Sported Bid writing learning unit

Sported guides

Governance

Upskill in key areas to help support and grow your group

Impact practice

Planning

Bid writing

Start the unit:

Bid writing

Financial management

About this course

Applying for funding for your group can be daunting. This e learning unit will take you through the steps to take to make a successful bid.

The unit has three chapters - Getting started, The application and Moving onwards. The review section wraps up the unit. Read and watch the topics you need to learn, and work through the unit in the level of detail that you need.

Dip in and out - take what is useful for you

Download the document linked on this page to make a record for yourself on your learning from this unit.

Create your own notes document

An expanding box will show a quick tip when you hover click to reveal more content this takes you to another page in this unit or on the Sported Hub

Navigation

Click to continue

Sported guides overview

Future proofing

Monitoring and evaluation

Summary

Your funding journey

Finding funds

All about fundraising

This unit:

Bid writing

The application

Moving onwards

Getting started

Reflect and review

Key points

The application

Moving onwards

Decoding the questions

Your pitch

Outcomes and targets

Evidence

Budget

Getting started

Download the notes document

Summary

course content and navigation

email events@sported.org.uk if you need technical help

Sported guides overview

Crowdfunding

Restricted funding

Unrestricted funding

Bid Writing overview

easyfundraising

Donations

Contents

Getting started

Types of funding

Events

Sponsorship

All about fundraising

Your funding journey

Finding funding

Grants

Subscriptions

Your progress

More ideas...

Sported guides overview

Where are you now? take this self evaluation quiz

What is the need you are meeting?

Bid Writing overview

Contents

Getting started

All about fundraising

What do you want to fund?

Your funding journey

What documents will you need?

Project

Finding funding

Capital

Your progress

Running costs

Sported guides overview

Recommendations from other groups

Sported funding bulletin

Bid Writing overview

Contents

Where to look for funding?

Getting started

All about fundraising

Check out the big funders

Your funding journey

Sported Hub fundraising pages

Sported Hub fundraising pages

Finding funding

Search online

Your progress

Sported guides overview

Glossary of terms

Application questions - read this first!

Bid Writing overview

Contents

Contents

Some typical questions

The application

Decoding the questions

Your pitch

Tips and general advice

Outcomes and targets

Some good answers

Evidence

Budget

Your progress

Sported guides overview

What is a pitch?

How to engage on a human level with funders

Bid Writing overview

Contents

The application

Decoding the questions

Your pitch

Phone conversation with a funder

Outcomes and targets

Evidence

How to make a video to show your idea

Budget

Your progress

Sported guides overview

What is the need? Your vision and mission

Write SMART objectives

Bid Writing overview

Define your goal

Contents

What are the desired outcomes?

The application

Decoding the questions

Your pitch

Outcomes and targets

Outcome

Evidence

Target

Output

Budget

What does it mean?

Your progress

Milestone

Activity

Indicator

Sported guides overview

Why do you need it?

What is evidence for bid writing?

Bid Writing overview

Contents

What are funders looking for?

The application

Existing research

Decoding the questions

Where do you find it?

Mapping

Your pitch

Outcomes and targets

Evidence

How do you use it?

Budget

Statistics

Primary research

Your progress

Sported guides overview

Bid Writing overview

Contents

Admin and practicalities

What do you need to do to create a budget?

The application

Decoding the questions

Your pitch

Volunteers and staff

Outcomes and targets

Planning for the end of the project

Evidence

What to include

Budget

Your progress

Sported guides overview

Sported volunteer consultant Iain Lindsey and Sported member Patrick William-Powlett introduce impact practice

Bid Writing overview

Contents

Moving onwards

Monitoring and evaluation

What do you need to show?

Future proofing

Your progress

Sported guides overview

Apply for more funding

What is future proofing?

Bid Writing overview

Contents

Diversfy income

Moving onwards

Lifecycle of a project

Use reserves

End project

Monitoring and evaluation

Setup

Future proofing

Run

Evolve

Your progress

Close

Sported guides overview

Where are you now?

