What do you need help with?
Funding Direction
A route recommendation, the main risks and what to prepare.
£45Check my route →I have a draftReview & Strengthening
A review of the funding narrative, readiness, budget explanation and evidence of demand. I flag where professional reports or decisions are missing.
From £95Review my draft →The idea needs shapingProject Packaging
Bring the activities, partners, outcomes and budget together before writing.
From £175Shape my project →Write it for meComplete Writing
An agreed enquiry, funding proposal or application for the selected route, with a supporting-document list and the remaining technical questions clearly separated.
Fixed quoteAsk for a fixed quote →What this application needs.
The Architectural Heritage Fund distinguishes early viability, development and capital needs, with programmes varying by nation. National Lottery Heritage Grants and Garfield Weston may be other routes to investigate. A grant, loan and match-funding commitment are not interchangeable.
Check current eligibility, deadlines and assistance rules. This page does not confirm that a round is open.
Considering another route?
Compare the support available. Each fund has its own eligibility rules.
I check the funder’s assistance rules before accepting writing work. Where you must write it yourself, I offer planning or feedback instead.
What to send and how the quote works
A short outline is enough to start.
- Building location, history and proposed use
- Ownership or lease position
- Surveys, cost estimates and permissions already obtained
- Organisation details, business plan and proposed funding sources
Writing is quoted for your brief. Reviews start at £95. Scope, complexity and the application stage determine the final fee. Later stages and extra review rounds are agreed separately. No payment on this form.
I am not your architect, conservation surveyor, engineer or legal adviser. Funding writing does not certify building condition, costs, consents or project viability.
From your rough notes
to a complete written draft.
Research, writing and one agreed round of refinements.
The right stage
Work out whether you need early feasibility, project development or help presenting a costed capital scheme. Avoid jumping straight to a full capital application.
A useful building
Explain the proposed use, who wants it, who will operate it and how running costs will be covered after the works.
A credible funding package
Bring survey findings, permissions, professional costs, contingency and income into a clear case. Identify which estimates still need specialist confirmation.
Check and refine
You check the facts and missing information. I make one agreed round of refinements; you approve and submit.
You receive an editable draft and submission checklist, with missing facts flagged. You approve it and submit to the funder.
Read the writing before you hire me.
A genuine application extract. Only identifying details have been redacted; the wording is retained.
Browse all writing extracts →Real applications.
Personal support.
Scroll across for more client experiences →
Matt supported me throughout my Paul Hamlyn Foundation application, which was successful. He demonstrated profound respect for the background of my application, which focused on Ballroom Culture, and articulated my points clearly to the panel.
The review was very detailed and clearly structured, so it was easy for me to update my application and submit it in time.
I am really grateful to Matt for reviewing my DYCP application. He provided clear, detailed feedback with explanations for each proposed change.
Send me the fund,
the deadline, and the idea.
Two or three sentences are enough. I’ll reply personally with the right service, scope and fixed quote.
No commitment until you agree the quote.
Prefer to talk first? Book a chat
Dear Matt,
Tell me what you know. “Not sure” is fine.Only your name, email and a short outline are required. The other fields are optional.
Form not working? Email matt@artsfunded.com directly.
Quick answers.
Yes. Start with funding direction if the route is unclear. The location, building use, applicant and project stage all matter.
No. Your appointed specialists prepare surveys, drawings and technical advice. I can help turn that material into a coherent funding case.
Independent support from Matthew Simmonds, not the funder or an approved supplier. I check the current route and outside-assistance rules before agreeing work. You approve all facts, figures and commitments and submit the application. Funding is never guaranteed.
A review of the funding narrative, readiness, budget explanation and evidence of demand. I flag where professional reports or decisions are missing. It is not a complete rewrite. I confirm the fee and scope before payment.
I am not your architect, conservation surveyor, engineer or legal adviser. Funding writing does not certify building condition, costs, consents or project viability.
A bid writer who works
inside the arts.
I’m Matthew Simmonds, Co-Artistic Director of Strange Futures, an Arts Council England-funded theatre company. I’m also a theatre maker, performer and facilitator.
I know the work behind the form. I work with individual artists, small organisations and charities, from a first application to NPO bids, multi-year community funding and longer-term planning. My job is to make the next step clearer and keep your own voice in the writing.
Matt Simmonds More about Matt →Working on another application?
Arts, charity, community and heritage support, with the same personal approach.