Grant Writing & Community Funding
Helping communities find and win funding
Funding today. Empowering tomorrow.
Specialist grant writing support for UK town and parish councils, VCSE organisations, and community groups. Affordable for small organisations — with the insight you'd expect from a professional funding programme manager.
No one can guarantee a grant. What I can do is make sure your application is as strong as it can possibly be. Read my honest position on this
Common Challenges
Securing grants shouldn't be a guessing game
Community groups, VCSE organisations, and town and parish councils do vital work — but navigating the funding landscape is complex, time-consuming, and competitive.
Finding the right grants
There are dozens of funds available, but knowing which ones your group or council is eligible for — and which are worth the effort — is a challenge in itself.
Writing strong applications
A weak application wastes everyone's time. Funders want clear outcomes, evidence, and budgets — not vague aspirations.
Finding the time
Community groups and councils are already stretched thin. Researching funds, drafting applications, and gathering supporting documents takes hours that most organisations simply don't have.
About
Not just a bid writer — a programme manager who knows how funders think.
I'm Liam McFarlane, and I've spent my career on both sides of the funding table. I've managed funding programmes — assessing applications, scoring them against criteria, and making the decisions that determine which projects get funded and which don't. Most bid writers haven't.
That experience shapes everything I do at Horizon Community Funding. I know the common reasons applications fail — weak evidence, misaligned outcomes, vague budgets — and I know how to avoid them. My support is designed to be affordable for small organisations while still offering the level of insight you'd expect from a professional funding programme manager.
Services & Pricing
Clear services, fixed fees
From finding the right grants to strengthening your bid or managing your reporting — pick the support that fits your organisation's needs and budget.
Grant Finder
£150
A tailored report identifying grants your organisation is eligible for, with clear next steps.
- 5–10 suitable grants identified
- Eligibility analysis for each fund
- Application complexity rating
- Recommended next steps
- Delivered in 3 working days
Bid Strengthening
From £150
Already have a draft? I review and strengthen your application to maximise its impact.
Suggestions to improve clarity, impact, evidence, and criteria alignment.
Includes restructuring, rewriting weak sections, and a final polish.
Full Bid Writing
From £350
I draft your entire application from start to submission — based on your notes and conversations.
Full drafting based on notes/conversation, evidence development, and narrative shaping.
Full drafting based on notes/conversation, evidence development, and narrative shaping.
Monitoring & Reporting
From £95/month
Ongoing monitoring and reporting support to keep your project on track and funders satisfied.
For small VCSE groups and parish councils delivering straightforward projects.
- Monthly data processing
- Quarterly or end-of-grant reporting
- Narrative writing and case studies
- Financial summary preparation
- Deadline management
For projects with multiple outcomes, partners, or higher reporting expectations.
- Everything in Standard, plus:
- Outcome analysis and change measurement
- Beneficiary feedback analysis
- Midline + endline evaluation reports
- Customised reporting templates
One-Off Services
Targeted support when you need it
A complete final report ready to submit to your funder, summarising project delivery, outcomes achieved, and finances.
- Narrative summary of project delivery
- Outcome reporting against original targets
- Financial summary aligned to budget
- Lessons learned and sustainability section
- Formatted to funder requirements
I set up a simple, practical system to track your project's progress and outcomes from day one — so reporting is straightforward, not a scramble.
- Outcome indicators and data collection methods
- Tracking spreadsheet tailored to your project
- Baseline and target setting
- Roles and responsibilities guidance
- Review schedule aligned to funder deadlines
A visual one-page dashboard showing your key outcomes and progress at a glance — ideal for trustees, funders, or internal reporting.
- Visual KPI summary (charts and metrics)
- Progress against outcome targets
- Beneficiary numbers and reach
- Budget vs actual spending summary
- Exportable format for sharing
Three written case studies showcasing real impact — perfect for funder reports, newsletters, websites, and social media.
- Three beneficiary or project stories
- Structured around need, action, and outcome
- Quotes and evidence incorporated
- Word count tailored to your platform
- Editable format for future use
Value
DIY vs Horizon Community Funding
Writing your own grant applications is possible — but the hidden costs add up quickly.
| Doing It Yourself | Horizon Community Funding | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to research suitable funds | 10+ hours searching directories and funder websites | 3 working days — I already track 15+ active funds |
| Scoring & assessment insight | No access to scoring criteria or funder thinking | Programme management experience — I know how applications are scored |
| Application quality | Depends on your writing experience and available time | Professionally drafted, evidence-led, criteria-aligned |
| Common failure reasons | Learn by being rejected | I know the pitfalls and avoid them upfront |
| Monitoring & reporting | Scramble at report time, risk losing future eligibility | Ongoing support keeps your project on track from day one |
| Cost | Free — but at what cost in missed funding? | Fixed, transparent fees from £95 |
Funding Streams
Funds I monitor
These are examples of the funding streams I track for client projects. Funding streams change; I verify eligibility and deadlines before recommending an application.
