Bitwoded Management Consultancy (collectively, “Bitwoded,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a professional management consultancy firm based in Ethiopia. This Policy governs how we collect, use, share, and protect personal data through our website and related consultancy services.

Jurisdictional Compliance: As Bitwoded is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we comply with the Personal Data Protection Proclamation No. 1321/2024 (PDPP). Given our international outreach and client base, we also adhere to the standards of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for EU/EEA residents and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for California residents, where applicable.

We collect several types of data for specified purposes, primarily through direct input from clients and users:

• Identity and Contact Data: We collect information such as your name, email address, phone number, physical address, and organizational affiliation when you submit a project inquiry, request a consultation, or subscribe to our insights.

• Professional and Project Data: For clients or prospective partners, we collect detailed organizational information, including business objectives, operational capacity, and supporting documentation necessary for consultancy engagement.

• Technical and Usage Data: When you visit our website, we automatically collect basic usage data, including your IP address, browser type, pages viewed, and time spent on the site. This is collected using cookies and analytics services to improve our digital experience.

• Financial/Transaction Data (Crucial Clarification): WE DO NOT COLLECT OR STORE SENSITIVE BANKING DATA THROUGH THE WEBSITE. For any service payments made via external web applications of local banks (such as the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE)), Bitwoded never processes or stores your bank account details or credit card numbers. The bank’s privacy policy governs your transaction once you leave the Bitwoded site.

We process your Personal Data only when we have a legal basis to do so, which includes:

• Contractual Necessity: To manage and fulfill our obligations related to consultancy agreements and service delivery.

• Legitimate Interests: To operate and improve Bitwoded’s services, conduct internal business analyses, and protect our organization against fraud.

• Consent: To send you updates, newsletters, and communications regarding our consultancy services and industry insights. You have the right to withdraw this consent at any time.

• Legal Obligation: To comply with mandatory financial and regulatory reporting requirements under Ethiopian law.

Bitwoded maintains a strict policy of not selling, renting, or leasing your Personal Data to any third parties. We share data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We engage third-party companies to perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting and email delivery. These providers are bound by strict confidentiality obligations.

• Legal Compliance: We will disclose Personal Data when required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, including cooperating with the Ethiopian PDPP Authority.

As Bitwoded is legally registered in Ethiopia, all collected data is stored and processed within the country. When collecting data from international clients, this transfer is necessary to fulfill our consultancy mission. For data transfers from the EU/EEA, Bitwoded commits to implementing appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), to ensure data protection consistent with GDPR requirements.

You have rights concerning your Personal Data under both the Ethiopian PDPP and the GDPR, including the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

• Rectification: Request the correction of any incomplete or inaccurate data.

• Erasure (‘Right to be Forgotten’): Request the deletion of your data under certain conditions.

• Restriction: Object to or request the restriction of processing for specific purposes.

We implement technical and organizational measures to protect your Personal Data from unauthorized access or misuse. We retain your Personal Data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

For any questions, concerns, or to exercise your data rights, please contact the Bitwoded Data Compliance Team:

Bitwoded Management Consultancy Address: Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Email: bitwodedconsultancy@gmail.com

Phone: +251 918069736

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. The “Last Updated” date at the top of this page will indicate the latest revision. We encourage you to review this Policy regularly.