Bid Writing overview

Contents

Planning for the future

Summary

Showing why your project should be funded

What you need to provide to a funder

Review and reflect

Key points

How to answer application questions

What to expect from an application

Your progress

Sported guides overview

Bid Writing overview

Contents

Key point 1

Summary

Key point 2

Review and reflect

Key point 3

Key points

Your progress

Where to find evidence

Evidencing your need can draw from a range of sources. You can use data such as national and local statistics and mapping tools. As well these data driven sources, you can also use more personalised evidence such as pen portraits, case studies, photos, videos and personal testimonies. Some evidence is measurable, but some is more intangible. Use a balance of types - think about what success looks like, and try to find ways of evidencing that success. Go back to the main page and take a look at the four main types of evidence you can use to support your bid.

To ensure the long-term sustainability of our project, we will implement several strategies to generate future income and reduce reliance on external funding: Community Fundraising Events: We plan to organize regular fundraising events within the community, such as sponsored walks, charity auctions, and social events, which will engage local supporters and raise awareness about the project. These events will help generate funds while fostering a sense of community ownership. Crowdfunding: We will explore online crowdfunding platforms to reach a wider audience and attract individual donors. By sharing participant stories and demonstrating the impact of our walking group, we can appeal to people who want to support mental health and disability initiatives. Session Fees: Once the project is established, we will introduce a small charge for each walking session. This fee will be designed to be affordable for participants while contributing to the ongoing costs of the project. We aim to make this model sustainable without putting financial strain on participants or their families. Branded Goods: To diversify our income streams, we are investigating the possibility of selling branded goods, such as t-shirts, water bottles, and walking gear. These items would not only help raise funds but also promote the project and increase community visibility. Through these approaches, we aim to develop a self-sustaining model that allows us to continue delivering our valuable services while reducing reliance on external grants.

Our project is essential to address the pressing issue of young people at risk of offending due to a lack of productive activities and positive role models in their lives. Currently, many young individuals in our community are vulnerable to crime, anti-social behavior, and gang involvement, particularly during after-school hours and weekends when they have little to no structured activities to engage in. This lack of constructive outlets often leads to boredom and risky behaviors that can have long-term negative consequences for both the individuals and the wider community. Our boxing sessions provide a critical intervention at this stage, offering a positive, engaging, and physically challenging alternative to crime and violence. By channeling their energy into sport, young people not only develop discipline, focus, and resilience, but they also build a sense of community and belonging. These factors are crucial in preventing offending behavior.

40 of the young people demonstrated significant progress in how they rated their own sense of pride in themselves. A further 12 moved 1 to 2 points up the scale. All of these children invited at least 1 person to see them perform at the end of the project. 12 young people rated themselves lower than when they started, but they started late, and their journey has only just begun. This dip dousn't tend to last too long and tends to increase as they get to know staff and feel more confident. The club has a strict behaviour policy that users sign up to when they join. If 'talking it out' doesn't work, staff occasionally exclude young people from activites. We record all incidents, and talk to the young people about their behaviour. One young person made significant progress after being excluded, but modifying their behaviour sufficiently to be allowed to join in all sessions for an entire 10 week period.

Our project is a walking group designed specifically for mentally disabled adults in the Cardiff area. Once a month, we organize guided walks in the nearby hills, offering participants an opportunity to engage in physical activity, enjoy nature, and experience the benefits of the outdoors in a safe and supportive environment. Each walk is structured to accommodate small groups of mentally disabled adults, who are accompanied by their carers and supported by our team of trained volunteers. These volunteers have experience in hill walking and/or caring for disabled adults. The walking group offers participants the chance to improve their physical health, enhance their mental well-being, and foster social connections with others in the group. For many mentally disabled adults, access to outdoor activities can be limited, so our project fills a vital gap by providing a fun, inclusive, and accessible way to enjoy the natural environment.

