What Factors Contribute to a Good Grant Application? Top 7 Points to Follow When Trying to Win a Grant

Do grants become available that look relevant for your business/school to be eligible, then you go through the excruciating application process only to be turned down? It can be disappointing to think you will win the grant funding for desperately needed improvements, only for it to pass off as an imagination.

This is most likely due to holes in your application; either not being filled out properly or not standing out against the rest of thousands of organisations that also apply. As we deal closely with the working of grants through a variety of educational facilities and health care institutions, we have come to notice some important points that are often missed when completing a grant application.

1. Eligibility

It is important that as an organisation the grant is correctly understood, and eligibility is thoroughly checked. Before going through the process of the grant application, you should make yourself familiar with all the relevant documents, funding round summary, funding round summary and any other supporting material. After going through this information, you will be able to make an accurate and informed decision on whether your organisation is eligible to apply for the grant before investing valuable time and resources into preparing the grant application.

2. Deadlines

Be sure to check the dates early in your research so you don’t miss the deadline. Some grant applications require an expression of interest to be submitted by a fixed date, ahead of the official grant application deadline. The more time you give yourself to draft the application will eliminate the stress of rushing it at the last minute. Don’t start too late and rush the process, or steps will be missed, and important sections of the research and application stages will be compromised.

3. Be Definite

Following on from the above point, be choosy! Do not invest all your time into preparing the grant application for the very first grant you find! Do some research into different grants and which best suit your project or areas within the facility that need improving most. Collate a list and slowly break them down depending on their details until you determine which grant is best for your organisation.

4. Demonstrate the Benefits

In your application it is important to clearly demonstrate your understanding of the need for the funding available and how it will directly impact your organisation and community. Your application should reflect that there is a great need and desire from the target group in which the grant is servicing to. It is helpful for the board reviewing the grant applications to see there will be a direct benefit to the target group and community and evidence to support the approach once potential winning the grant.

5. Outline the Plan

Highlight in your application how the proposal will be implemented within the organisation and highlighting the value for money within the grant funding. Include details on how the objectives will be met in order to achieve fulfilment from the approved funding. Establish a clear and effective plan with evidence of confidence in your strategy and how the funding will be utilised and received by the organisation.

6. Track Record

When doing your research before filling out grant applications, take note of the maximum amount that is being funded and don’t be greedy! If the grant is offering funds up to $40,000, don’t ask for anymore. Be sure to confirm if the funds include or exclude GST. Continuing on from this point, it is also beneficial to emphasise your capabilities when managing a budget. Highlight any experience you have in managing a budget and completing a project successfully and on time. It will be extremely important that the grant assessor can see that if the funds are allocated to your organisation they will be utilised in a strategic and beneficial way, with a plan in place.

7. Be Prepared

Once you have drafted and revised the application and it has been submitted, be prepared to start your grant project if you are successful. Majority of the grants that become available have deadlines for the funding to be spent by, so it is important to have everything in place to get the ball rolling if the application is successful. File any support documents including quotes, so you can implement with speed once approved.

Taking into consideration these crucial points will boost your changes of that funding becoming yours, but the trick is learning how to correctly ask for it, so it is well earned. Don’t start too late and rush the process, or steps will be missed, and important sections of the research and application stages will be compromised. Prepare to put in the hard yards (only if you are certain you qualify for the grant) as you will need to create a plan to outline what the grant is going to achieve. AS Urban can assist the process by providing a quote/proposal for products that may form part of the project! Submitting firm pricing in the form of a quote/proposal will help point 6, with emphasising your budget capabilities!

Get in contact with us today if you need help with boosting your application!