Last updated: 8 July 2026

1. Who We Are

This Privacy Policy explains how Melville Sikorsky CA Limited, trading as the Melville Sikorsky Challenge Accelerator (“MSCA”, “we”, “us”, “our”), collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you visit our website mscaltd.com, apply to our competitions and acceleration programmes, interact with our advertising, or communicate with us.

 

Melville Sikorsky CA Limited is a private limited company registered in Scotland, United Kingdom (company number SC879177), with its registered office at 23 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7PE, Scotland, United Kingdom. Melville Sikorsky CA Limited is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

 

MSCA is a Ukrainian-Scottish initiative supporting innovative startups, operating in partnership with the Innovation Holding “Sikorsky Challenge” (Ukraine).

 

Contact: info@mscaltd.co.uk

 

We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) where applicable, and the Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection” where applicable.

2. Personal Data We Collect

Data you provide directly:

 

• Application data — when you apply to a competition or programme (including via Google Forms): name, email address, phone number, country, organisation or startup name, team information, and the contents of your application, including project descriptions and pitch materials.
• Lead form data — when you submit a lead form on Facebook or Instagram: name, email address, phone number, startup or project name, and chosen competition track.
• Communications — when you contact us by email, phone, social media, or in person: your contact details and the content of your correspondence.
• Event data — when you register for or attend our events (online or offline): registration details, and photographs or video recordings made at public events for documentation and promotional purposes.

 

Data collected automatically:

 

• Website usage data — technical information such as IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and referral source, collected via cookies and similar technologies (see Section 8).

 

We do not intentionally collect special category (sensitive) personal data and ask that you do not include it in your applications.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data and Legal Bases

Purpose	Legal basis
Reviewing and evaluating competition and programme applications; contacting applicants about their submissions	Steps prior to entering into a contract (Art. 6(1)(b)); legitimate interests
Organising competitions, finals, and related events, including finalist selection and prize administration	Contract performance; legitimate interests
Presenting finalist projects to expert councils, mentors, investors, and partners as part of the competition process	Legitimate interests (this is a core, disclosed purpose of the competition)
Sending you information about our competitions, programmes, and ecosystem opportunities	Consent; legitimate interests in respect of existing participants (with opt-out in every message)
Responding to enquiries	Legitimate interests
Measuring and improving our website and advertising	Consent (cookies); legitimate interests
Complying with legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations	Legal obligation
Publishing event photography, video, and finalist announcements	Legitimate interests; consent where required

4. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it with:

 

• Ecosystem partners — the Innovation Holding “Sikorsky Challenge” and Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine ecosystem entities involved in organising and delivering our programmes;
• Expert councils, judges, mentors, and investors — application and pitch materials are shared with them for evaluation and, for finalists, for investment discussions — this is an inherent part of participating in our competitions;
• Service providers — providers of hosting, form and survey tools (e.g. Google), advertising and social media platforms (e.g. Meta Platforms), email and communication services, acting on our instructions;
• Legal and regulatory authorities — where required by law.

 

Where lead forms are used on Facebook or Instagram, Meta Platforms also processes your data as described in Meta’s own Privacy Policy.

5. International Data Transfers

Because MSCA operates between the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and the European Union, your personal data may be transferred between these jurisdictions. Where we transfer personal data outside the UK or EEA, we rely on applicable adequacy decisions or appropriate safeguards, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or EU Standard Contractual Clauses, and take reasonable measures to ensure your data remains protected.

6. How Long We Keep Your Data

We keep personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described above:

 

• Application and lead data — for the duration of the relevant competition cycle and up to 3 years afterwards, to inform you about future programmes and follow up on acceleration opportunities, unless you object earlier;
• Correspondence — up to 3 years after the last interaction;
• Data required for legal, tax, or accounting purposes — for the periods required by law.

 

You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 7).

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you have the right to:

 

• access the personal data we hold about you;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
• request erasure of your data;
• restrict or object to processing, including processing based on legitimate interests;
• receive your data in a portable format;
• withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent (this does not affect processing carried out before withdrawal);
• unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time via the link in any email or by contacting us.

 

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@mscaltd.co.uk. We will respond within one month.

 

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority: the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK (ico.org.uk), your local data protection authority in the EU/EEA, or the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Ukraine.

8. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies:

 

• Essential cookies — required for the website to function; these do not require consent;
• Analytics cookies — may be used to understand how visitors use our website (e.g. Google Analytics);
• Advertising cookies and pixels — may be used to measure the effectiveness of our advertising and build audiences (e.g. Meta Pixel).

 

Non-essential cookies are used only with your consent where required by law. You can manage or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time; this may affect some website functionality.

9. Data Security

We apply appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction, including access controls and the use of reputable service providers. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, but we work to protect your data in line with industry practice.

10. Children

Our website, competitions, and advertising are directed at adults (18+). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website and communications may contain links to third-party websites and services (including application forms hosted by Google and social media platforms). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. Significant changes may be additionally communicated by email or through our website.

13. Contact Us

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data:

 

Melville Sikorsky CA Limited (MSCA) 23 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7PE, Scotland, United Kingdom Email: info@mscaltd.co.uk