We provide street dance and urban music sessions for local young people of all abilities. Young people are encouraged to create their own work with tutor support, culminating in a final performance to which they are allowed to invite family and friends. Some young people have also earned and Arts Award. We have also taken groups of young people to see three professional performances, one of which allowed them a Q&A session with the performers afterwards. The club runs over a 40 week period. Each session lasts for two hours and takes place every Tuesday and Thursday from 5pm - 7pm. The trips to performances took place on Tuesday or Thursday evenings up to 11pm.

Some good answers

How will you deliver your project?

Describe the impact of your project

Why is your project needed?

Describe your project

How will you make your project sustainable?

Making your pitch

Needs and objectives

Think about your project and what you are trying to achieve. Start with the need that is out there in your community. How will your project adress this need? Fundraising starts with defining your objectives and the community need, and only then finding a fund that matches your project. Try to find a funder whose vision and mission align with your group's, the funder is more likely to see your project as meeting their objectives if you're tackling the same type of needs.

Outcomes

The outcomes of your project should link back to the need you first identified. The project is all about how you will meet that need, so the outcomes should reflect this.

Why idenify key outcomes?

Provide a framework for monitoring progress

Show how the project links with the funders impact goals

Clearly show the intended result of the work

Volunteers and staff

You will need to budget for your people. Whether this is volunteer expenses or paid staff.

Paid staff

When you budget for staff include recruitment and onboarding costs as well as wages. Consider inflation especially if the project is going for multiple years. You may need to include a budget, around 10% for managment costs. Be realistic, not optimistic.

Volunteers

Budget for volunteer expenses, and possibly gifts. You must not compensate volunteers for their time, only for out of pocket expenses. Time compensation is a wage, so must be paid at minimum wage and be admistered as paid staff.

National and regional statistics

Click on the nation you're interested to open a mapping tool or database.

Governments and regional assemblies publish a range of data which can be useful for evidencing your bid. For England, the tool from Sport England has a range of information. Take a look at these links for national statistics on levels of deprivation.

Objectives

Your objectives are how you will deliver your project and meet the need. There may be many activities, but objectives should be limited to about three. These objectives are the framework of how your project will run, use the SMART model to build your objectives:

Achievable

Time bound

Specific

Relevant

Measureable

What to inlude in your budget

Make sure your budget is comprehensive and realistic. You'll need to include all the predicted expenditure.

Think about...

• Facilities and hire of premesis
• Equipment
• Transport
• Advertising
• Catering
• Training
• Volunteer expenses

This webinar is an in depth look at budgeting. The Sported Hub has lots more including templates and how to guides.

Your own research

Could you conduct some interviews, surveys or a focus group? Evidence directly from your community on how the project could improve lives can be powerful. If you have done a pilot of your project, or something similar in the past, can you provide evidence of success? You could also include letters of support and testimonials in support of your group.

Ethics

Do take some time to think about how to conduct your research ethically. Take a look at this article from Charity Digital on ensuring user research remains ethical.

article

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

Creating an engaging video pitch

Project funding

Funding for a project is the most obvious use of grant funding, and has the largest range of funds to look at. When you look for a funder read their criteria carefully - you're looking for a funder that fits your project not to change your project to fit the fund. Try to keep any unrestricted funding you have for example from legacies or fundraising events for core costs as these are much more difficult to find funding for. Read on for lots more on how to get your project funded. Good luck!

easyfundraising

Sported are partnering with easyfundraising, the UK’s biggest and best online shopping platform for good causes to help you secure a long-term, sustainable, free source of funding for your organisation.

1. Register your organisation - it takes only a few minutes. You can set up your organisation here
2. Start shopping online with over 5,200 retailers
3. Encourage members, volunteers, and supporters to support your organisation when they shop, online

Find out more on the Sported hub

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

What you need to show

The funder may give you specifict outcomes to measure and monitor, or you may have more leeway in how to show your project is working.

