Data Protection

DPO as a Service

A named Data Protection Officer, delivered remotely and virtually. An outsourced DPO appointed on professional qualities as GDPR Article 37 requires. Your DPO's contact details are published and notified to your supervisory authority from day one. Outsource the DPO role and stay compliant without an in-house hire.

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Overview

Many organisations are required to appoint a Data Protection Officer but cannot justify a full-time in-house hire. DPO as a Service delivers the role on a retained basis: a named, qualified officer recorded on your organisation's privacy documentation and notified to your supervisory authority. This is an outsourced DPO arrangement, not a consultancy retainer. Your organisation gets a named individual in the DPO role, with the accountability and contact details the EU GDPR requires.

GDPR Article 37 requires the DPO to be appointed on the basis of professional qualities, in particular expert knowledge of data protection law and practice and the ability to fulfil the DPO role. A specific certification is not mandatory under the regulation. We bring qualified privacy professionals with the knowledge and experience the role demands. The DPO must be independent, must not receive instructions regarding the exercise of their DPO functions, and must not have a conflict of interest with other duties they perform. Our outsourced DPO arrangement is structured to meet all of these requirements.

The regulation also requires the DPO's contact details to be published and communicated to your supervisory authority. We handle both from day one. On data protection impact assessments (DPIAs), the DPO provides advice and review as GDPR Article 35 requires. The final decision and risk acceptance sit with you as the controller or business owner. Privacy by design principles inform the advice we provide on new data processing activities. We document the advice clearly so your governance trail is complete.

An external DPO or outsourced data protection officer is a cost-effective way for an organisation to meet its GDPR compliance obligations without the overhead of a senior in-house hire. The DPO service provides data privacy expertise, monitoring of compliance with data protection laws and regulations, and a named contact for your supervisory authority and for data subjects. UK GDPR imposes equivalent DPO requirements for organisations operating under UK law. We advise on both EU and UK GDPR obligations as part of the service.

What’s included

A named DPO recorded on your organisation's privacy policy, DPA register, and records of processing
Contact details published and notified to your supervisory authority per GDPR Article 37
Independent monitoring of your data protection compliance
Data protection impact assessment (DPIA) advisory and review under GDPR Article 35
Privacy by design advisory on new data processing activities
Data Processing Agreement (DPA) management and register
Data breach notification readiness and regulator liaison
Data subject rights and data subject access requests support
Staff guidance on personal data handling and data privacy best practice
Cyber security and data security advisory aligned to your privacy obligations
Conflict of interest management as required by GDPR Article 38

How we work

01
Appoint
We assign a named, qualified DPO, record them on your organisation's documentation, and publish their contact details and notify your supervisory authority as the regulation requires. The outsourced DPO is the contact point for both your supervisory authority and for data subjects from the point of appointment.
02
Establish
We review your data processing activities, assess the risk landscape, and set the rhythm of monitoring and compliance reporting. Where the organisation has not yet carried out a data protection assessment, we cover that ground as part of onboarding.
03
Advise and monitor
We provide DPIA advice and review, manage your DPA register, monitor compliance independently, and support data subject rights and data subject access requests. Privacy program governance, personal data handling guidance, and privacy by design advice are provided on an ongoing basis. The DPO must be involved in all issues relating to the protection of personal data, and we structure the engagement to make that practical.
04
Respond
We keep your data breach process ready and act as the contact point for your supervisory authority and for data subjects if an incident or regulatory query arises. Data breach notification obligations are time-critical, and having an experienced data protection officer on retainer means you are not scrambling to find expert advice when it matters most.

What you get

A named outsourced DPO notified to your supervisory authority with published contact details
Monitoring and periodic compliance reporting for the organisation
DPIA advice and documented review records
DPA register and data breach response support
Data subject access requests handling and staff guidance
Privacy compliance reporting and privacy by design advisory

Delivered remotely and virtually

This DPO service is delivered remotely and virtually. If your organisation specifically requires an on-site DPO, that is outside the scope of this service. We will tell you plainly rather than accept a brief we cannot fulfil.

Certification is not required by GDPR

GDPR Article 37 requires the DPO to be appointed on the basis of professional qualities, expert knowledge of data protection law and practice, and the ability to perform the role. It does not require a specific certification. Our DPOs meet that standard. Privacy certifications exist and can add assurance, but they are not a regulatory requirement for appointing a data protection officer.

The controller owns the decision

On DPIAs and risk, the DPO provides advice and review under GDPR Article 35. The final decision and risk acceptance sit with you as the controller or business owner. A DPIA should be signed off by the business as a governance and accountability control. GDPR does not require a specific certification or a formal DPO signature on a DPIA. We document the advice; you make the call.

Frequently asked questions

Are your DPOs certified?

GDPR does not require a DPO to hold a certification. Article 37 requires appointment based on professional qualities and expert knowledge of data protection law and practice. Our DPOs meet that standard. Some hold privacy certifications, which can add useful assurance, but the regulation does not mandate them when appointing a data protection officer.

Is the DPO on-site or remote?

This DPO service is delivered remotely and virtually. If you specifically need an on-site DPO, this service is not the right fit and we will tell you so clearly rather than accept a brief we cannot deliver on.

Does the DPO sign off our DPIAs and accept risk on our behalf?

No. The DPO advises on and reviews DPIAs under GDPR Article 35, but the final decision and risk acceptance remain with you as the controller. A DPIA should be signed off by the business as a governance and accountability control. GDPR does not require a specific certification or a formal DPO signature on a DPIA. We document the advice clearly so your governance trail holds up.

Does the DPO need to be notified to our supervisory authority?

Yes. GDPR requires the DPO's contact details to be published and communicated to your supervisory authority. We handle both from the point of appointment. The DPO must also be accessible to data subjects who may need to exercise their rights or raise concerns about how their personal data is handled.

When does GDPR require us to appoint a DPO?

Article 37 sets out three situations: you are a public authority or body; your core activities require large-scale, regular, and systematic monitoring of data subjects; or your core activities involve large-scale processing of special category or criminal offence data. If you are unsure whether you fall into one of these categories, a data protection assessment or a scoping call with us is the right first step.

What is the difference between an outsourced DPO and an external DPO?

The terms are often used interchangeably. An external DPO or outsourced DPO is a qualified data protection officer provided by an external organisation rather than employed directly. An outsourced data protection officer fulfils the same GDPR obligations as an in-house DPO. The key requirement is that the DPO must be independent, must not have a conflict of interest, and must have expert knowledge of data protection law and practice. Our DPO service meets all of these conditions.

Can you also handle data subject access requests?

Yes. Data subject access requests are one of the DPO functions we cover as part of the service. We support your team in handling requests within the statutory timeframe, advise on exemptions and redactions where applicable, and document the response process so your governance trail is complete. Data subject rights management is a core part of data privacy compliance.

What about data protection and information security together?

Data protection and information security are closely related but distinct obligations. As your outsourced DPO, we advise on the privacy and data protection side: what personal data you collect, on what basis, with what safeguards, and how to handle data subject rights and data breach notifications. Cyber security controls, such as access management, encryption, and network security, are implemented by your own teams. Where a data breach or security incident has privacy implications, we coordinate the response and manage regulator liaison.