Grant Funding Fundamentals
Get everything together and prepared before applying for a grant, so when the right opportunity comes up, you're ready to go!
This course will show you what 'good' looks like when you're right your own grant application or working with a grant writer to write the grant with you.
You'll have a grant strategy and roadmap to use grants strategically to maximise their benefit, to factor into your overall fundraising plans.
In this online course, you’ll:
Get an understanding of grant funding opportunities and how to keep up-to-date on new competitions
Have the relevant materials ready for grant opportunities when they arise in the future, so you can focus on the application rather than the thinking and documentation that sits around it
Consider how to align the business’s objectives with grant projects and take a strategic approach to grant funding and innovation
Decipher grant language and the requirements for grants to help you understand the grant opportunities in more detail and whether your business is eligible
Understand eligible costs and how to assess your business's readiness to apply for funding and the right size of projects that are manageable for your team
Prepare the right stakeholders and conversations ahead of time so there is no rushing and panic toward grant deadlines
Know what 'good' looks like when working with a grant consultancy or grant writer when commissioning grant services for your business
The live cohorts will give you access to a grant expert, in-depth knowledge of the competition and what assessors are looking for and a case study to deep dive the information on this online course to show you how it's applied.
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Lesson 1: An introduction to your instructor
A brief introduction to Dr Chloe Sharp who designed this course, to you more about her background and what this course is about.
A brief introduction to Dr Chloe Sharp who designed this course, to you more about her background and what this course is about.
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Lesson 2: An introduction to the course
In this lesson, we go through what the objectives of the course are to get you ready for the whole course, which can be completed at your own pace.
In this lesson, we go through what the objectives of the course are to get you ready for the whole course, which can be completed at your own pace.
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Lesson 1: An overview of the UK grants landscape
An overview of the UK government grants landscape to show the different types of grants and where to find them.
An overview of the UK government grants landscape to show the different types of grants and where to find them.
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Lesson 2: Choosing the right funding
After searching for opportunities, now we’ll dive into how you decide which is the right funding for your business.
After searching for opportunities, now we’ll dive into how you decide which is the right funding for your business.
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Lesson 1: Assessing financial readiness
In this lesson we explore what financial exercises you can do for your business to help you decide if your business is ready for grant funding.
In this lesson we explore what financial exercises you can do for your business to help you decide if your business is ready for grant funding.
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Lesson 2: Understanding Project Finances
An introduction to state aid and de minimis aid, justifying your project finances and choosing grant funding, eligible costs, match funding, the timeline for receiving funds and doing claims audits.
An introduction to state aid and de minimis aid, justifying your project finances and choosing grant funding, eligible costs, match funding, the timeline for receiving funds and doing claims audits.
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Lesson 1: Levels of Innovation + Project Types
This lesson gives an overview of how to pitch your project in a grant application depending on the Technology Readiness Levels and project type.
This lesson gives an overview of how to pitch your project in a grant application depending on the Technology Readiness Levels and project type.
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Lesson 2: Project Plan
Here we explore work packages, project management, project plan and finances and Gantt charts.
Here we explore work packages, project management, project plan and finances and Gantt charts.
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Lesson 3: Project Risks
Project risks are inherent in innovation and R&D initiatives, this lesson explores categories of risk, mitigating risk, managing risk and risk registers.
Project risks are inherent in innovation and R&D initiatives, this lesson explores categories of risk, mitigating risk, managing risk and risk registers.
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Lesson 4: Project Team
Demonstrating you have a strong project team is key, this lesson provides an overview of project team roles, what Research Organisations are, starting key conversations proactively and considering IP early on.
Demonstrating you have a strong project team is key, this lesson provides an overview of project team roles, what Research Organisations are, starting key conversations proactively and considering IP early on.
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Lesson 1: Competition and Market
This lesson delves into competition analysis, analysing your market and using TAM, SAM, SOM to demonstrate market opportunity.
This lesson delves into competition analysis, analysing your market and using TAM, SAM, SOM to demonstrate market opportunity.
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Lesson 2: Go-to-market and sales
This lesson begins with defining your customers - who is going to buy your end product/service? Before diving into the go-to-market strategy based on understanding your customer and where to find them and defining their buying behaviour to inform your sales forecast and ROI of the grant.
This lesson begins with defining your customers - who is going to buy your end product/service? Before diving into the go-to-market strategy based on understanding your customer and where to find them and defining their buying behaviour to inform your sales forecast and ROI of the grant.
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Lesson 3: Impact and benefits
Grants aim to make an impact on the economy, society and the environment primarily in this section we explore impact and benefit in more detail and ways to quantify and evidence them.
Grants aim to make an impact on the economy, society and the environment primarily in this section we explore impact and benefit in more detail and ways to quantify and evidence them.
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Lesson 1: Winning or not winning, what's next?
This lesson shows you what to expect in both scenarios: if you win and if you don't win grant funding. Grant funding is very competitive, it's more common to lose than win, so keep persevering! I show you want to expect as the next steps if you win Innovate UK funding.
This lesson shows you what to expect in both scenarios: if you win and if you don't win grant funding. Grant funding is very competitive, it's more common to lose than win, so keep persevering! I show you want to expect as the next steps if you win Innovate UK funding.
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Lesson 2: Tips for Grant Writing
Although this isn't a grant writing course, it's all about preparation. I give you a brief overview here of a few tips on grant writing to get you started.
Although this isn't a grant writing course, it's all about preparation. I give you a brief overview here of a few tips on grant writing to get you started.
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Lesson 3: Summary of the course: Your project
If you've reached this point, that means you've made it through this course! I hope you've enjoyed it and found it useful. If there is anything I can improve, please let me know: chloe@sharp-insight.co.uk.
If you've reached this point, that means you've made it through this course! I hope you've enjoyed it and found it useful. If there is anything I can improve, please let me know: chloe@sharp-insight.co.uk.
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Lesson 4: Extra Resources and Templates
Here are resources and templates you can use to get started on some of the main materials for your grant project so these are at your fingertips before writing a grant application.
Here are resources and templates you can use to get started on some of the main materials for your grant project so these are at your fingertips before writing a grant application.
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GET INVOLVED
Live Cohorts
If you’re not on a live cohort already, you can join one for key grant competitions where we’ll go through a case study and your questions.
1:1 Coaching
If you’re on a live cohort or accelerator, you have the option to have a 1:1 coaching session for 1hr. You’ll receive the link from your instructor.
Coach + Review
Over at Sharp Insight, you can talk to Chloe about grant coaching and reviewing services.
Slack community
Similar to the 1:1 coaching, on the live cohort or accelerator, you’ll receive the link to the Slack group to join the community about grant funding to share tips and experiences on applying for grants