Some ideas:

• keep a register
• feedback from participants
• feedback from other community links e.g. police, schools, community groups
• use video evidence and case studies

Measure and monitor things that link to your outcomes, if your project aims to improve school attendance can you obtain data from schools for this?

Do some baseline measurements, and collect statistics before and after your project, this will provide evidence of how your project has impacted on the local community.

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

How to run a fundraising event

1. Start thinking about ideas with other people in your group
2. Set up a planning team - and get planning!
3. Budget - you'll want your event to bring in more money than it costs to run
4. Shout about it! Promote and advertise your event to get enough peope involved
5. On the day - even if you've planned everything there's bound to be some last minute hiccups, make sure you have a good team ready to cope with everything
6. After the event - thank everyone and settle up bills. See how much money you've raised!

A fundraising event can be a great way to engage your community as well as raise money for your group.

Find out more on the Sported hub

Allow your passion to shine through

How to create a budget

In practical terms, you can use accounting software if your organisation is very large. For most groups, a spreadsheet is a more user and budget friendly option. You can use Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets or Apple Numbers. Do make sure everyone who needs access can open the format you use. Keeping paper records is an option, but make sure you're organised and consider backing records up.

This short and practical webinar is part of a series on financial management. Check out the rest of the Sprints on the Sported Hub

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

What is evidence for a bid?

You've told the funder about the need in your community, but you also need to evidence this claim. Evidence of need can come from a range of sources, and it's good to have several different perspectives. You can use primary and secondary research to support your bid.

Mapping

Statistics

Existing research

Primary research

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

Click to see a random typical question

Think about your answers, add some notes to your notes doc.

Planning for the end

Most funders will expect you to have a plan for when the budget finishes. Will you close the project? Apply for continuation funds? Use reserves? Have a clearly stated plan, don't worry this can be changed to work with changing circumstances if necessary.

Take a look at some of the UK's leading funders

Application questions

Read the question

Always read the question! Just like when you were taking school exams, read the question and answer what is being asked. Sounds simple, but you may decide to copy and paste an answer to a similar question from a previous bid, if you do this, do make sure you edit and adapt your response to answer the exact question being asked. Have someone else proof read the questions and answers, a different person may read it with a different emphasis.

Answerthe question being asked

Have someone proof read your answer

How to use your evidence

To get the best use of the evidence you submit with your bid, ensure it is relevant to both the need you are trying to meet and to the project you're proposing. Link evidence of the need from a range of sources with the needs you have identified in your bid. Show how there is a want in your community for the type of intervention you are hoping to run.

Mapping your area

Mapping the local provision for similar community services can help to show the gaps in provision and highlight the need for your project. Look at your area and consider how your project will fit into the landscape.

Overlapping and complementing

If your project is similar to existing provision, show why it is needed, how it's different and meets different needs. Perhaps your project complements another local service, show how you plan to add value to your community.

Blow your trumpet!

If the funding application gives you space for a pitch - fantastic! This is your opportunity to sell your group and your project.

This is your time to shine

You may be able to submit video evidence, if so a short video pitch can really bring your ideas to life. If you can include your participants in this even better! Remember, funders look at hundreds of applications - make yours the one they notice.

Crowdfunder

Crowdfunder is the UK’s leading crowdfunding platform where individuals can take their ideas forward and make them a reality with help from the crowd. Whether you are a sports club, community group, social enterprise, charity or an individual with a fantastic idea then Crowdfunder can help you raise the funds needed for your project.

1. Start by checking out the Crowdfund Sport Guide
2. Sported has Crowdfunder trained volunteers, ask for Light Touch support
3. Crowdfunder have an Online Learning platform
4. Check out Crowdfunder's YouTube channel for webinars and stories - including Sported members 3 Pillars and LiveWell North East.

Find out more on the Sported hub

Documents

Funders will each have their own set of documents to include, and will provide a list as part of the application form. As a minimum, you should expect to provide:

• a budget for your project
• your group's annual accounts
• a bank account in the name of the group
• a governing document such as a constitution, trust deed or articles of memorandum and association

Make sure you check the required documents on the application before you submit to prevent delays or even rejection.

