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 a major draft or readiness material, looking for gaps and contradictions between the narrative, delivery commitments and financial plans.
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
A separately scoped major application or stage of work once the route, guidance and organisational decisions are ready. NPO work is not included in the standard ACE Project Grants starting price.
Fixed quoteAsk for a fixed quote →What this application needs.
National Portfolio investment is different from an Arts Council Project Grant. This service offers planning and application support, not a claim that a new NPO round is currently open. We work from the official timetable and guidance available for your actual route.
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.
- Organisation strategy and current funding position
- Programme plans and multi-year budgets
- Existing funder relationships and application timetable
- The decisions or gaps you most need help with
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.
A funding strategy is not an award forecast. I do not promise NPO status, funding renewal or a particular level of income.
From your rough notes
to a complete written draft.
Research, writing and one agreed round of refinements.
A manageable pipeline
Decide which applications deserve staff time, which need more preparation and which should be left alone. Allocate owners and realistic preparation dates.
One organisational story
Connect artistic or charitable purpose, delivery, governance and finances without squeezing every activity into every application.
Readiness before writing
Identify evidence, board decisions, partnerships and financial scenarios that need attention before a form opens.
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.
No. A first application or small charity can need just as much care. We choose a proportionate piece of work and agree the price before starting.
Yes. A focused funding plan starts at £350 and the organisational strategy service at £750. Larger or ongoing briefs are agreed separately.
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 a major draft or readiness material, looking for gaps and contradictions between the narrative, delivery commitments and financial plans. It is not a complete rewrite. I confirm the fee and scope before payment.
A funding strategy is not an award forecast. I do not promise NPO status, funding renewal or a particular level of income.
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.