Why Gaelic Agencies Overlook Small Businesses – And Why That Needs to Change

The revival of Scottish Gaelic is often held up as a cultural triumph—but for many Gaelic-speaking entrepreneurs, building a sustainable business in this space is anything but easy.

While public money supports a wide range of Gaelic projects, non-funded, independent businesses often find themselves invisible and unsupported. In this post, we explore why small Gaelic businesses are overlooked by national agencies—and what must change if we want a truly thriving Gaelic economy.

The Core Problem: A Disconnect Between Policy and Enterprise

Gaelic agencies like Bòrd na Gàidhlig, MG Alba, and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig were designed to promote language preservation and access, not business development. As a result, their systems and support structures are geared toward public institutions and nonprofits, not entrepreneurs or creators.

Let’s break it down.

1. Funding Bias Toward Public and Nonprofit Projects

Most Gaelic agency funding goes to:

• Local councils

• Schools and colleges

• Community groups

• Cultural festivals

• Media initiatives (e.g. BBC Alba)

This means independent businesses—especially digital or for-profit ones—are excluded by default.

✅ Community-led? You’re in.❌ Profit-making? You’re out.

2. Grant Criteria That Don’t Fit Entrepreneurs

To access most funding, projects must:

• Focus solely on Gaelic

• Demonstrate community impact

• Show measurable language preservation outcomes

• Often have charitable status

These criteria don’t reflect the realities of modern Gaelic businesses, which may be digital-first, blended with coaching or travel, or designed for global learners.

3. Risk Aversion in the Ecosystem

Gaelic agencies tend to:

• Stick with what they know

• Avoid risk or controversy

• Support legacy institutions

  
  

This means they’re often slow to support:

• Creators on social media

• Digital course providers

• Language coaches

• Tourism startups using Gaelic

  
  

Commercial innovation is seen as risky, even when it helps the language thrive in new contexts.

4. No Economic Strategy for Gaelic Growth

Most Gaelic development is based on a language survival model, not an economic growth model.

That means:

• Tourism, education, business, and tech are siloed.

• No clear roadmap exists for a Gaelic-speaking economy.

• Digital products and services fall through the cracks.

  
  

Without a strategy to support Gaelic as a viable career path, we’re limiting its future.

5. Visibility Gatekeeping

Agencies tend to only promote the projects they fund or run. That means:

• High-quality Gaelic businesses are often left out of directories and campaigns.

• Events and services go unseen by the wider Gaelic community.

• Learners struggle to find what's available—unless it’s backed by a grant.

  
  

This creates a visibility vacuum that makes growth even harder for independent providers.

So What Can Change?

Here’s how Gaelic agencies—and the wider community—can better support language entrepreneurs:

1. Recognize Gaelic Businesses as Language Activists

Economic growth and language preservation aren’t opposites. They can—and must—go hand in hand.

2. Create a Gaelic Enterprise Fund

Launch a dedicated grant or mentorship scheme for business owners, freelancers, and digital creators using Gaelic.

3. Promote All High-Quality Gaelic Offers

Build an open directory or campaign that features funded and non-funded services equally. Visibility shouldn't depend on your bank account.

4. Provide Business Support and Training

Offer workshops or mentorship in branding, marketing, and digital skills—specifically for Gaelic-speaking entrepreneurs.

Final Thought

If we want Gaelic to thrive in the 21st century, we can’t limit it to the classroom or the community centre. Gaelic deserves to live in boardrooms, websites, coaching sessions, tourism experiences, and digital platforms.

It’s time for agencies to expand their vision—and make room for entrepreneurs as partners in preservation. They want a voice as well and be heard equally!