National Lottery Community Fund
Up to £300,000
Awards for All, People & Places — community-led projects
UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Varies by area
Local growth, community infrastructure, skills & enterprise
Rural England Prosperity Fund
Up to £2.5m
Rural infrastructure, community facilities, local economies
Community Ownership Fund
Up to £1m
Protecting community assets at risk of loss
Landfill Communities Fund
Up to £100,000
Biffa Award, SUEZ Communities Trust, FCC Communities
Arts Council England
Up to £100,000
Project Grants, Let's Create — arts & heritage projects
Sport England
Up to £50,000
Active Together, Movement Fund — community sport & activity
National Lottery Heritage Fund
Up to £250,000
Heritage Grants — community heritage, built environment, collections
Garfield Weston Foundation
Up to £250,000
Community, welfare, youth, arts & faith-based projects
Power to Change
Up to £50,000
Community business support, anchor institutions
National Churches Trust
Up to £25,000
Community grants, repair grants — historic places of worship
Village Halls Network
Up to £75,000
DEFRA Village Hall improvement grants & Action with Communities
Fund availability, eligibility criteria, and deadlines change frequently. I verify all details before recommending an application.
Free Resource
The Funding Readiness Checklist
A 10-point checklist to help you assess whether your project is ready for a grant application — before you spend time on an application that might not succeed. Written from the assessor's side of the table.
- 30 things funders check, across four parts
- A scoring guide telling you whether to apply now or wait
- Six reasons applications get turned down
- Room for notes, so a committee can work through it together
I'll email you the checklist and occasional funding tips. Unsubscribe in one click, any time. Your address is never shared or sold — see the Privacy Policy.
Your checklist is downloading.
If it didn't start, download it here.
Once you've scored yourself, a free 15-minute call is the quickest way to work out which gaps actually matter for the fund you're targeting.
Book a Free ConsultationHow I Work
A clear, proven process
From first conversation to submitted application, here's exactly what to expect.
Discovery Call
A free 15-minute conversation to understand your project, timeline, and funding needs. No obligation.
Research & Proposal
I identify suitable grants, assess eligibility, and send a tailored proposal with fixed fees within 48 hours.
Draft & Review
I draft the application and supporting documents, then share for your review. One revision round included.
Submit & Support
Final submission on your behalf (or submission-ready package), plus follow-up support throughout the assessment period.
Why Choose Us
Built for communities, not corporations
Honest Expectations
I can't guarantee you'll win — and neither can anyone else
This matters enough that I want to be direct about it before you spend a penny with me.
Grant funding is competitive. Funders have finite budgets, shifting priorities, and far more applications than they can support. A genuinely excellent application can still be turned down because another project fitted the fund's priorities more closely that round, or because the money simply ran out.
If anyone tells you they can guarantee your application will succeed, they are not being honest with you. No consultant, bid writer, or agency controls the decision. That decision sits with the funder's panel, and it always will.
What I can control is the quality of what lands on the assessor's desk. Because I've sat on the other side of the table scoring applications, I know what separates a submission that scores well from one that gets set aside — and I make sure yours is the former.
What I don't promise
- A guaranteed award, or any specific amount of funding
- That every fund I identify will accept your application
- Influence over a funder's panel or scoring decisions
- A refund based on the outcome of a decision I don't control
- That a strong application will always beat a weaker one — timing and fund priorities matter too
- To take on work where I don't believe there is a realistic chance of success
What I do promise
- An honest assessment of whether a fund is genuinely worth your time
- Applications built around what assessors actually score against
- To tell you plainly if I think your chances are poor, rather than take the fee anyway
- Clear, fixed pricing agreed before any work begins
- Work delivered to the agreed deadline, to a professional standard
- Feedback you can reuse on every future application, whatever this one's outcome
Think of it the way you'd think about a good solicitor or a good surveyor. You're paying for expertise and judgement that meaningfully improves your position — not for a predetermined result. Better applications win more often. That is the whole proposition, and I won't dress it up as anything more than that.
Proof
References & client stories
As a new consultancy, client stories will appear here as projects are delivered.
References from programme management and funding assessment work are available on request. As Horizon Community Funding grows, this section will feature case studies and testimonials from the councils, VCSE organisations, and community groups I support.
Request a ReferenceQuestions
Frequently asked questions
Can you guarantee my application will be successful?
What happens if my application is rejected?
What makes your service different from other bid writers?
What types of organisations do you work with?
What areas do you cover?
How long does a typical grant application take?
What information do you need from us to get started?
Can you help with grants we've already started?
Get in Touch
Let's find your next grant
Book a free 15-minute consultation, or send me a message — I'll get back to you within 48 hours.
Book a free consultation
A 15-minute call to discuss your project, identify potential funding sources, and recommend the best next steps — with no obligation to proceed.