Marine Fund Scotland 2023 to 2024: guidance

Appeals

This section sets out what you should do if you wish to appeal a decision taken by us in connection with the Marine Fund Scotland 2023-24 and which directly relates to you or your organisation – for example, a decision about your application for Marine Fund Scotland funding, about a grant offer you or your organisation receives from the Scottish Ministers, or about a grant claim you or your organisation submit.

You have 28 working days from the date of the letter or email from us that notifies you or your organisation of the decision you wish to appeal, to ask us to review the decision and provide the reasons for your appeal. You can submit an appeal through the Marine Scotland Funding Portal, or in writing to us by email to MFS@gov.scot. An appeal can only be made on the basis of the information and supporting documents which were submitted to us in connection with and prior to the decision which is being appealed, for example, the information and supporting documents comprising your application or a specific grant claim. You cannot add new information at this stage which we were previously unable to consider at the time of making the decision which is being appealed.

An independent appeals officer (from within the Scottish Government's Marine Scotland Directorate but independent of the Marine Fund Scotland team and process) will then consider your appeal. If you are appealing a decision to decline your application for funding, the independent appeals officer will consider your application against the Marine Fund Scotland's eligibility and assessment criteria.

The appeal will either pass (which means the original decision is overturned) or the appeal will fail and the original decision will be upheld. We aim to notify you of the outcome of your appeal within 6 weeks of receiving it and what the next steps are, if your appeal is successful. If your appeal is unsuccessful, the appeal decision is final and no further correspondence will be entered into in respect of the appeal or the decision in question.

If your appeal against a decision to decline your application for funding is unsuccessful, you cannot re-apply on the basis of the same application details and supporting documents. However, you can still re-apply to the Marine Fund Scotland with a new application. Your new application will be considered without prejudice unless fraud or a serious offence has been committed.