How to read a funding notice before you write a word
Where to find eligibility, funding limits, review criteria and submission rules in a grant notice, and the questions to answer before you commit.
Every competitive grant starts with a notice: a NOFO (notice of funding opportunity) in the US federal system, a call for proposals or program guide elsewhere. Reading it properly saves more time than any writing trick.
Read in this order
- Eligibility. Who can apply, and who cannot. If you are not eligible, stop here.
- Deadlines and submission method. The exact date, time and time zone, plus the system to submit through. Some notices require a letter of intent first.
- Funding information. Total available, expected number of awards, award floor and ceiling, project period and whether cost share is required.
- Review criteria. How reviewers will score you, often with points per criterion. This is your outline.
- Application contents. Every required form, narrative section, page limit and attachment.
- Program priorities. What the funder is trying to achieve, in its own words.
Questions to answer before you commit
- Does our project fit the stated purpose, or are we bending it?
- Can we meet every eligibility rule and registration requirement in time? (For US federal grants, see registration.)
- Can we cover any required match?
- Do we have the people to write it and, if funded, to deliver and report on it?
Use the criteria as your structure
Build your outline from the review criteria, using the funder's headings. Reviewers score against a rubric, so make each criterion easy to find. Our proposal outline generator gives you a starting structure.
Notices also name a program contact. Questions to that contact before the deadline are normal and often welcome. Ask early.