Will government relations help me get government grants, tenders or funding?

There are countless ways through which you can secure government funding, including: government grants, open or closed tender opportunities, funding programs, discretionary funds, election commitments, as well as other means. In recent years, we’ve seen Royal Commissions result in significant increases in funding for entire sectors – think about family violence in Victoria and aged care nationally. It’s worth keeping in mind that different funding opportunities may require different government relations strategies.

However, what remains a constant, is that a robust and ongoing government relations strategy will bolster your opportunities for success. This means that for the best chances of success you need to begin building relationships with government in advance of an urgent need or funding requirement. Broader engagement with different ministers, backbenchers and bureaucrats can further bolster your likelihood of success.

Strong relationships with political stakeholders can be leant on for letters of support, direct advocacy on behalf of your projects and programs, as well as invitations to otherwise closed tender opportunities.

Should I hire a grant writer?

Grant writers can provide some short-term benefits for organisations, but ultimately may have a negative impact on long-term success. While hiring a grant writer may be convenient when you are busy, grant writers can be costly, also work for your competition, and intervene in the natural processes of government to your organisation’s detriment.

One of the biggest factors for success when engaging with government are your relationships with political stakeholders — how many you have, how deep and meaningful the relationships are, and how well you have nurtured them. Grant writers cannot call on these networks that you have built. Further, preparing and submitting a grant application presents a strong opportunity to forge relationships with your local MP, government bureaucrats, ministers and political staff — engaging a grant writer prevents you from leveraging this government relations opportunity.

It’s also worth noting that the information a grant writer would need to prepare an application will come from you. The time it takes to supply this information to a grant writer is oftentimes similar to the time it takes to fill in the grant application form personally.

How do I write a grant application?

Writing a grant application can be a daunting task but a great opportunity to secure government funding if successful. Your approach to preparing the application should differ based on the audience for your application, the cost/scope of your project, and the guidelines or criteria that need to be met. It is important to note that some applications benefit from an abundance of detail, whereas others favour brevity.

Tips to be successful with grant applications and tenders

Will your application be read by a politician or a public servant? Tailoring content which speaks best to your identified audience will help you cut through the noise.
Research your audience’s key priorities by reading their communications materials. Public policy mapping and research can be the key to unlocking success in your application.
Read the grant application criteria (often available on the department website) to understand what you need to include - sometimes there’ll even be tips for extra points!
Make sure your asks are specific and measurable. Understand who it will be benefit, why it will benefit them, and how it will benefit them.
It’s important to be across as much of the detail of your project as you can, especially things that politicians and departments tend to look for (think of cost, timeframes, jobs numbers, location, etc.). It can be okay if you don’t know these things, but it is always helpful to be prepared and seek further information from colleagues if you are not clear on the details.
If appropriate, call on the relationships that you’ve built through your government relations and advocacy work to assist with your grant application. There may be appropriate actions these valuable stakeholders can take to support your application.
Avoid aggressive or overly assertive language (e.g. ‘the government must’ or ‘you need to’) so as to not alienate your audience. Governments very rarely feel the pressure that organisations try to exert, and that language can damage relationships.
If you are unsuccessful, ask for feedback to support your next application. This can also be a great opportunity to build relationships with political or government stakeholders in line with your broader government relations strategy.