Playbook
How to apply for grants
Grants fund research, creative and community projects without taking ownership. Funders score proposals against published criteria such as significance, approach, feasibility and fit with their mission, and they read the budget as closely as the narrative.
How these are won
- Read the funder's priorities and scoring criteria first, and use their terms in your section headings.
- Make the budget match the work plan line by line; unexplained costs lower feasibility scores.
- When the call invites it, contact the program officer; a short question about fit can save a full application.
Materials checklist
- Grant or policy applicationOnward Scout drafts it from your sourced profile; you approve every line.
- Project proposalOnward Scout drafts it from your sourced profile; you approve every line.
A preparation timeline
Counted back from the deadline. Each program guide puts real dates on it.
- 28 days before the deadlineCheck fit and list the materialsRead the official page, confirm every eligibility rule and list what the application asks for.
- 21 days before the deadlineDraft the answers and documentsDraft each written answer and document from what you already have, citing real facts only.
- 7 days before the deadlineReview against the criteriaReread every answer against the published criteria, fill the gaps and check every upload.
- 2 days before the deadlineSubmit and keep the confirmationSubmit before the last day; portals slow down near deadlines. Save the confirmation.
Questions you will meet, answered honestly
What is the need or problem?
Evidence first: sourced data or what you have observed directly. Leave out claims you cannot support.
How will you measure success?
Two or three measurable outputs and how you will collect the evidence. Don't promise outcomes the project can't control.
How Onward Scout helps
Onward Scout maps the official form field by field, fills it from your sourced profile and drafts the written answers; you review and tap to submit. If the form stops at a CAPTCHA, a login or a payment, you get a handoff with every field ready to paste.
Open now
- Apply by 27 November 2026International Showcase FundPRS FoundationGrants that help UK music creators (artists, bands, songwriters, producers) cover the cost of performing at international industry showcases or joining overseas…Up to £8,250 grantUnited KingdomDetails and how to apply
- Apply by 3 December 2026Episodic Alfred P. Sloan GrantSundance Institute$17,000 grant plus creative support for a writer or writing duo developing an original TV series centred on science, technology or mathematics.$17,000 grantOpen worldwideDetails and how to apply
- Apply by 31 December 2026Project GrantHong Kong Arts Development CouncilHong Kong government-funded arts council grant for individual artists and arts groups to realise projects such as performances, exhibitions, creation, criticism and…related Emerging Artists Development Grant and Cultural Exchange GrantHong Kong, Hong Kong SAR ChinaDetails and how to apply
- Apply by 14 January 2027Women TechEU 2 EICEuropean Innovation Council / Women TechEU consortiumEU-funded scheme for women-led early-stage deep-tech startups in Europe, combining a non-dilutive grant with a personalised business development programme of mentoring…€75,000 grantAustria, Belgium, BulgariaDetails and how to apply
- Apply by 10 February 2027IDFA Bertha Fund – IBF ClassicIDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)Documentary film fund supporting directors from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and Oceania with development and production grants.Up to €7,500 grantAmsterdam, NetherlandsDetails and how to apply
- Apply by 12 February 2027NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00)U.S. National Institutes of HealthTwo-phase award that funds up to two years of mentored postdoc training (K99) followed by up to three years of independent research support (R00) once the fellow lands a…mentored phase plus independent R00 phase (up to 5 years total)United States · open to applicants worldwideDetails and how to apply
Let Onward Scout prepare your grants applications
Drop in the résumé, deck or portfolio you already have. Onward Scout builds a sourced profile, finds opportunities you can win and prepares each application for you to approve with a tap.
Nothing is submitted without your tap. Logins, CAPTCHAs, payments and interviews stay with you.