1. Who collects your data RightChallenge — Association, headquartered at Rua do Conde de Ferreira, No. 208, Bonfim, 4000-222 Porto, Tax ID 514129980, is the entity responsible for the collection and processing of your data, pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR). As the coordinating entity of the Ocean Network, RightChallenge ensures that data is processed fairly and securely. Please note that our organization has not appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO).

2. What personal data do we collect? We collect only the information necessary for the purpose of your relationship with the network:
• Professional Data: First name, last name, and contact email.
• Organization Data: Name of the entity, country, website, PIC Number (optional).
• Online Identifiers: Through the website https://oceannetwork.eu/, we collect technical data (IP address, browser type) for traffic statistics purposes only.

3. Why we process your data (Purposes) With your consent, the data is used to:
1. Manage communication and the relationship among members of the Ocean Network;
2. Facilitate the search for partners and the creation of consortia for applications for European funding (such as Erasmus+, Horizon, CERV, AMIF);
3. Comply with legal and financial obligations associated with the management of international partnerships;
4. Archiving and internal network statistics purposes;
5. Send communications about funding opportunities and networking activities via email.

4. “Sensitive” Data We do not collect or process sensitive data (ethnic origin, political opinions, health data, etc.). If, in the exceptional context of an in-person event, it is necessary to collect health data (e.g., food allergies), this will be done with explicit consent and solely for that specific purpose.

5. Retention Period
• We will retain your data for as long as the organization remains an active member of the network.
• To comply with the European Commission’s audit rules for funded projects, management and financial data will be retained for a period of up to 10 (ten) years.
• Data for marketing communications/newsletters will be retained until the user withdraws their consent.

6. Mandatory Consent Providing the data indicated in points 1 through 4 of section 3 is mandatory to join the network. Without this data, RightChallenge will not be able to formalize your participation in the Ocean Network. Consent to receive newsletters is optional.

7. Cookies Our website uses:
• Technical Cookies: Essential for navigation.
• Analytical Cookies: For anonymous audience measurement. Since you control your browser, you can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, although this may affect your experience on the site.

8. Sharing with Third Parties and International Transfers The organization’s public profile data (name, country, and website) is shared among members to foster networking. Private personal data may be shared with judicial or banking authorities to comply with legal obligations. As an international network, data may be accessed by network members located outside the European Economic Area. RightChallenge ensures that these communications follow the contractual safeguards required by the European Union.

9. Your Rights You may exercise your rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, or objection to processing at any time. To exercise these rights, send an email to geral@rightchallenge.org or a letter to our headquarters in Porto. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the National Data Protection Commission (CNPD).