ArtsFunded guide
What Does a Bid Writer Need From Me?
A simple preparation guide for artists and organisations before working with a manual bid writer.
Published · By Matthew Simmonds
You do not need to arrive with a perfect project pack. If you had that, you might not need a bid writer.
But you do need to bring the truth of the project.
The basic facts
Start with:
- Funder
- Deadline
- Amount requested
- Applicant type
- Project dates
- Project location
- Who is involved
- What is confirmed
This lets the writer understand scale and urgency.
The messy idea
Explain the project in normal language. Do not worry about sounding strategic yet.
Say what is happening, why you care, who it is for, and what feels hard to explain. The awkward bits are often where the useful questions live.
The budget, even if rough
A rough budget is better than no budget. It shows what the project actually needs.
The writer can help make the narrative fit the budget, but they cannot guess realistic costs from thin air.
The evidence
Evidence might be:
- Feedback
- Partner emails
- Previous learning
- Local context
- Audience demand
- Access needs
- Images or documentation
- Rejection feedback
Send what you have. Label it clearly.
Your boundaries
Say what you want help with. Full write? Review? Research? Strategy? Urgent triage?
Clear boundaries make the quote fairer.
Ready to send it?
If you have the fund, deadline, rough idea, and budget direction, that is enough to start a conversation.