Assessing and managing grants, funding and sustainability
We have designed and developed many grant programmes and currently manage the third sector grant programme in the North-east on behalf of One NorthEast, the Regional Development Agency serving the North East of England.
Our Bid Assessment Tools (BATs) have been used to distribute over £100million to the Third Sector since 2005. We originally developed the tool to use with the London Development Agencies Opportunities Fund and, with constant improvements, it has recently supported YouthLink, Futurebuilders, Newcastle City Council, Learning and Skills Council, and three different Centres for Excellence.
We understand the problems funders face: we are fund managers ourselves, managing One North East's Third Sector Capacity Fund since 2008. We find the BAT invaluable in assessing applications for this £6m fund - we can produce BATs suitable for grant/loan funding on any scale.
How does it work?
The BAT is an IT-based tool which can be used to score and assess different aspects of an application. Its use also increases the efficiency of the rigorous but sometimes arduous process of assessing multiple applications, while leaving an audit trail and the opportunity for feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
Assessors give scores against many categories based on tightly worded criteria. These scores can be weighted, based on the importance of factors such as presentation of evidence or targeting vulnerable target groups; these factors are in keeping with the intentions and priorities of the funder and the tool is designed uniquely for each grant programme or funding stream it supports. The BAT also brings together essential facts about the application. The score is intended to simplify decision making process rather than being the only factor.
We are also able to design application forms that integrate seamlessly with the BAT helping applicants understand what they will be scored on and saving assessors time entering data.
Please contact John Griffiths for more information.