Bid Writing for Purpose Led Businesses – key takeaways

Baffled by bid writing and where to start? The Growth Hub commissioned experts Jackie George and Chris Cotter to deliver a webinar for purpose-led businesses on how to maximise funding opportunities through bid writing.

They have more than 20 years’ experience working with businesses, charities and social enterprises.

Watch the full webinar below, and check out some of their key takeaways:

The overall picture    

Funding is a journey, not a one-off activity – organisations should align funding with their stage of development rather than chasing every opportunity.

The funding landscape is highly competitive, with around 70% of UK funding going to the largest charities, leaving limited access for smaller organisations.

Not all projects are suitable for grants – organisations must weigh the pros and cons and demonstrate genuine financial need.

It’s not free money! Funders want something in return. Understand how you will present your outputs and outcomes.

Overall, grant funding is competitive so organisations must combine strong fundamentals with compelling storytelling to stand out.

Getting started

• Strong applications require clear project vision, measurable impact, and strict adherence to funder guidelines.
• You will need to evidence that you need the grant financially. Most often, the work needs to represent a step-change for the organisation, not business as usual.
• Get to know the lingo: understanding key grant terms (e.g. defrayal, match funding, intervention rate, outputs vs. outcomes, subsidy control) is essential for successful applications.
• Detailed, realistic budgeting is critical – including cash flow, match funding, and eligible costs (capital vs. revenue).
• Gather your policy paperwork – environmental policies, procurement policies, equal opportunities – depending on the requirements of the funder.
• Independent evaluation strengthens credibility and demonstrates impact, but should be planned and budgeted for.

Your funding journey

• Early-stage organisations should prioritise grants and crowdfunding, focusing on proving concept, impact, and demand.
• As organisations develop, they must build strong governance, financial systems, and impact measurement to unlock further funding.
• Blended finance (grants plus repayable funding) becomes important in the growth stage, helping organisations scale sustainably.
• By around year three, consider transitioning the organisation from being grant-dependent to generating their own income.
• Organisational structure matters – charities and CIOs often have greater access to grant funding than CICs or companies limited by shares.
• Social investment (loans) becomes viable once there is predictable income, supporting expansion (e.g. premises, scaling services).
• In later stages, organisations can explore traditional and ethical finance, but only when income streams are stable.

In summary

Funding decisions should strengthen sustainability and reduce risk, not create dependency.

Long-term success comes from a strategic approach – building relationships with funders, learning from experience, and continuously improving.

Ultimately, success comes from securing the right funding, at the right time, for the right purpose.