Find out more on the Sported hub

More ways to generate income and donations

Parish Councils and ward funding

Trusts and foundations

Local giving

Corporate social responsibility

Sported volunteer consultant Bev Garside delivered this webinar on Diversifying your income.

Donations and in kind giving

Phone calls

A funder might call in response to your initial application. Whilst this can be a stressful situation, a conversation with a grants officer can be a really useful tool for ensuring your application's success so try to see this as an opportunity to show off your project. Ensure you have an 'elevator pitch' ready to roll, and be ready to answer questions about the application you've submitted. Ensure you have access to things like your group's budget, policies and constitution.

Exploratory calls to a funder

You may decide to call funders in advance of submitting an application. A conversation with a grants officer can be a really useful tool for ensuring your application's success. Do ensure you read up on the fund before this call, no point in wasting everyone's time if your group or project isn't a good fit.

How to use this unit

This unit is divided into topic chapters, use the navigation on the left to see each area.

Work through, or dip in and out

You can dip in and out as required, either work through the whole unit, or just the sections where you need to upskill. Work at your own pace, and time.

Need more help?

You can contact Sported if you would like more information and help with bid writing

Show the funder why your project is the perfect fit for them

Running costs

Sometimes called core funding, or revenue funding, this is the money that helps keep your group going. Your group needs to cover the day to day running costs like admin and management, accountancy and auditing. This can be a really challenging area to fundraise for, as the work is not tied to a project. Donations, legacies and grants are often used to cover revenue costs. Some funders do provide grants for this type of funding. Charity Fundraising Ltd have a list of funders.

Charity Fundraising Ltd

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

Goal

Your goal could then state how your project will improve this area of need:

Our project will provide a free weekly exercise programme to at risk young people.

This is where you can really show what your project is going to do. Your goal, sometimes called the aim, is the reason for the project - in a way it's the flipside of the need or problem.

48% of young people in our area report they rarely or never exercise. This compares with a national average of 34% .

Think about what your stated need is, for example:

The goal is an overview of how you'll address the need, it's not the nitty gritty of how your project will be delivered. That comes next...

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

please add in any terms you think might confuse

Application

Online fundraising

Impact practice

Activity

Index of deprivation

Outcome

Budget

Project report

Joint fundraising

Donation

Legacy

Sponsorship

Lifetime value (LTV)

Evaluation

Stewardship

Evidence

Storytelling

Local fundraising

Target

Foundation grant

Match funding

Future proofing

Milestone

Theory of change

Gift Aid

Monitoring

Unrestricted funds

Grants

Volunteer

Non cash donation

Why do you need evidence?

Funders receive many bids, your project needs to stand out to succeed in securing funding. Providing evidence for your claims will back up your bid and make a successful applicaiton more likely.

Making your case

By presenting a factual, evidence based case for the need for your project, you can convince funders of the need for work in this area.

Recommend a friend

Talk to other groups and contacts who have applied for funding. Reach out to your sport’s network on social media and see where other groups have had successful applications.

Pick their brains for top tips

FInd out about how other groups got on with a funder, did they secure funding? Do they have any advice for you?

The need, your group's mission and vision

Think big - this is the world where your group is not needed any more

Your vision

Defining the need

Essentially what solution would put your group out of business? This is the overriding purpose for your group's existance.

Show the gaps that provide the opportunities for change

Your job as a grant applicant is to show there is a need in your community - establish the problem that you're going to address.

Mission

Your group will contribute to this wide aim as a part of working towards the solution.

Link your mission with the funder's mission

This is how your organisation contributes to the vision, it's all about owning your group's objectives and how it will work towards achieving the vision.

