Other appeals or complaints?
The following information refers to the Grants Committee of the Gaelic Books Council. For questions or concerns regarding other Gaelic Books Council initiatives, policies and practices, please email, in the first instance, our Director, Alison Lang alison AT gaelicbooks DOT org or write to: Alison Lang, Director, The Gaelic Books Council, 32 Mansfield Street Glasgow G11 5QP Scotland.
Grants Committee
The Grants Committee meets quarterly to decide upon funding with regard to commission and publication grant applications received by the Gaelic Books Council. The committee comprises three unpaid, voluntary Gaelic Books Council Board members, currently: Shona Henderson, Peigi MacVicar and Aonghas MacCoinnich (This information regarding membership of the Grants Committee was last updated on 31st July 2025). Applications to the Grants Committee are administered by the Literature and Publishing Department of the Gaelic Books Council.
Can I appeal a Grants Committee decision?
Following a Grants Committee meeting, we appreciate that you may be disappointed if the decision on your application is not what you hoped for. If your concern relates solely or primarily to the financial outcome of a Grants Committee decision – rather than the way they have taken it – please note that we shall not enter into discussion about any disagreement you have with the level of funding awarded (or a decision not to award funding).
We will not discuss (or entertain speculation as to) the opinions of individual members on the Committee. Decisions are collective. Information about individual opinions or remarks at Grants Committee meetings is not kept on file. Key considerations or requests pertaining to an application approved for funding will be outlined in any letter of offer.
There may be instances when we can reconsider a decision by the Grants Committee, particularly if we find we have made mistakes that have materially affected the outcome or the decision-making process.
When should I use the Grants Committee appeals process?
You should use the appeals process if you think that the Grants Committee, or members of staff dealing with the Grants Committee, have been involved in the following:
• delaying a decision unreasonably
• making procedural mistakes or failing to follow agreed Gaelic Books Council processes
• providing you with incorrect advice or information
• not treating you politely
• unlawfully discriminating against you or the publisher associated with your application.
If you are unsure as to whether your experience with us relates to any of these areas, please contact the Literature and Publishing department in the first instance, who will be happy to try and help. The current first point of contact is John Storey: please use email john AT gaelicbooks DOT org
How do I submit my complaint?
STAGE 1 – APPEALS RELATING TO A GRANTS COMMITTEE DECISION
If you feel your grant application has been dealt with inappropriately (within the context of the above criteria) please send a short introductory email within fourteen (14) days of the date of your letter of offer. If you have not received a letter of offer – if your application has been declined and you feel that you have reasonable grounds for appeal – you also have 14 days to notify us if you want to discuss taking the matter forward. Please email: john AT gaelicbooks DOT org
On receipt of your email, we will contact you to arrange an initial conversation regarding your query or complaint. This will normally be done by phone or face-to-face. If the matter cannot be resolved at this stage, you are welcome to consider making a formal written appeal if you think you have grounds for an appropriate complaint. Any formal written appeals should be received by the Gaelic Books Council within twenty-eight (28) days of the date of the initial conversation outlined above.
In your formal written appeal, you should set out the facts as clearly as possible, and include the following information:
• Briefly, what the complaint is about – the grant application in question
• Relevant dates
• Who originally dealt with the matter
• Any relevant concerns, and what you would like to happen to remedy the situation.
Confidentiality and respect
We keep all complaints and appeals confidential. If you make a complaint or appeal, we will treat you with respect, and we expect you to treat our staff and Board in the same manner.
Sending your formal appeal
Please send to John Storey by email: john AT gaelicbooks DOT org. The Head of Literature and Publishing will then discuss your appeal with the Director of the Gaelic Books Council and we will endeavour to return to you within 28 days.
We hope that we can settle appeals as quickly as possible.
STAGE 2 – APPEALS RELATING TO A GRANTS COMMITTEE DECISION
If you are still not satisfied following the initial discussions and after having received written notification from us at the end of Stage 1, or if you feel that the matter has not been resolved to your satisfaction, you should notify us again in writing, within 14 days of receiving our Stage 1 response.
We will refer your appeal to the Gaelic Books Council Board of Directors, who will deal with the matter accordingly. To preserve the independent integrity of the decision-making process, Grants Committee members will not be included in any Board decision regarding an appeal (they may be consulted on factual information regarding the initial decision, but they will be excluded from the final decision regarding re-appraisal of the application).
The Board’s decision will be final.
Further Information
A Scottish Gaelic version of this information is available by viewing this page in Gaelic (use the drop down language menu at top of page: change to “Gàidhlig”).
This document was last updated on 31/07/2025
Please email john AT gaelicbooks DOT org if you have any further questions.
