Who we are

Benchmark is a pre-launch verified benefits and discount scheme for UK construction professionals, operated by Jonathan Christie, trading as Benchmark. Our website is benchmarkcard.co.uk and you can contact us at [email protected].

We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a data controller. Our ICO registration number is ZC121774, registered on 12 April 2026 and valid until 11 April 2027.

What information we collect

When you sign up via our early access form, we collect:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Your trade or role in construction
• Your employment status (employed, self-employed, contractor, or director)
• Whether you currently hold a construction skills card such as CSCS, ECS, or CPCS (yes, no, expired, or applied for — no card number is collected at this stage)

If you choose to join our optional WhatsApp group, your phone number and display name will be visible to other members of that group. Joining the WhatsApp group is entirely optional — you can receive all Benchmark communications by email only.

We do not collect any financial information, payment details, or sensitive personal data at this stage.

Why we collect it and what we do with it

We collect this information for one purpose: to build and launch Benchmark as a service that genuinely serves the construction industry.

Specifically, we use your information to:

• Keep you updated on Benchmark's progress and launch date
• Contact you with your founding member discount before we launch publicly
• Understand which trades and employment types are most represented in our early interest list, so we can build the right partnerships
• Demonstrate audience size and profile to potential retail and commercial partners — we only ever share aggregated, anonymised data for this purpose. No individual's name, email, or personal details are shared with any third party without your explicit consent
• Send you occasional relevant updates — never more than a few times a month

We will never use your information to send unrelated marketing, sell advertising space, or share your personal details with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

Our legal basis for processing your data

Under UK GDPR, we process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interests — specifically, our legitimate interest in building a product and communicating its progress to people who have expressed interest in it.

By submitting the sign-up form, you are also providing consent to be contacted about Benchmark. You can withdraw that consent at any time by emailing [email protected].

WhatsApp group membership

Benchmark operates an optional WhatsApp group for members who want to connect with other trades and receive informal updates. Participation is entirely voluntary.

If you choose to join the WhatsApp group, please be aware that:

• Your display name and phone number will be visible to other members of the group
• WhatsApp's own privacy policy and terms apply to your use of the platform
• You can leave the group at any time without affecting your Benchmark membership or email communications

If you would prefer to receive Benchmark communications by email only, simply do not join the WhatsApp group. All important updates, launch information, and founding member communications will be sent by email regardless.

How we store your data

Your information is stored securely in Google Sheets and Tally (our form provider), both of which are GDPR-compliant platforms with appropriate data processing agreements in place.

We do not store any of your data on local devices or unencrypted systems. Access to your data is restricted to the Benchmark team only.

How long we keep your data

We will keep your information for as long as Benchmark is operating and you remain on our list. If Benchmark does not launch, or if you ask us to remove you, we will delete your data within 30 days of that request.

Sharing your data

We do not sell, trade, or share your personal data with third parties, except in the following limited circumstances:

• With our platform providers (Google, Tally) purely to operate our service — they act as data processors under our instruction and are bound by their own GDPR-compliant policies
• In aggregated, anonymised form with potential retail and commercial partners to demonstrate audience size and profile — no individual is identifiable from this data
• If required to do so by law or a regulatory authority

When Benchmark launches and you become a member, we may need to share limited verification data with partner retailers to confirm your membership status. We will notify you clearly before that happens and update this policy accordingly.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Ask us to correct any inaccurate information
• Ask us to delete your data (the right to be forgotten)
• Withdraw your consent to be contacted at any time
• Object to the way we are processing your data
• Request that we restrict processing of your data
• Lodge a complaint with the ICO (ico.org.uk) if you believe your data is being mishandled

To exercise any of these rights, email us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

Cookies

Our early access landing page does not currently use tracking cookies or analytics scripts. If this changes, we will update this policy and add a cookie notice to the site before doing so.

Changes to this policy

We will update this policy as Benchmark develops — particularly when we launch and begin processing membership data. The date at the top of this page will always reflect when it was last updated. If we make significant changes, we will let you know by email.

Contact us

If you have any questions about how we handle your data, or want to exercise any of your rights, get in touch: