Privacy notice for suppliers and providers

This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, share and use personal information about our suppliers and providers.

This includes personal information about sole traders, representatives, employees or contact people of our suppliers and providers.

Respecting your information

We are committed to respecting your information and keeping it safe. We know your information is very important and take our commitment seriously.

We have processes, systems and safeguards in place. These control how we collect, manage and use your information. This helps us use your information appropriately and keep it safe.

Collecting your information

We collect your personal information so we can:

  • contact you
  • identify you
  • conduct due diligence
  • assess risk
  • comply with privacy and legal obligations
  • confirm you can deliver services securely and effectively.

We collect your personal information when we have a proper legal basis, such as:

  • to take pre-contractual steps
  • to fulfil our obligations in our contract
  • to comply with our legal or regulatory obligations
  • to manage our relationship with you
  • to prevent or investigate allegations of fraud, criminal activity and compliance breaches
  • to meet our corporate and social responsibility objectives
  • when we already have your consent to collect it
  • when we are permitted or required by law to do so.

How we collect your information

We collect information directly from you when you:

  • talk to us over the phone
  • meet us in person
  • communicate with us online
  • save or submit applications as part of a procurement and/or accreditation process.

We also collect information indirectly from:

  • public sources (for example public registers, government publications, news articles, internet searches)
  • third parties (for example references, professional organisations, law enforcement agencies, banks and financial institutions)
  • Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS).

We'll notify you if we collect your personal information from someone other than you, unless an exception applies, such as:

  • your personal information is publicly available
  • notifying you would prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand, or the international relations of the government
  • notifying you would reveal a trade secret
  • notifying you would cause a serious threat to the health or safety of the public or another person.

Types of information we collect

The types of personal information we collect depends on the product or service you provide.

We may collect:

  • contact details (for example, name, address, telephone numbers, email address, job title)
  • professional details (for example, experience, education, training, professional certifications)
  • financial information (for example, bank details, tax records, insurance, payroll, assets)
  • identification documents (for example, passport, driver’s licence, tax file number)
  • records of meetings, conversations and communications (for example, file notes, emails, call recordings)
  • footage of you from CCTV at our offices
  • general user information and location-based data (for example your internet protocol address, browser type, internet service provider details, and other technical information) when you visit our websites and portals.

Using your information

We use your personal information for specific purposes. These specific purposes may be things like:

  • doing background checks before we engage you as a supplier or service provider
  • contacting you to ask questions or get information about your services and products
  • making sure our records are accurate and up to date if you, your employees or contractors are working on our facilities
  • paying and administering invoices
  • complying with our legal obligations.

We may use your personal information for other purposes. We only do this when it directly relates to the purpose your personal information was originally collected for, such as:

  • to organise tenders and do contract-preparation tasks
  • to give you access to our facilities or technology (when necessary) so you can do contracted services
  • to manage our technology resources (for example, cyber-risk management, infrastructure management and business continuity)
  • to ensure compliance (for example, complying with our policies and legal requirements, tax and deductions, investigating and/or managing alleged cases of misconduct or fraud, conducting audits and participating in litigation)
  • for archiving and record-keeping.

We may also use your personal information for statistical or analytical purposes. This is only done for legal functions. When we use your personal information in this way, we make sure you cannot be identified. We do this through:

  • Anonymisation: All personally identifiable information (for example name or address) is removed
  • Aggregation: Your information is grouped together with other peoples' information
  • Confidentialisation: We take confidentiality steps to protect your information.

Sharing your information

Sometimes we need to share your information with people or organisations outside of the Ministry of Social Development.

We share your information when:

  • our reason for sharing matches the reason we collected it
  • we have a specific legal reason
  • you give us permission to share it.

Managing your information

To see your information, or correct anything that's not right, contact your contract manager or relationship manager.

Questions or concerns

If you have a question about your personal information held by MSD, or a concern about how we've handled your information, you can:

If you would like to make a complaint, you can email our Privacy Officer at PrivacyOfficer@msd.govt.nz