Executive Summary

Not everyone needs a Grant Consultant. Sometimes you just need to draft a one-time application or are looking for a specific project to get covered. 

Whether you need a dedicated Grant Consultant, or you need help identifying grant opportunities – Granted has you covered. We have multiple service packages that cater to the different needs of any business. Our full-service package takes the weight off of your shoulders with a dedicated industry-specialized Grant Consultant. Our self-service platform GetGranted is a grant database that helps you identify which grants you qualify for, including tips on how to apply and best practices for submissions. 

If you’d like to get in touch with us, head over to our Grant Calculator to see how much grant funding you could be eligible for. 

Do You Want Grants to be a Part of Your Future?

This might sound a bit obvious, but it’s really important to keep in mind. Do you already have a specific grant you are looking to pursue and just need to prepare and draft an application? If you’re looking to have one grant application written and nothing else, then chances are you don’t need a full-service model. 

Grant Consultants take your business model and industry into account and strategize future grant opportunities. This means they will plan your hiring so you can leverage grants, focus on how you might be able to overlap multiple programs and help you navigate through macroeconomic trends with the support of grants. For this reason, if you are only looking to complete an application for one specific grant, you may not need a consultant to help you plan ahead. The appropriate time to look for a Grant Consultant is when you believe your company is ready for grant funding to be an integral part of your business plan. Once you are ready to talk about a strategy that is designed to consistently your business secure  free money, you should start shopping for consultants to help you achieve that. 

Is Your Business Doing Grantable Activities?

In small business grants, there are four main grant types: hiring, training, market expansion, and R&D. So, if you want grant funding, you must be doing one of these four things. If you’re not looking to hire or expand in the near future, then you don’t necessarily need grants, or a grant consultant, at this time. Of course, there are more types of grants that open up more sporadically.

If your business is planning on growing over the next year and you need more staff and resources to do so, you would definitely benefit from a Grant Consultant – especially if this is your first time dealing with grants. There are also other types of grants that open up more sporadically. Having a grant consultant can help you go after those opportunities as they arise so you don’t miss out. 

Do You Have Time to Apply for Grants Yourself?

This might be the biggest factor in determining when you need a personalized Grant Consultant. In most cases, new clients come to Granted because they want to secure free money for their business activities and don’t have the time or the resources to commit to doing it themselves. Applying for a one-time grant that you are already aware of is one thing, but securing funding for multiple activities on a consistent basis is another. Without a doubt, this is a role that will take up more of your time than you are likely willing to give up. 

Some companies hire Grant Consultants internally. This way, they can delegate work and have a staff member who is committed to securing funding for the business. However, business leaders tend to quickly realize that this is not always a full-time role and it can prove not to be cost-effective. Further, an internal grant manager isn’t likely to have the same resources and industry contacts as a consultancy. This becomes increasingly important when you have multiple grants running at the same time, combined with dealing with project changes and reporting requirements. Having someone in your corner who is familiar with the program and knows how to communicate effectively will prove invaluable. Let us do the work so you can focus on running your business. 

Do You Need More Than Just a Writer?

You may consider working with a grant writer to complete your applications. There are many freelance grant writers in Canada and even services that will connect you with one. This is a limited approach and will require you to do much (if not almost all) of the work yourself. In working with a grant writer, you are paying for the written portion of the grant. That’s it. The grant identification and research, program vetting, submission, and communication with the program are your responsibility. In addition, freelance writers set the price for each of their drafts, meaning that you might end up paying for a draft that you end up doing most of the work on anyway. If you only require the written portion and are comfortable doing most of the heavy lifting yourself, then working with a grant writer may be the way to go. If you need any additional support, you may consider a consultancy that can provide the support you need. 

With this type of service, you are also likely to have to handle the post-approval process entirely by yourself. This is really where the work begins and without the proper experience, small business owners often get caught up in the amount of work and submit inaccurate reports, thus putting their funding at risk. The advantage of a personalized Grant Consultant is that you are supported by an in-house writing team that is committed not only to drafting your application but seeing it all the way through to a final report. This way, all the work from strategizing what sort of grants you should apply for to writing those applications, putting together expense claims, and writing final reports is taken off your hands.