Bid Writing Terms

This document details the terms and conditions for services delivered by The Funded Team - part of EduKit Solutions Ltd (“ us|we|our”) to your organisation (“you|your”).

Introduction

This document details the process that we undertake to write grant applications and includes what you should expect from us and what we should expect from you.

Every organisation and project has its own unique starting point and ambition. Therefore each grant application is unique in its complexity and each will take a different amount of time and effort to complete. 

Whilst we find the applications we write fascinating and exciting, and would love to spend every available moment to fine tune them, there will need to be an understanding that a certain amount of time has been allocated to ensure that the application passes through our QA process in good time before submission.

Bid Writing Process

The bid writing process is adaptable to circumstances, but generally follows these steps.

1. Data gathering where you provide us details on your organisation and project. This is completed using a questionnaire and potentially a telephone call.
2. Bid matching
3. Bid writing of a single-stage application.  Further questions or stages to the application will be billed seperately.
4. Quality Assurance and review
5. Submission

It is very important to us that you get the best bid writing experience possible, and that we spend as much time as possible writing the bid detail. To that end we have detailed responsibilities for both us and you to ensure the best working relationship.

Our Responsibilities

• We will review your organisation and project and review documents and materials provided by you.
• Contact you for a consultation (up to30 mins long)
• Suggest possible fund matches or review those proposed by you
• Draft your applications
• Internal QA process
• Return the applications to you for final review
• Follow your instructions regarding submission. We can submit an online application on your behalf if you request that we do so. If you wish for us to submit an application by post, an additional minimum charge of £50+VAT will be required prior. 

Your Responsibilities

• You have clearly defined project(s) and items that you wish to secure funding for
• Provide appropriate organisation and project information and materials (see below) in good time
• Attend the consultation call
• Ensure that any accepted fund suggestions are applicable for your organisation and you meet the funder's criteria
• Respond to additional requests for further information in a timely manner
• Review the applications before submission
• Inform us of the outcome of your applications within 72 hours of any notification including when the application is invited to further stages
• Inform us of any applications that you have already written
• Inform us of any applications that you commit to write

Right to Write

For all the funds that we identify and suggest to you, we reserve the right to write those applications. We may, in discussions with you, mutually agree that you can write an application for a fund that we have identified, but the initial opportunity must be allocated to the Funded Team.

Organisation & Project Information

It is true that the more information we have, the better we will understand your organisation and project. However, we require you to summarise your project and in so doing, provide us with the necessary information in the most efficient manner possible. It is very likely that we will still need to ask you questions, and we ask that when you provide the answers, you do so explicitly and do not send us documents where the answer lies within.

It is extremely important to note that to maximise a successful bid writing partnership, that we ask you for information as soon as we can, and that you provide that information as quickly as possible. In so doing, we will maximise the time the bid writer spends writing your application.

Communication

When we have started writing your application, you may wish to speak to the bid writer at different times. We ask that you email and request a meeting. 

Changes

It is possible that after the bid writing process has started, the project or organisation changes in such a way that there is a consequential impact on the application. Unfortunately, these changes are not covered by the initial fee. If changes are to be written by us, then we will discuss these changes with you and the costs involved (see Schedule 2).

There may be instances where funders will close their funds early. While our team endeavours to write and complete an application ahead of these deadlines, these changes by the funder may delay the submission of the application.  In instances where the funder has further funding rounds for the same application, your application will be submitted at the next-available date.  Once we have commenced writing the application, we are unable to switch funds unfortunately without additional costs involved (see Schedule 2).

Cancellation

If you wish to cancel the application, please email info@funded.team and we will stand down the team assigned. However, please note our fees are non-refundable and we reserve the right to invoice you for our success fee if your application is submitted to the funder and is successful.

If your application is successful

If your grant application is successful, you pay our success fee which helps cover our expenses. This success fee should come from unrestricted funds that you hold and not from the funds awarded to you from the application unless specifically stated to the funder.

You inform us as to whether the application was successful or not and if it was we will issue you an invoice for the success fee.

The amount we will charge you for our success fee is limited as set out in Schedule 1 below. 

Note - the success fee is payable whether or not the application is submitted by you or by us. 

What if the application is unsuccessful?

It may be possible to resubmit an application (possibly to a subsequent round), with or without amendments. If amendments are required, we will discuss these with you as they may incur charges.

Other points

If, 16 weeks after submission, we do not have confirmation that your application has not been successful, or in the event that we are unable to reach you, we will assume that your application has been successful and will invoice you accordingly. We will also apply an admin fee as set out in Schedule 2. However, this invoice can be cancelled upon written evidence that the application was unsuccessful. 

We add VAT, at the rate that applies when the work is done, to the success fee. Our VAT Registration Number is 183756865.

Schedule 1

Success fee

The success fee is set at a percentage of the total value of the total of the awarded funds to you from the application. This extends across any multi-year funding. For example, if you are awarded £30,000 per year over three years, the success fee will be calculated on the total £90,000 awarded to you.

The success fee percentage reflects the following:

(a)  the fact that if you are unsuccessful, we will also do not receive success fees;

(b)  our assessment of the difficulty of this fund’s application process;(c)  any other appropriate matters;(d)  the fact that if you are successful we will not receive our success fee until the end of the application process;

The success fee is applicable whether or not we write any subsequent stages of the application.

In the event that success fees are not paid in line with our terms, then late payment interest and collection fees may apply. These fees would be at least 15% of the outstanding amount. Further, the Funded Team reserves the right to pause other applications until the success fee has been paid.

Schedule 2

Charges

If we charge for our time, the fees are calculated for each hour engaged on your application (telephone call, emails, bid writing etc). The hourly rate is: £75 + VAT.

Admin Fee

If we do not hear from you about the success of your application, after 16 weeks, we add an admin fee of £150 + VAT to the success fee invoice. This admin fee covers our costs of the attempted follow-up with you.