I’ll write your
arts funding bid.
Human support to understand funder feedback, strengthen a rejected application and prepare a clearer resubmission.
Not sure which fund fits yet? Send the rough idea and I’ll point you to the most sensible route.
Already written it? I do reviews too →
- Co-director of an ACE-funded theatre company
- Funding packages over £100k written
- Worcestershire based, working UK-wide
I take the application
off your plate.
A careful, question-by-question draft shaped to your funder and your project. Never a generic proposal.
Strategy and intake
We clarify the fund, the deadline and the project logic, and capture the raw material in plain English.
Evidence and context
I pull out the need, the local context, the funder fit and the practical evidence that strengthens your case.
Complete written draft
Every answer written for you, structured to the funder’s questions, character counts and scoring criteria.
One refinement round
We tighten tone, facts and wording together, so the final bid still sounds unmistakably like you.
You get: a complete question-by-question draft in your voice, a referenced evidence pack, and one refinement round. Fixed quote agreed before any of it starts.
⌕ See redacted writing examplesOpen all five anonymised extracts and zoom in to read them →Every major UK arts route.
ACE Project Grants
Under £30k and £30k to £100k routes, including national and place-based projects.
from £375DYCP
Developing Your Creative Practice, for your growth as an individual artist.
from £250Awards for All
National Lottery community funding across all four nations.
from £250Creative Scotland
Open Fund and alternative Scotland-specific routes.
from £375PRS Foundation
New music and music creator funding, plus smaller trusts.
from £250Arts Council of Wales
Create and Inspire routes for Welsh artists and organisations.
from £375Heritage & complex funds
Heritage Lottery, large community programmes, multi-partner bids.
custom quoteTrusts & foundations
Smaller trusts, wellbeing and community grants, matched to your project.
from £250A human review
before you submit.
A practical, honest read of your existing draft: what’s working, what’s costing you points, and exactly what to fix first. Feedback and guidance, not a rewrite.
You send
- Your current draft
- The fund and deadline
- Your request amount and budget
You receive
- An honest diagnosis of the draft
- Section-by-section notes
- A priority fix list, in order
- Suggested wording where it counts
Clear starting prices.
Fixed quote before we begin.
Full application writing
Reviews and advice
Projects and organisations
the fixed-quote promiseFinal price depends on deadline, complexity and your existing materials. You always know the full cost before any work starts. Not sure what you need? Book a short call and I’ll point you at the cleanest option. Councils and organisations: PO numbers, invoices and reporting are all fine.
Help for the stage
you are actually at.
Three focused routes for when an ordinary review or complete application is not the right starting point.
Application Access Support
Flexible, practical help for disabled, neurodivergent and chronically ill applicants facing barriers in the application process.
scope agreed around your needs ↻Rejection & Resubmission
Understand the decision, identify what must change and rebuild the next submission with a clear plan.
fixed quote before work starts PProject Packaging
Turn a rough idea into coherent activities, outcomes, budget assumptions, partner roles and suitable funding routes.
from £295Want it written for you,
or want it cheaper?
Most people come to me. But if the budget is tight, the ArtsFunded tool does a solid job for less.
I write the bid for you.
Best for complex, urgent or high-stakes applications.
- Every answer written for you, in your voice
- Strategy, research and evidence included
- From £250, fixed quote up front
Or do it yourself, from £49.
The ArtsFunded platform writes the draft with you.
- Complete draft in about 10 minutes
- Evidence and assessor-style review built in
- Free preview first, no card
Also on the menu: Unlimited ongoing support at £1,195 a month for organisations with a recurring funding pipeline, and grant-writing training for teams and individuals.
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, and a movement director, puppetry director, performer, facilitator and bid writer.
I’ve worked across small grants, National Lottery routes, trusts and foundations, Arts Council funding, heritage, wellbeing and community grants, including funding packages over £100k. Based in Worcestershire, online across the UK, and I travel where it makes sense.
Don’t take my word for it.
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.
Happy to let you know the Lottery bid was successful. Many thanks and best wishes.
This is amazing, from the actual application draft right down to the data report. Matt just totally gets it.
My draft read really well and was the perfect starting point. It honestly lifted a massive weight from my shoulders.
Hi Matt, wow. That was quick. I am in AWE of you and your clever machine.
I would still be procrastinating if not for the help of ArtsFunded. I paid for it, and it is genuinely worth it.
Quick answers.
Yes. Application Review is £95 for written feedback and a priority fix list. Review & Strengthening is £125 and includes direct editing of an agreed smaller draft.
Yes, that’s the norm. Bullet points, voice notes and half-formed ideas are all fine. The strategy and intake step exists to turn raw material into a clear project.
Yes. Funding Direction is £45 and gives you advice, the most sensible funding route and a clear next step before you spend time writing.
Yes. Choose a £350 Funding Strategy Sprint, a £750 Organisational Funding Strategy, or Unlimited at £1,195 a month when you need ongoing implementation capacity.
No. I prepare the writing, strategy, research and draft copy. You check the final details and submit through the funder’s own portal.
No, and be wary of anyone who does. Decisions sit with the funder. My job is to make your application clearer, stronger, better evidenced and easier for a panel to say yes to.
Send me the fund,
the deadline, and the idea.
I’ll tell you whether I can help, whether your deadline is realistic, and what the fixed quote would be, before any work starts.
- Reply within 24 hours, usually faster
- Fixed quote agreed before work begins
- I keep my client list short, so every bid gets proper attention
- An honest “no” if I’m not the right fit
Prefer to talk first? Book a free call
Tell me the rough fund, deadline and project. I’ll suggest the cleanest next step.