Policy Statement

GiGL charges partners and clients for access to its services [1]. Charges are set at a level that should not be a barrier to accessing the services, but that recognise the expertise that goes in to creating, maintaining and delivering the services that are available. The charges also recognise the economic and environmental benefits of the services and associated insights to end users.

As a community interest company, GiGL uses surplus and assets for the public good, specifically for the good of the community it was set up to serve. We invest in systems, staff and premises to make GiGL a more viable enterprise, and what we do of greater value to stakeholders. Charging also enables us to provide free services, at our discretion, to the public, students, voluntary organisations and staffed organisations with a lower turnover than ours.

We are seeking to increase surplus to fund the mobilisation of existing data and the generation of new data about the natural environment through collaboration with key stakeholders.

Charging:

The following charging structures aim to achieve full cost recovery and generate a profit:

Clients

GiGL will charge all organisations and individuals that need access to GiGL services[2] to carry out commercial work, work that is grant-funded, or that will generate income in future[3]

Partners

GiGL provides partners and their contractors (by arrangement) with licenced access to the suite of enhanced datasets that it manages, and access to value added services. This is done via a service level agreement, or a data sharing agreement.

GiGL charges a minimum annual fee based on the partner organisation’s geographic coverage, and agreements run from April to March.

Payment Terms

Payment is due within 30 days of the invoice date. Late payment will result in the withdrawal of services and an administration fee may also be charged.

Where projects necessitate the involvement of our system developers we will pass on the cost of their involvement and charge the project management to the client, partner or affiliate.

[1] In accordance with national guidance, GiGL does not attach a financial value to the data it manages, nor does it pay for or provide a reduced fee in return for access to data from third parties. None of the charges are based on any real or implied financial value of the data that we provide access to on behalf of the data owners.
[2] Please speak to a member of staff for further information on how to involve GiGL in your projects at the appropriate stage, and see our access to data policy for conditions of service provision.
[3] We ask that you consult with GiGL prior to applying for a grant in order to include an appropriate amount of funding for our work on your project, including funded research. This also includes projects that will result in an income for the individual or organisation on completion, such as research for books and  exhibitions