Tips for completing grant applications

Here are some of my tips for completing grant applications.

I see people time and time again using expensive resources to complete grant applications. For example I recently heard of a business paying $25,000 for a grant application to be prepared for a grant with maximum funding of $200,000. And there was no guarantee they would be successful.

There are generally 2 reasons for using a grant writer. Firstly it is lack of time. Secondly, it is lack of confidence in handling the application.

If your constraint is lack of confidence, here are some of my tips for completing grant applications to help you improve the chance of your grant application being successful.

Most important thing to do is actually read the guidelines. You would be surprised how many people don’t.
Check your eligibility. There was one grant a couple of years ago that had over 2,000 applications and 25% of them were not eligible. The assessors did not even read the application. Don’t waste your time putting in applications for grants you clearly won’t get. Another is that not all grants are available to sole traders.
Find the assessment criteria. If they are not spelt out in the guidelines, ask the team behind the grant. Make sure these are front and centre when preparing your grant application.
Think of your grant application as an exam. The higher the marks you get the better chance of being successful. And to get the highest marks, answer the questions to the best of your ability. In other words clearly address the assessment criteria. Often I parrot back the key words. For example in the MVP Venture Fund, one of the assessment criteria is around highly innovative or disruptive technology. Make sure you have these words in your application. If you don’t address the assessment criteria, guess what, your score will be low and your application rejected.
At the same time, don’t bore them to sleep with your answers.
This also applies to technical jargon. If they can’t understand what you are saying, how can they assess it. You may be an expert in your field but the person reviewing your application may not be. Don’t give them a reason to put you in the discard pile.
Rarely grants are there to fund your business. Usually they fund projects. Turn your application into a project and use a project name to refer to it.
People reviewing and approving the applications want to back winners. So make sure you clearly set out why you believe your project will be a commercial success. Make sure your project has deliverables to measure its success
Many applications are online – take offline and prepare your responses in word before you actually submit.
It can pay to get a second opinion to read your application before you hit submit to double check all of the above.

If your constraint is lack of time, I can do is offer to help your grant application. Reach out to me if this is you.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor skilled in analysing business financial performance and cash flow. Wayne may also be able to assist you in preparing your grant application. Contact Wayne below for a free no obligation session.

Also, if you want some more information on grants, contact me below

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