Engaging with a grant application can be an exciting experience. It can also be terrifying. Regardless of how you feel about it, it’s important to be ready to win any opportunities that present themselves. So how do you know if you are prepared, or if you are biting off more than you can chew? Here are 4 easy-to-recognise signs that you are in over your head.


You haven’t considered why you shouldn’t apply for a grant

It’s very easy to make an impulse decision to apply for a grant, especially when it looks promising after a skim. But considering the reasons why you shouldn’t apply are just as important. You should take the time to consider the following questions:

  • What are the eligibility requirements of the grant, and do you actually fulfil them?

  • Do you have a detailed plan explaining how you will use the funds provided by the grant?

  • What is your knowledge of the grant giver – are they even worth applying to?

Failing to answer questions like these can lead to a lot of wasted time. It’s a terrible feeling to pull together a grant application, only to realise that the grant is exclusively applicable to registered charities and social enterprises – and your business is neither. Or maybe you’re looking to receive funding to improve the facilities of a homeless shelter but lack specific information on how much materials will cost, when works can be started and when they’re expected to finish. Evaluators often follow specific criteria when looking at applicants to obtain a comprehensive view of what you’re trying to achieve. Not knowing what to consider before you even begin a grant application is a glaring sign that you need support.


You’re pretty sure your project fits the parameters outlined by the grant giver

When looking at the kind of projects being supported, it can be difficult to tell if yours fits. Requirements, both vague and specific, can raise questions in your head that may cause you to second guess your eligibility. Rather than create a grant application that is doomed to fail due to non-compliance, ask for professional grant preparation services to help instil confidence in your project’s eligibility, or to assist you in shifting focus where you’re not quite eligible but could be. Diving into a grant with the thought, “I’m pretty sure I’m eligible” as your foundation is always going to be a terrible way to proceed and is a clear sign you need grant support.
 

The grant application form is only one page, so that must mean it will be easy

If you have opened the grant form, seen a single page, and then maybe skimmed through it, coming to the hasty decision that the application will be easy to throw together in an afternoon, there’s a good chance you are in for an unpleasant surprise. Don’t be fooled by the tip of the iceberg! Seemingly simple questions often require complex responses to achieve a comprehensive answer. In cases where you don’t feel confident (or perhaps feel a little too confident) in your understanding of the scale of the job in front of you, you need grant support.
 

The grant application isn’t due for two months, so there’s no rush

It’s an easy trap to fall into, especially if you haven’t tangled with larger grant applications before. It’s important to recognise that every moment before the due date is valuable and should be used to better your application and ensure you have answered each question in its entirety. Trying to bash it out in a day will only result in unreasonable amounts of stress and a very weak application, leaving you feeling like you’ve jumped out a plane and forgotten your parachute. Ask for grant support before you leap!