you enquire about, or apply for, an Ed's franchise through our website (edsgardenbusinessfranchise.co.uk) or during our recruitment and selection process. Ed's Garden Maintenance Ltd is registered in England (company number 05821537) and is the controller of the personal data you provide as a franchise applicant. You can contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone on 0330 0061 2699.

We process your personal data on one or more of the following legal bases: to take steps at your request before entering into a franchise agreement and, if you proceed, to perform that agreement; for our legitimate interests in assessing applicants, running and protecting our recruitment process and our network; to comply with our legal obligations; and, where required, with your consent. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. Some information is required for us to assess your application — if you choose not to provide it, we may not be able to take your application further.

We may update this Notice from time to time. We will post the current version on this page and, where changes are material, take reasonable steps to bring them to your attention.

  1. Information We Collect

    Depending on how far your application progresses, we collect and process the following personal data about you:

    1. Your name, email address, telephone number and the location or territory you are interested in;
    2. Background information you give us about yourself, including your work history, experience, references and the information in any application form or interview;
    3. Financial and funding information relevant to assessing whether you can fund and sustain a franchise (for example, evidence of available funds, sources of finance, and similar);
    4. Information from criminal-record and background checks (see section 3 below);
    5. Any other information you choose to provide to us during the enquiry, application and selection process.

  2. How We Use Your Information

    We use your personal data for the purposes below. The legal basis we rely on for each is shown alongside it.

    1. Responding to your enquiry and sending you information about the franchise opportunity — steps taken at your request before any agreement, and our legitimate interests in recruitment.
    2. Assessing your suitability as a prospective franchisee, including reviewing your experience, references and financial position — steps before a contract, and our legitimate interests in selecting suitable operators.
    3. Carrying out criminal-record and background checks where appropriate — see section 3.
    4. Communicating with you throughout the recruitment and selection process — steps before a contract and legitimate interests.
    5. Keeping records of applications and complying with our legal and regulatory obligations — legal obligation and legitimate interests.
    6. If your application is unsuccessful, keeping limited records for a reasonable period in case a future opportunity arises or to deal with any query or dispute — legitimate interests (you can ask us to delete your data sooner).

    If we want to use your information for a materially different purpose, we will tell you and, where required by law, obtain your consent.

  3. Criminal-Record and Background Checks

    As part of our selection process, and because operators provide services in customers' homes and gardens, we ask applicants to make a criminal-record declaration and to provide evidence of an appropriate police or criminal-record check. Information about criminal convictions and offences is given additional protection under data protection law.

    We process this information only where it is necessary to assess your suitability to operate an Ed's franchise and to protect our customers, our network and our reputation, relying on our legitimate interests and on the lawful basis for processing criminal-offence data permitted under the Data Protection Act 2018. We keep this information securely, limit access to those who need it for the selection decision, and retain it only for as long as necessary for that purpose.

  4. How We Collect Your Information

    We collect information directly from you (through our enquiry form, application forms, interviews and correspondence) and, where relevant and with the appropriate basis, from third parties such as referees you nominate and providers of criminal-record or background checks.

  5. How We Share Your Information

    We share your personal data only as described below. We do not sell your personal data.

    1. With Ed's Group Limited and within Ed's Garden Maintenance Ltd, for the purpose of assessing and managing your application.
    2. With existing Ed's operators where you ask to speak to one as part of your research — and only with that operator's agreement.
    3. With our IT, software and administrative providers who process data on our behalf as our processors.
    4. With providers of criminal-record, reference or background checks, to carry out those checks.
    5. With our professional advisers (such as legal and accountancy advisers), and with public authorities or regulators where necessary or required by law.

    We require any third parties who process data on our behalf to use it only for the purpose for which it was provided and to keep it secure.

  6. Retention Of Your Information

    We keep your personal data only for as long as we need it. If you become a franchisee, your application data is kept as part of your franchise record for the duration of our relationship and for the period required afterwards by law. If your application does not proceed, we keep limited records for a reasonable period in case a future opportunity arises or to deal with any query or dispute, after which we securely delete or anonymise your data. We keep criminal-record information only for as long as necessary for the selection decision.

  7. Your Rights

    Depending on the law that applies, you may have the right to access your personal data, to have it corrected or erased, to receive a copy of it, to restrict or object to our processing of it, to ask us to port it to another organisation, and to withdraw any consent you have given. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

    To exercise any of these rights, you can contact us at [email protected]. You can complain to us first, but you also have the right to complain directly to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data.

  8. International Transfers

    We store and process your personal data in the United Kingdom. Where any provider we use processes data outside the UK, we will ensure an appropriate safeguard recognised under UK data protection law is in place.

  9. Security

    The security of your information is important to us and we will use reasonable security measures to prevent the loss, misuse or unauthorized alteration of your information under our control. However, given the inherent risks, we cannot guarantee absolute security and consequently, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us and you do so at your own risk.

  10. Data Protection Contact

    If you have any queries or concerns about the processing of your information, you may contact us at Ed's Garden Maintenance Ltd, Thames Ditton and Esher Golf Club, Portsmouth Road, Esher, KT10 9AL, email: [email protected]. We will address your concerns in accordance with applicable law.