Privacy Policy

We collect the information you provide when you use this site and apply to or are nominated for PIC programs. This typically includes:

• Your name, email address, and any contact details you enter.
• Organization or company information, your role, and areas of expertise.
• Application or nomination content, including project descriptions and answers to intake questions.
• Files you upload, such as white papers, supporting documents, and attachments.
• Whether you chose to join our email list, if the form you used offered that option.
• Basic technical and usage information (for example, standard server logs) needed to operate the site securely.

Do not include confidential or proprietary information in a submission unless PIC separately requests it under an approved process — the application form asks you to acknowledge exactly this, and the Release and Authorization Agreement provides that submissions are not received in confidence.

We use the information you provide to administer the PIC innovation intake and review process. That includes reviewing applications and nominations, coordinating reviewer and committee evaluation, communicating with you about your submission, and operating and improving the site. We do not use your application materials for unrelated purposes.

Some forms on this site (for example, reviewer sign-up) let you choose to receive PIC email updates. This is opt-in only: we add you to the email list when you check that box, and not otherwise. We record when and through which form you opted in, we use the list for PIC program news and updates, and you can leave the list at any time by contacting us below or using the unsubscribe option in our emails. Declining or unsubscribing has no effect on your application, nomination, or reviewer participation.

How application materials are handled is governed by the Release and Authorization Agreement accepted at submission. Under that agreement, proposals are not received in confidence — PIC has no obligation to keep a submission or its contents confidential — and materials may be accessed by or shared with program participants: Greater Akron Chamber and PIC staff, Bounce Innovation Hub, assigned reviewers and committee members (subject to conflict-of-interest rules that restrict access when a reviewer has a competing interest), the people who make funding decisions, and potential funding partners.

Applicant materials are private, not public: we do not publish your uploaded files or application content on the public site, and access in practice is limited to the people above. Reviewer-nomination information (name, contact details, background links) is used by PIC staff to evaluate and onboard reviewers. We may disclose information where required by law.

We keep application, nomination, and account information for as long as needed to administer the program, evaluate submissions, meet reporting and record-keeping obligations, and support related program follow-up. If you would like materials removed sooner, contact us below and we will review the request against our record-keeping obligations.

The intake site stores data in Supabase, an access-controlled hosted database and file storage service. Uploaded application files are kept in private storage and are not served through public links. Access is limited to authorized PIC staff and assigned reviewers under role-based permissions. No system can be guaranteed to be perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect the information you provide.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for third-party advertising. Any partners or service providers who help us operate the program may only use the information to provide services to PIC.

If you hold an account on this site (for example, as a reviewer), you can see the contact information PIC holds about you on your account page and request corrections from there. Anyone can ask what information we hold about them, or request a correction, using the contact below.

We may update this policy as the program and the site evolve. When we make meaningful changes, we will update the “Last updated” date above.

Questions about this policy or your information can be directed to the PIC team at the Greater Akron Chamber: hgerenday@greaterakronchamber.org. Mailing address: The Polymer Industry Cluster, c/o Greater Akron Chamber, 388 S Main St #205, Akron, OH 44311.