Securing funding

1. Securing funding Tom Franklin Franklin Consulting Tom@franklin-consulting.co.uk

2. Introduction • Writing better bids • Getting inside the funder’s mind

3. Better bids make funded projects • Read the ITT • Read the ITT (again) • Really read the ITT!

4. Do you really want to bid? • Are they asking for something you actually want to do? • Does it meet your strategic needs? • Do the timescales match yours? • Are the funding levels appropriate? • Would it be a relief if the bid is not funded? • Can you match the assessment criteria • Most bids are not funded

5. Read the ITT AGAIN

6. Partners • Do you need them • Management overhead • What do the bring? • Is it a real partnership? • Does the funder require partners • Essential (eg EU) • Desirable • Tolerated

7. Writing the bid / tender (1) • Make the markers life easy • Obey any rules • Keep the ITT beside you • Answer their questions • What are the assessment criteria? • Use them as headings • Make sure that you meet them • Write clearly about each one

8. Writing the bid / tender (2) • Read the ITT • Amend the response so that it matches it • Give it to someone else to mark using the criteria in the ITT • Revise the response • Submit it on time, in the requested format

9. Understanding the funder • Different needs • Fame • Understanding the issues • Generic solutions • Failure may be a success (or not)

10.  Its  your problem  • Timescales • Do they match • What happens when they don’t • Budget • Overspend • Budget cycles • Technology • Technology updating • Staff leave • After the end of the project