1. Who we are
Échelle Ventures ("Échelle", "we", "us") matches student consultants with companies for paid project work. This policy covers echelleventures.com and the forms on it.
For anything in this policy, email team@echelleventures.com.
2. What we collect
We only collect what you send us, plus the minimum a website needs to run.
- Contact form: your name, email, whether you're a company or a student, and your message.
- Client brief: company name, your name, work email, area of need, project description and timeline.
- Consultant applications: these go through a Google Form, which shows you exactly what it asks before you submit. Depending on your answers that can include your age, school, skills, links to your work, and a parent or guardian's contact details.
- Emails you send us and anything you share during a project.
- Technical data: our host keeps standard server logs (IP address, browser, pages requested, time). If you accept analytics cookies, we also get aggregate usage data. See section 5.
We don't ask for payment card details on this site, and we don't buy data about you from anyone.
3. How we use it
- To reply to you and set up the project or application you asked about.
- To match consultants with client projects, and to run those projects.
- With your consent, to see which pages are useful so we can improve the site.
- To keep the site secure and stop spam and abuse.
- To meet legal, tax and accounting requirements.
We don't sell your personal data, and we don't use it for advertising.
4. Under-18 consultants
Consultants can apply from age 14. If you're under 18, we need a parent or guardian to agree before you take on client work, and we may contact them to confirm. We collect only what we need to assess the application and keep you safe on a project. We never share a minor's contact details with a client without a parent or guardian knowing.
Parents and guardians can ask to see, correct or delete their child's data at any time. Email team@echelleventures.com.
5. Cookies and analytics
The site sets no cookies of its own. The only optional ones are for analytics, and they load only if you say yes.
ev-consentStrictly necessary (browser storage, not a cookie)Remembers your cookie choice. Stays in your browser and is never sent to us.12 months_ga, _ga_*Analytics (optional)Google Analytics: counts visits and the pages people view. Only set if you click "Accept".Up to 13 monthsAnalytics stays off until you accept it in the banner. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we treat that as a "no" and don't ask. You can change your mind any time: .
6. Who else handles your data
We use a small number of service providers. Each one only gets what it needs to do its job:
- Netlify hosts the site.
- FormSubmit delivers contact and client-brief form submissions to our inbox.
- Google runs our consultant application form, our email, the website fonts (Google Fonts), and analytics if you accept it.
- cdnjs, jsDelivr and Unsplash serve animation code and some photos. Like any website, they see your IP address when your browser loads those files.
Some of these providers process data outside the country you live in. We only use established providers with their own security and privacy commitments. We share personal data with clients only where it's needed for a project, for example a consultant's name and relevant experience. We'll also disclose data if the law requires it.
7. How long we keep it
- Enquiries that don't go anywhere: up to 12 months, then deleted.
- Applications that aren't successful: up to 12 months, so we can look at them again if you reapply.
- Client and consultant records: for as long as we work together, plus whatever period tax and accounting law requires after that.
- Server logs: however long our host keeps them, usually no more than 30 days.
8. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you can ask us to:
- tell you what personal data we hold about you and give you a copy;
- correct anything that's wrong or out of date;
- delete your data, where we don't have to keep it by law;
- stop or limit how we use it, or withdraw consent you gave earlier;
- send it to you in a format you can take elsewhere.
Email team@echelleventures.com and we'll reply within 30 days. If you're not happy with our reply, you can also complain to the data protection authority where you live.
9. Security
The site only runs over HTTPS, and it sends security headers that stop it being embedded in other sites or loading code from sources we haven't approved. There are no accounts or passwords on the site. Form submissions travel encrypted to our inbox. No system is perfectly secure, though. If you think something is wrong, tell us straight away at team@echelleventures.com. Our Security page explains how to report a vulnerability.
10. Changes and contact
If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top. If a change affects how we use data you've already given us, we'll tell you directly.
Questions or requests: team@echelleventures.com. See also our Terms of Use.