BBSRC Bioscience for Industry Meeting

Nick BassettLead Technologist, Biosciences

September 2014

Writing grant applications- Avoiding common pitfalls

Belfast

Kris Wadrop,Director,KREW Environmental LtdDecember 2014

The aim is to:

•Qualify myself

• Introduce the grant form

•Highlight some pitfalls

•Feedback

InvestNI and Innovate UK – Working TogetherBelfast 2nd December 2014

Qualified?

• Chemical Engineer – Fellow of IChemE

• Blue Chip background with ICI

• Worked in SME’s since 2006

• Written >12 grants applications to Innovate UK from £5k to £1m– Thematic calls

– Smart Awards

– Innovation Vouchers

• Success rate ~30%

• Innovate UK Assessor since 2010

–Assessed 10 competitions

– Sat on 4 Assessment Panels

Application Form

• 10 marked questions;

• Up to 10 points per question;

• Fixed format form;

• Size of form usually dictated by competition (1 paragraph or 1 page per question)

• A brief summary of the project, the market and what you hope to achieve;

• How your project fits within the competition scope – if in doubt check with your KTN/InvestNI or Innovate UK

• Loads of white space –premium real estate!

• Structuring your answers;

• Read the Guidance for Applicants;

• Fixed format:

–Fixed font, text size, no special functions, no tables, bullets etc

Structuring your answers

• Each question is described in the GFA;

• Treat the application as an exam paper:

–Answer the questions asked

–Additional info, whilst interesting may not score points whilst taking up precious real estate

Nuts and Bolts

• Ensure figures match up throughout the form;

• Transparency = credibility;

• Overheads, labour, depreciation, consumables, expenses, etc

Appendices

• Free form word or pdf documents;

• Answer the question in the application, the Appendices are for additional info/pictures etc;

• Use formatting rules given in the GFA.

• Stick to page limits;

• The bigger the project the more back-up info will likely be required;

• Everything must be legible at 100% zoom

Assessments

• Every application is assessed by 3-5 assessors;

• Some assessors are technical experts, some are generalists, some academics and some from industry;

• All have opinions and a wealth of experience;

• Assessors are human;

• Not Innovate UK employees;

• Making their life easier is likely to result in higher scores;

• Plain English with minimum abbrev’s and TLA’s.

Feedback and Scores

• Successful grants typically score >75/100

Preparing and Submitting a grant application

• Outline a project/budget/partners and discuss with KTN/InvestNI to confirm it meets call requirements;

• Leave time to prepare the application (typically 4-6 weeks elapsed time);

• Compiled by one person, but ensure it represents the full consortium;

• Get it reviewed by someone that didn’t write it;

• Follow the naming structures and formats dictated in the GFA;

• Stick to the question asked;

• Respect the space in the form and use it evenly between the questions;

• Don't make unqualified statements;

• The scoring is defined in a matrix, if you don’t answer all the parts of the question, you can’t score all of the points.

• Check the GFA (_CONNECT)

Thank you

www.innovateuk.org

Krew.environmental@gmail.com

07870 802492