With increased demand for grant funding from businesses trying to take their business to the next level, it’s been acknowledged recently just how competitive these competitions can be. With many applications receiving scores of 75% and above, spending around 80 hours on average writing their application, it is frustrating when you are unsuccessful though not always sure exactly why.

We’ve put this article together to guide first time applications and help them to avoid making these mistakes, as well as to help unsuccessful applications assess how to take a resubmission forwards.

So, if you’re questioning ‘why did my grant application fail?’ or ‘what should I include in my grant application?’ then this article is for you.

The questions weren’t answered fully

It can be really tempting, due to the word count and the character restrictions, to cut out really key parts of your answer and to prioritize different aspects. For example you might prioritise the description of an innovation or an idea and then not really talk about the impacts later on in the question. But remember, each part of the question is important and you’re getting scored for each part. So, if you’re not answering every part of the question, it means that you’re leaving valuable points on the table.

The key here is to understand the criteria by reading the instructions, scoring criteria and any FAQs, paying particular attention to keywords like ‘describe’, ‘explain’ and ‘justify’. If the question has multiple parts, underline or list each component separately to ensure you cover every part.

You can also mirror the language used in the guidelines or scoring criteria, so if the grant places emphasis on themes like ‘sustainability’ or ‘innovation’, use these terms directly for clarity when the assessor reads through your application.

Lack of evidence given

The second reason is that often not enough evidence has been given. The assessors need evidence against what you are claiming, for example market size, survey results, or other research studies which illustrate why your work is necessary – make sure you give good, robust sources to each piece of evidence, too.

Evidence also illustrates the impact or measurable outcome of what the grant will fund. Clear evidence gives them quantified potential or shows the actual outcome of your project, so use data or specific quotes where possible.

Poor storytelling

The third point is storytelling, which is important for other types of funding, like PE, VC or angel investment. Having a clear and compelling story is key, for a number of reasons. Firstly, assessors, investors, customers are all human, and stories evoke emotion and create connection.

Whilst evidence and data is important, storytelling humanises your application showing the real-world impact. It also makes the application more engaging for the assessor, capturing their attention and making it more memorable.

You applied for the wrong grant

This happens when the applicant hasn’t fully read or understood the competition details, both the type of company that can apply as well as the eligible project detail and scope. Before you start writing your application, make sure both your company and your project is a good match for the competition.

An additional point here is related to the commitment of time to a grant application. A good application can take 80 hours to write, so make sure you’ve set aside that time to focus on the application and gathering the information required to put forward a compelling application.

You can also look at companies who have received this grant in the past or speak to others who have applied for advice. This will also indicate whether your business and project matches the requirements for the grant.

You can also look at how competitive the grant is. Smart Grants, for example, are highly competitive as they are so broad in requirements, meaning they receive a high number of applications. Local grants or themed competitions all have a lower application volume because they are more specific in their requirements – for this reason we often suggest business owners look at these first.

It’s time well spent understanding whether you truly meet the requirements of a grant to avoid wasting the significant amount of time required to write the full application, if you don’t meet the eligibility requirements.

The innovation is not clear

Whilst it can be difficult to explain your innovation, it’s important that you work on this until it’s written a way which can be understood by an assessor. Assessors review so many applications, and don’t have time to work hard at understanding the innovation in what you’re doing. It’s important to make it clear, and as easy as possible to understand – by taking heed of the advice shared in points 2 and 3 particularly to help you communicate the innovation in your project.

So, if you’re a first-time applicant or you’re re-submitting an application, we wish you the best of luck. Of course, we offer a range of services designed to educate and support businesses around grants, if you’re interested in learning more, please visit our grants page or book in for a free 30-minute consultation. Our grants team have over a decade of experience and have won companies of all sizes over £100m in grant funding.