Ask Us Anything: Grants expert Janine Owen shares when and how to start applying

This month we asked grants expert Janine Owen when it is the right time for your business to start applying for grants and where to start.

We sent three questions to Owen. We hope her answers help you when your business is ready to start applying for a grant.

1. What’s the best way to find the right grant for me, and what if there’s more than one? Am I allowed to apply for multiple grants?

The truth is, there’s rarely just one ‘right’ grant. Smart companies think about funding as a mix, with grants being one part of the bigger strategy. The right grant is the one that aligns most closely with what you need right now, whether that’s seed capital, growth funding, or support for a specific project.

The best place to start is with clarity. Get crystal clear on what you’re asking for and why. Are you chasing R&D, expansion into new markets, or capital to scale delivery? Once you know that, you can focus on funders who want to invest in exactly those outcomes. We often say: eligibility + alignment + strategy = opportunity.

Now, can you apply for more than one? Absolutely! And you should. But here’s the key: most grants won’t let you double-dip for the same costs. That means you can’t usually line up three funders to all cover the same $200,000 project budget.

Instead, break your project down into fundable elements, then map those elements against different grant programs. For example, R&D funding should focus on the novelty of your research. Another grant might be about commercialising that innovation. A third could be framed around the community outcomes or market expansion benefits. Same project, but different lenses.

This takes more upfront work, but it means every application is strategic, not copy-paste. Done well, it doesn’t just multiply your chances of success but it positions your business as credible, funder-aligned, and growth-ready.

2. How do I write a good application when applying for a grant? What do I need to consider before I start and when do I know it’s the right time for me to apply?

A good grant application doesn’t start with writing – it starts with preparation. The biggest mistake I see is jumping straight into the form without the groundwork. Before you put fingers to keyboard, get clear on three things:

1) Your “why.” What exactly are you seeking funding for, and why does it matter now? Funders want more than activity; they want outcomes: For businesses this is often wrapped in job creative and economic stimulation. How does your project offer this? 

2) Your evidence. Bring proof. Data, outcomes, budgets, a delivery plan, and (for businesses) traction signals like pilots, customers, or letters of intent. This gives your application credibility and shows you can deliver what you’re promising.

3) Your alignment. Does your project genuinely match the funder’s priorities and eligibility? If you have to bend your story too far, it’s probably not the right grant.

Timing: apply when you’re ready, not when you’re desperate. Strong applications come from teams with a clear scope, budget, timeline, and the right pieces in place (partners, co-funding if required, internal capacity). If you’re scrambling to ‘get something in’, it shows, and funders notice.

Writing tips: clarity beats jargon every time. Write like you’re explaining your project to a grade 5 student:  simple, specific, and outcome-focused. Answer the question being asked (not the one you wish they’d asked). Tie every response back to need, solution, outcomes, and how the funds will be used. Include a concise budget narrative that links costs to results, note key risks with mitigations, and outline how you’ll track impact.

Finally, remember most grants are competitive. Even excellent applications can miss out. But if you’ve done the preparation, each submission sharpens your case, strengthens your materials, and sets you up to win the next one.

3. How do I maximise the amount I can get when applying for a grant?

For startups and growth-focused businesses, maximising a grant isn’t just about getting more money, it’s about using that money strategically to drive scale, traction and leverage.

The first step is building a budget that reflects the true scope of your project. Don’t undersell it. Map out the full picture: R&D costs, staffing, marketing, compliance, equipment, even the overheads that keep your team running. Then, align it to what the guidelines actually allow. That means packaging human costs into deliverables (e.g. project management, development or market validation) instead of just ‘salaries’. Funders want to see outcomes tied to spend.

The real unlock, though, is in leverage. Many business-focused grants require matched funding or co-contributions, and this can actually work to your advantage. That ‘match’ could be your own capital, angel or VC investment, customer revenue, or in some cases, in-kind (be sure to check the guidelines on this one as it is not as common). By showing funders their money is unlocking additional resources, you demonstrate traction, buy-in, and scalability – exactly what they want to see.

Think beyond the immediate project, too. A grant can be a catalyst. Maybe R&D funding validates your tech, which then positions you for venture capital. Or a market expansion grant de-risks your entry into a new geography, opening the door to new customers. A $100,000 grant, leveraged well, could underpin a $500,000 growth opportunity.

The goal is to position every dollar as part of a bigger story: growth, sustainability and impact. Be ambitious but credible, maximise every eligible line item, and always think about how that grant unlocks the next stage of growth. That’s how smart startups turn grants from ‘funding’ into fuel.