Grant Advisory Service: Application Support And Management

Why choose ForrestBrown for grant management?

We know innovation

Having helped the UK’s most innovative companies access R&D tax relief for over a decade, we have the experience necessary to overcome the challenges involved in securing funding for innovation projects.

We speak your language

Our team features industry-experienced sector specialists, including engineers and developers. This means we can identify and articulate qualifying projects to optimise your chance of success.

We get results

We have a track record of success in securing funding for our clients. Our team is experienced in advising on accessing grant funding as well as other innovation incentives. We won’t advise you to apply if we’re not confident in a successful outcome.

Latest grant funding opportunities

Our experts are constantly scanning the grants landscape for relevant opportunities to help transform the businesses we work with…

LIVE: Advanced Propulsion Centre

Focus:: Automotive R&D and capex
TRL focus:: 4+
Deadline:: 13 March 2024
Budget:: £25m

LIVE: Farming Innovation Programme Large R&D Partnership

Focus:: Agriculture
TRL focus:: All
Deadline:: 13 March 2024
Budget:: £7.8m

LIVE: Innovate UK Smart grants

Focus:: All
TRL focus:: All
Deadline:: 24 April 2024
Budget:: £25m

LIVE: UK-Switzerland Bilateral

Focus:: Life sciences, AI, quantum and semiconductors
TRL focus:: All
Deadline:: 1 May 2024
Budget:: £4m

LIVE: Industrial Energy Transformation Fund

Focus:: Capex (industrial upgrades only)
TRL Focus:: 7+
Deadline:: 19 April 2024
Budget:: £185m

LIVE: UK-Germany Bilateral: Collaborative R&D

Focus:: Life sciences, AI, quantum and semiconductors
TRL focus:: All
Deadline:: 3 June 2024
Budget:: £10m

Our grant advisory service

Grants come in different shapes and sizes, and from a range of sources (including national and regional governments, Innovate UK and Horizon Europe).

Defined grants (also known as accelerated tax deductions) apply to prescribed investments and are likely to be government-backed. They are often challenge-led, and usually competitive.

Negotiated grants are less common than defined grants and are designed with employment creation or capital investment in mind.

Read about the changing grants landscape and view the latest grant funding opportunities.

How can I determine eligibility for grant funding?

Determining eligibility for grant funding is a critical component of your likely success. In general, if you answer ‘yes’ to any of the following questions, it’s worth speaking to us about your options:

Are you operating in a critical industry such as life science, agritech, net zero, quantum computing, semiconductors or developing AI applications?
Are you planning significant capital expenditure in a future project?
Do you plan to increase your UK headcount?
Do you plan to safeguard UK jobs that would otherwise be lost?
Are you undertaking business improvements?

How to identify and secure grant funding with ForrestBrown

Our two-phase process goes beyond simply writing bids. We give you access to the latest intelligence and strategic advice on grant funding that best fits your business objectives before we even start an application. And we continuously scan the horizon for new opportunities.

1

Understanding your objectives

We work with you to understand the challenges and opportunities for your business, reviewing your existing technology portfolio, R&D ambitions and future investment plans. Through workshops or structured interviews with your team, we build a brief to inform our continuous grant scanning service, alerting you when opportunities match your requirements.

Are you aware of all grant opportunities available to you? Our team is constantly horizon-scanning to ensure we have a comprehensive picture of the grant funding landscape.
2

Assessing feasibility

Should a specific grant opportunity be identified, we undertake a project incentive viability analysis to inform your decision on whether to proceed with an application. We explore counter-factual scenarios, analyse the strength of competition and make a recommendation on whether to proceed with an application based on the likelihood of success and potential value of funding.

Do you have clear decision-making criteria in place to inform whether you proceed with an application? Are you aware of how your project compares to potential competitors?
3

Preparing your application

Provided the conclusion to the feasibility step is positive, we then proceed by preparing and supporting a formal submission. We ensure your application meets the appraisal criteria and clearly demonstrates the need for the level of grant sought.

Do you know how funding decisions will be made? We regularly work with grant-making bodies and can advise on the level of investment to request, and the evidence required to support this.
4

Negotiating on your behalf

Our work is not done when an application is submitted. Our team are on hand to support your meetings with the awarding body, attending with you or preparing your team to answer questions on all aspects of your application.

Is your team experienced in negotiating with awarding bodies? We can brief you on dos and don’ts, or support your correspondence and meetings to agree a positive outcome.
5

Managing compliance

Once a grant offer has been made, we’ll review the terms to ensure you’re aware of any strings attached, including measurement and reporting requirements.

Would you value an expert review of your grant offer before you commit? Our team will identify any unusual or onerous conditions you need to consider.
Proven success
Grant Nash, Chief Financial Officer, IXICO

ForrestBrown supported us in prioritising the information we needed to provide and then took responsibility for completing the application. The team took on the heavy lifting allowing us to take a more review-based role, saving us time and effort.
testimonial

Grants

Medical imaging

Get the latest grant opportunities direct to your inbox

Keeping up to date with the latest grants available can be challenging. Sign up for our regular email newsletter, Grant Scan, for a snapshot of the best opportunities across the grants landscape.

Our grant advisory team

Led by Karim Budabuss, our team of grant advisory experts has extensive experience advising clients on accessing grant funding in the UK.

We specialize in securing funding for innovative technical solutions which help to achieve business objectives while aligning with priorities for government grant provision.

Karim previously led decarbonisation grant advisory for a Big Four firm and brings in-depth knowledge of grants to supplement ForrestBrown’s track record of excellence across the wider innovation toolkit.

Drawing on award-winning tax expertise and industry-experienced sector specialists, we can assemble a team tailored to meet your requirements.

How much does grant advisory support cost?

Our fees typically consist of a fixed fee for step one, with a contingent fee for steps two to five calculated as a percentage of the grant offered.
The contingent element is payable on confirmation of the grant application outcome.

Grants and R&D tax relief

As the UK’s leading innovation incentives adviser, we’re experienced in advising clients on how grant funding interacts with R&D tax relief.

To find out more, read our article explaining how grants and R&D tax relief can work together.

Access grant funding to power your innovation

Our team takes a strategic approach to grant funding. From matching you with the right opportunity to managing compliance once funding is secured, we help you manage every stage of a successful grant application.

Telephone: 0117 9269022
Email: k.budabuss@forrestbrown.co.uk

Our insights

ForrestBrown provides regular insights on incentives from across the innovation toolkit, including grants, R&D tax relief, Patent Box and capital allowances.