Response to: invitation to appoint a bid writer
Funders don't score your work. They score your words.
I write grant applications and tender responses for charities, community groups and small businesses. You know your organisation. I know what the assessor is marking against.
Because most bids are lost on presentation, not merit. I read the specification, find the scoring criteria buried in it, and write answers that address them line by line, in your voice, inside the word count. You get a draft you can actually recognise as your organisation, and a submission that gives the assessor no reason to mark it down.
The best organisation in the room does not always win the money.
Most funding is decided by someone reading a form. They have a scoring sheet, forty applications to get through, and no knowledge of you beyond what is on the page. Strong charities lose to weaker ones every week because the weaker one answered the question that was actually asked.
I work with small charities, community interest companies, social enterprises and small businesses. Usually the person writing the bid is also the person delivering the service, doing it at eleven at night, three days before the deadline, on top of everything else.
If that is you, the useful thing I can offer is not enthusiasm. It is a first draft that already answers the criteria, so your time goes on checking it rather than starting it.
Four pieces of work, priced separately.
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Grant applications Most requested
Trusts and foundations, the National Lottery Community Fund, local authority and parish pots, Arts Council project grants. I write to the funder's own guidance and priorities, not a generic template, and I keep the case for support in your voice.
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Tender responses
Public sector contracts found through Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. Selection questionnaires, method statements, quality and social value questions, framework applications. I map every answer to the published evaluation criteria before I write a word.
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Bid review and mock scoring
You have written it, you are too close to it, and it is due Friday. I read it the way an evaluator will, score it against the criteria, and give you a marked-up version with the changes that move the score.
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Funding search
A shortlist of funds you are genuinely eligible for, with deadlines, typical award sizes and an honest note on fit. Fewer options, better matched, so you stop spending evenings on applications you were never going to win.
The same organisation, answering the same question, twice.
This is the whole job in one comparison. Nothing was added to the charity. Only the answer changed.
We are a well-established charity with over twenty years' experience of supporting local people. We are passionate about making a difference in our community and we work in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders. We pride ourselves on our person-centred approach and we always go the extra mile for the people who come to us.
- Longevity is not evidence. The question asks how you know it works.
- No numbers anywhere: no volume, no outcome, no comparison.
- Nothing here could be checked, so nothing here can be scored.
Last year we supported 412 people across North Kesteven, 78% of them referred directly by their GP. Our three support workers each hold a Level 3 Adult Care qualification and carry a caseload of 25. We measure wellbeing using the Warwick-Edinburgh scale at intake and again at twelve weeks. Average scores rose by 8.4 points against our target of 6, and 71% of people were still in work or training six months on.
- Answers the question directly: here is how we know, and here is the instrument.
- Every claim is a number an evaluator can check against your monitoring data.
- Names a target and reports against it, which is what commissioners buy.
An illustrative example written to show the difference, not a client submission. New practice, so I would rather show you the work than a wall of logos.
No retainer, no lock-in, no surprise invoice.
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A free half-hour call
Bring the specification or the funder's guidance. I will tell you honestly whether it is worth bidding. Sometimes the answer is no, and that saves you a fortnight.
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Scope and fixed fee
I confirm the deadline, the word limits and what I need from you, then quote a fixed price in writing before any work starts.
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One interview, then a full draft
A single structured conversation gets me your evidence. You get a complete first draft mapped to the scoring criteria, not an outline.
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Two rounds of changes, then submission
We revise twice, I check it against the submission checklist, and you send it with time to spare. I need at least ten working days before a deadline.
Prices on the website, because you should not have to ask.
| Bid review and mock scoringYour draft, marked against the criteria, returned in three working days. | £150 |
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| Small grant applicationAsks under £10,000. Written from your existing material and one interview. | From £350 |
| Large grant or tender responseMulti-question submissions, method statements and social value. | From £750 |
| Funding search and shortlistTen funds you are eligible for, with deadlines and fit notes. | £250 |
| Day rateFor longer pieces of work, bid libraries and framework applications. | £400 |
I charge a fixed fee for the writing, never a percentage of what you win. Registered charities with an income under £250,000 pay 20% less, and my first three clients get a reduced rate in exchange for a reference I can use.
Alexander, in Lincoln.
I am a writer working from Lincoln with organisations across Lincolnshire and, since none of this needs a meeting room, anywhere in the UK. My background is in reading dense official documents closely and turning them into something a person can actually act on, which turns out to be most of what bid writing is.
This is a new practice. That is why the prices are published, the example above is on the page, and the first call costs nothing. Judge the work in front of you rather than a client list.
Send me the specification.
Or the funder's guidance, or the half-finished draft, or just the deadline you are worried about. First reply tells you whether it is worth bidding, free either way.
Your enquiry is logged. I reply within one working day, usually sooner. If the deadline is tight, ring instead and say so.