Big issue Group: Stakeholders Grievance Policy Procedure
Policy Number: COM001
Updated: March 2026
Purpose and Scope
Big Issue Group (BIG) is committed to transparency and accountability. We recognize that our
operations effect many people, including our staff, customers, vendors, and the wider
community. This policy provides a clear way for any person or group (stakeholders) to raise a
concern about our work, conduct, or impact.
The purpose of this policy is to set out how Big Issue Group receives, manages, investigates and
resolves complaints and grievances raised by stakeholders about our activities, decisions,
conduct or impact.
This policy explains how anyone affected by our work can raise a complaint or concern, and how
we will respond — fairly, transparently and without fear of disadvantage. We want to ensure that
every voice is heard and that we learn from complaints to improve our social and environmental
performance.
Our commitment
We are committed to:
- Treating all complaints seriously, respectfully and without bias
- Making it easy for people to raise concerns, including those who may face barriers to
access - Investigating concerns proportionately and independently
- Providing clear explanations and, where appropriate, remedy
- Using complaints and feedback to improve our services, decisions and impact
- Ensuring no one is disadvantaged or treated unfairly for raising a concern in good faith
This approach reflects our responsibility to our stakeholders and the communities affected by
our work.
Who can raise a grievance?
Anyone affected by Big Issue Group’s activities may raise a complaint, including:
- Full-time, part-time, and casual employees.
- Freelance contractors and agency workers.
- Big Issue vendors.
- Big Issue Recruit candidates.
- Big Issue Invest investees.
- All other customers and consumers.
- Suppliers and business partners.
- Community members and groups affected by our operations.
If you are an employee and your concern relates to your employment (e.g. conduct,
capability, working relationships or contractual matters), please refer to the BIG Grievance
Procedure on how to raise a complaint.
What can be reported?
A grievance is any problem, concern, or complaint about BIG’. that might relate to actions or
decisions taken by the Group; behaviour or conduct; services, products or communications;
social or environmental or community impact.
- This my included, but not limited to: Environmental impact: Such as waste management or
carbon footprint. - Social impact: Such as the way we support vendors and other customers.
- Business conduct: Such as unfair treatment of suppliers or ethical concerns.
- Service quality: Such as issues with our products or digital platforms.
How to Submit a Grievance
To ensure this process is accessible, stakeholders can submit a grievance through the following
public channels:
● Email
○ For vendor related matters: vendor.comments@bigissue.com
○ For all other complaints: complaints@bigissue.com
● Call: 020 7526 3200
● Post: Complaints, Big Issue Group, 113-115 Fonthill Road, London, N4 3HH
When submitting a grievance, please provide:
- A clear description of what happened.
- The date and location of the incident.
- Names of any people involved or witnesses.
- Your desired outcome or how you believe the matter should be resolved.
What happens next?
We will handle every grievance through these four clear steps
1: We acknowledge your complaint
We will send you a confirmation that we have received your grievance s the confirmation will give
you the case reference number and the name of the person that will be managing your case.
2: We will review your complaint
We will review if the grievance relates to the Big Issue Group’s work and if it falls within the scope
of this policy.
- Accepted Grievances: If the issue relates to BIG’s operations, we will move the complaint to
the investigation stage. - Non-Accepted Grievances: If we cannot accept the grievance, we will write to you and
explain why. Reasons for non-acceptance include, but are not limited to:
○ The matter is already the subject of legal proceedings.
○ The issue does not relate to BIG’s actions, staff, or operations.
○ The complaint is malicious or lacks any supporting information.
3: Investigation
We will investigate the complaint and, if necessary, we will conduct interviews or meetings with
the relevant people to discuss the matter further. These can be carried out in person or via
phone/video call as necessary. 4: Decision and Outcome After the investigation has been
concluded, we will provide a written decision. This will explain our findings and any actions we will
take as a result.
We aim to provide the final decision within 30 working days of the initial acknowledgment. If a
matter is complex and needs more time, we will explain why and keep you informed.
If you are not satisfied
If you are unhappy with the outcome, you can ask us to review the decision. Appeals must be
submitted in writing within 10 working days of receiving our response
An appeal must state:
- The specific grounds for the appeal (e.g., new evidence or a failure to follow this process).
- Why you believe the original decision was incorrect. An independent senior manager or director who was not involved in the first stage will hear the appeal. Their decision is final.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
We treat all grievances with discretion. We will only share details with those who need to know to
investigate or resolve the issue. We handle all personal data in line with the Data Protection Act
2018 and our Privacy Policy.
Making a complaint will not affect your relationship with Big Issue Group. We value feedback and
use it to improve our work.