Find out more with this video from Charity Excellence

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

Grants

Grants come from many places, don't forget hyper local funds as well as the big national funders. Check out on the Sported hub for ideas, and as a Sported member you'll receive our funding bulletin each month. At Sported we run regular Meet the funder webianrs, where you can hear directly from the funder and ask quesitons about the fund. You can watch the sessions we've run previously . Keep reading - this unit will cover all the topics you need to get your grant funding application going.

finding funding

• Read the grant information - is your group/project eligible?
• Do you have all the documents and information you'll need?
• Does your group have a bank account?
• Are all your policies in place?

Existing research

Are there reports, charity research or government papers you could cite in support of the project you're planning. Remember that any research and evidence quoted should be relevant - ask yourself "so what?" why is this evidence significant? how does it support this project?

Where to look

Much of what you need will be easily available online. Keep to mainstream research from government departments, universities or other established organisations.

Bias

Consider the background to the research and be careful to look out for biased information.

Telling your story

Think about how your project aligns with the Funders' goals. Tell them why you've chosen that funder: location, speciality, meeting their goals or other.

Sometimes funding applications ask questions that are probing for a less obvious answer. If you're not sure what a question is really aimed at, try asking a colleague, google the question, or talk to you Sported Regional team.

Use the KISS principle (Keep It Short and Simple). Make it obvious what you are after, for what purpose, for how long, who will benefit, what and when the benefits will be.

Sported funding bulletin

UK

Sent to you each month, and full of funds relevant to sport for development groups.

• signposting
• deadlines
• key fund information
• relevant websites

Click on the region you're interested to see the latest bulletin

Choose the funder to fit YOUR project

(don't try to make your project fit the funder)

In Kind Direct

At In Kind Direct we help you get the things you need to support your communities. We do this by taking donations of surplus goods from manufacturers and retailers and redistributing them to charities and not for profit organisations. Goods are all new and high quality but become surplus because they are short dated, have slight defects in the packaging or branding, or are returns.

1. Join - register for free with just a few questions
2. Browse a huge range of high quality donated products
3. Unlock huge savings with a small contribution to the cost of our service, and receive your chosen products direct to your door

To find out more, visit www.inkinddirect.org or call us on 0300 30 20 200

Find out more on the Sported hub

Sponsorship

Sponsorship can be a great boost for your group. As part of your Sported membership, you have a great discount from Snap Sponsorship. SNAP is dedicated to the development of grassroots sport across the UK and will help you secure sponsorship funding. As part of their partnership with Sported, all Sported members get 20% off across the platform

Take a look at how Dyce Rugby Club used SNAP to grow their sponsorship by 400%

Find out more on the Sported hub

Subscriptions

Many groups use subscriptions from members to fund activities. Check out the rules on Gift Aid as this can be a substantial boost to your income from subs.

Administration

Need help with your group's admin? Check out this guide to online tools to help you run your group. Sported members can apply for a free licence for Groop an online admin tool.

Collecting subs using online payments

• increase income as it's easier to track who's paid
• save time on your admin
• convenient and easier to pay
• transparency and financial safety

Find out more on the Sported hub

Get hunting for funds

As well as searching for funders, take a look at other projects similar to yours. Where did they get their funding? Could you apply to that funder?

Think outside the box

An online search takes little resources, so you can look far and wide, investigate things that might seem a bit unusual or unlikely. Do read the funders' criteria carefully though - applying for a fund for which your group is ineligible is a waste of everyone's time.

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

Getting started

The application

Moving onwards

Summary

Capital funding

Do you need funding for a building or physical asset? Look for funders offering grants for capital projects, remember to read the funder's criteria carefully. You might need repairs or refurbishment of your existing building, or remedial works to bring your building up to standard e.g. for accessibility or energy efficiency. Take a look at the Sported funding bulletin, sent to members every month for open grants.

What evidence are funders looking for?

Funders want to know that your local area and demographic need this money and this project. Research your area to avoid duplication, if there are others providing similar services, show why your project is different. Find statistics around the areas of need for your locality.

• Cost of living
• Working rates
• Health outcomes
• School attendance

• Free school meals
• Multi family homes
• Over occupation
• Crime