Funding Online Applications Tips

There are a whole host of funders now requiring you to submit your bid applications online. There are also varying ways of doing this as we explain in this quick guide to online applications. As with most processes, it seems that most people are now expected to be able to complete online forms. And the general rule is if you're applying for larger sums of money then funders will require more information from you. The best way for them to collect this (and make sense of it all) is to feel use online submissions. There is help and guidance if you struggle using IT or you have an issue accessing a computer and most funders welcome a phone call to discuss how you can best get the information to them.

Save, Review, Save, Submit

Generally, funders will be upfront with how the submission process works. For example, you may need to create an account to allow you to log in to the online portal so you can access the online application form. This is actually really useful and means you’ll be able to log in and out, save your application as you go meaning you don’t have to rush to complete it in one go. On the downside, this can also mean that the application process is longer than putting the kettle on. There’s lots more competition for funding, especially at the minute, so give yourself enough time to check and check again.

Uploading The Relevant Documentation

The plus side of an online application is that you have a portal for uploading all your supporting documents. It’s important to check you have the right file formats for the upload. For example, getting all the way to the end of the application and realising your constitution is not a PDF can cause mass panic. There will also be file size limits so you may have to scale your massive 25MB photos down, again, doing this at the last minute isn’t good for anyone's heart rate!

How We Can Help

Giving yourself time to complete and submit before the deadline means you can send it over to us to read over with a critical eye. We can never guarantee every bid is a winning one but we’ve got experience of working with a variety of different funders so we tend to know historically what works to stand you in (fingers crossed) good stead. Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask. Funders WANT to give money to good causes and don’t purposefully set out to make it as difficult as brain surgery. Whilst every funder is different they generally all want the same information. Once you’ve completed one then there’ll be no stopping you (with the next brain surgery anyway!).