Grant guide
Funder research checklist before shortlisting a grant
Funder research helps teams understand whether an opportunity is genuinely aligned before they commit to a full application.
Teams deciding where to spend application time
Applicants, fundraisers and grant consultants building a shortlist from public funding sources.
Make the first review more concrete
Learn how to research a grant funder before applying.
Review workflow
What FundingLens helps you do
Keep source facts, caveats and next actions together so your team can decide what deserves attention before application work starts.
Check the funder's purpose, programme priorities, who they fund, what they exclude, typical award size and decision route.
Look at current source wording first, then use older awards or guidance only as context rather than proof that a fund is open now.
Record reporting burden, match requirements, decision criteria, FAQ caveats and contact notes where they affect the apply-or-skip decision.
Readiness checks
- Official source URL and latest update saved.
- Applicant and project fit checked against current wording.
- Exclusions, deadlines and funding amounts reviewed.
- Reporting burden and evidence expectations noted.
- Old awards are treated as context, not live eligibility proof.
Eligibility caveats
- Do not infer current openness from old award announcements.
- Funder priorities can shift between rounds.
- FundingLens research notes should support, not replace, a final source check.
Source references
Use NCVO guidance to research funder purpose, priorities, programme history, decision criteria and practical fit before applying.
Official sourceGOV.UK Find a grantUse the official UK grant listing to verify live eligibility, deadlines and funder guidance. FundingLens records the source URL and fetched date when it reviews an item.
Official sourceUKRI Funding FinderUse UKRI opportunity pages to check council scope, applicant rules, deadlines, funding levels, collaboration terms and overlap with Innovate UK competitions.
Official sourceCharity Commission grant-making guidanceThe guidance explains why grant decisions need purpose fit, risk assessment, appropriate checks, grant terms and monitoring.
Related FundingLens pages
Monitor public funding sources with provenance, fetch cadence, failure modes and source-cited opportunity records.
GOV.UK Find a grantGOV.UK Find a grant monitoringGOV.UK Find a Grant monitoring with official source links, checked dates, eligibility fields and deadline caveats.
Innovate UK fundingInnovate UK funding competition monitoringInnovate UK funding competition monitoring with source-cited scope, applicant rules, eligible costs and deadline checks.
AI funding intelligenceGrant alerts that explain fit before they hit your inboxFundingLens monitors public funding sources, scores fit, explains eligibility caveats and previews deadline alerts before anything is sent.