As one of the few large multi year funders and having a broad criteria it is as competitive as I have ever seen it. Therefore to give yourself a fighting chance of success it is essential that you invest time in demonstrating that the project is wanted/needed by your community – not just those you are already working with, but those you are not yet working with but may also benefit. Any bid i have worked on in recent years, I’ve always been asked for more evidence of consultation and engagement.

Think about how beneficiaries and stakeholders have genuinely co-created the project. Do not just consult on a finished project. Engage people in different ways, try to reach new people – even if they don’t work – show the lottery what you have tried.

Whilst it is tempting to throw all costs/activities into an application – I’ve found projects are easier to get funded that focus on 1 or at most 2 issues. The more complex you make a project the more chances there are that the panel will have questions/doubts that lead to a rejection

Also don’t forget – that each outcome you include – you must also be able to demonstrate that it is needed and who has told you this is needed.

Therefore the more varied and different the outcomes, the more evidence you will need to provide – again giving more opportunities for gaps in the planning/consolation process. With only limited word counts, this can be tricky – and don’t forget – that each question has several sub questions to answer – do not neglect these. I encourage groups to answer each in turn to make it clear and easy for assessors/panel to read and score

Finally – Value for money – whilst not explicitly asked for in the form – it is expected that you can show value for money – £/beneficiary, why your approach is good value, what are the costs of alternative (or if the support is not provided) , and what have you done to try and reduce costs.

If you are thinking of applying and would like some support in developing your project, please get in touch