Business lending appeals

As our commitment to helping support customers and their businesses, Clydesdale Bank will always consider an appeal for any unsuccessful application for business lending facilities when the following conditions are met.

Overview

How to make an appeal

Alternative sources of finance

FAQs

• You can appeal a business lending decision:

  • If your annual turnover is less than £25m.
  • If we declined an application for business lending facilities such as loans, overdrafts, business credit cards, invoice finance or asset finance.
  • If your appeal relates to an application which has been formally declined in writing within the previous 30 calendar days.

  You cannot appeal:

  • When lending may result in a breach of UK laws and international regulations or where a product may be used to evade tax.
  • If your existing lending is already subject to formal demand or enforcement or legal proceedings.
  • When your lending request has been declined due to insolvency or is currently within the bank’s support or recovery units.
  • Against the proposed costs of lending, such as interest rates, fees and costs or the standard terms and conditions.
  • You have already made an appeal against a lending decision.

• How to make an appeal:

  To appeal a Clydesdale Bank business lending decision, please complete and return a copy of the business lending appeals form (PDF, opens in a new window) to us by:

  Email to: businesslendingappeals@cybg.com

  Post to:

  Business Lending Appeals Manager,
  Box 26,
  30 St Vincent Place,
  Glasgow G1 2HL

  Alternatively, contact your relationship manager and request an appeal of the lending decision.

  What happens next?

  • You will receive written confirmation of the appeal.
  • An experienced lender, who was not involved in the original lending decision, will review your application to make sure that the appeal is handled objectively and fairly.
  • You will receive written notification of the outcome of the appeal within 30 calendar days of receipt of your appeal.

• Alternative sources of finance

  If, for any reason, you are unsuccessful in securing finance, there may be other sources of finance available to help your business. A good place to start is:

  • www.betterbusinessfinance.co.uk (opens in a new window) – information on other finance options including grants, equity and supplier finance.
  • www.cdfa.org.uk (opens in a new window) – information about local Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFI) who support businesses find credit.

• Frequently asked questions

  1. When should I appeal?
     An appeal can be made after you have received confirmation from the bank informing you that your lending application has been declined. Your appeal must be submitted within 30 calendar days from the date of this letter.
  2. How do I appeal?
     You can contact your relationship manager to request an appeal or, alternatively, complete and return a business lending appeal form to the Business Lending Appeals Manager at Clydesdale Bank. Your appeal should outline your reason(s) for appealing the lending decision and include any relevant supporting information.
  3. Are there any circumstances where I cannot appeal?
     There will be circumstances where we are unable to accept an appeal where lending has been declined. For example, when:
     • Lending may result in a breach of UK laws and international regulations or where a product may be used to evade tax.
     • Your lending request has been declined due to insolvency or is currently within the bank’s support or recovery units.
     • You are appealing against the proposed costs of lending, such as interest rates, fees and costs or the standard terms and conditions.
     • You have already appealed the decision to decline lending.
  4. What products are covered by the appeals process?
     All Clydesdale Bank business lending facilities are covered by the appeals process – eg, loans, overdrafts, credit cards, asset finance and invoice finance.
  5. If I appeal will the original decision be overturned?
     Requesting an appeal does not guarantee that the original lending decision will be overturned, but we guarantee that it will be reviewed by an experienced lender who was not involved in the original decision to ensure a fair and objective review of the application.
  6. If my appeal is unsuccessful how can you help me?
     If your appeal is unsuccessful, you can’t appeal that decision again but your relationship manager can provide you with information about other sources of finance that may be available to help your business. A good starting point is www.betterbusinessfinance.co.uk (opens in a new window).
  7. Why has the appeals process been set up?
     The business lending appeal process is an industry initiative, supported by the government, to give businesses confidence when they apply for lending. The appeals process provides businesses with the option of requesting an objective and fair review of their application by another experienced lender at the bank if it is declined.
  8. How can I be sure the appeal process is objective and fair?
     An independent auditor has been appointed by the British Bankers Association (BBA) to ensure that each participating bank is correctly following the process and that applications for business credit are always fair and objective. The auditor’s findings are publically available from the BBA.
  9. Can I appeal directly to the independent auditor?
     The independent auditor is not in a position to accept appeals directly from customers. Their role is to review our appeals processes to ensure it is objective and fair.