There is no single universal answer, because the price depends on the programme, the type of project, the value of the investment, the scope of the documentation required, the complexity of the costs and how well prepared the company is to apply. A simple investment application with a few costs is priced differently from a project involving innovation, research and development work, technical documentation, financial analysis or an extensive business plan.
In practice, the cost of preparing an application should be preceded by an analysis of the programme, the company's needs and the call requirements. Only after checking the rules, the project selection criteria, the list of annexes, the cost eligibility rules and the call timetable can the scope of work be reliably assessed.
What does the cost of preparing a grant application depend on?
The cost of preparing a grant application depends primarily on how much analytical, formal and descriptive work needs to be done before the documentation is submitted. The application form itself is usually only the end result of the process. Before that, it is necessary to verify the applicant's eligibility, match the project to the programme objective, check the costs, prepare the business rationale, plan the indicators and make sure that the project can be properly implemented and settled.
The most important factors affecting the cost of preparing an application are:
– the type of grant programme
– the value of the planned investment
– the number of costs included in the budget
– the type of eligible costs
– the level of detail required in the project description
– the number of required annexes
– the need to prepare a business plan
– the need to prepare a financial model
– the need to prepare a market analysis
– the need to prepare technical documentation
– the time remaining until the call closes
– the formal and substantive risk of the project
The more complex the project, the more work needs to go into preparing the documentation. The quote should therefore take into account not only the application form itself, but the entire process leading up to its submission.
Why is it generally impossible to give a universal price?
It is not possible to reliably give a single price, because grant applications differ in scope, level of detail and formal risk. In some calls, a simple description of the investment and a correct list of expenditure are of key importance. In others, it is necessary to prepare a full strategic argument, a financial analysis, forecasts, a physical and financial schedule, an indicator matrix, a risk analysis, environmental documents or a detailed justification of the project's consistency with the programme objectives.
Differences may also concern the assessment procedure itself. Some calls are more formal in nature, where meeting the access criteria is of fundamental importance. Other calls are heavily score-based, and funding is decided by the quality of the description, the logic of the project, competitive advantage, the impact of the investment on the company's development and the degree of compliance with the substantive criteria.
The cost of preparing an application is therefore affected not only by the length of the form, but also by the level of responsibility for developing the project assumptions. If the documentation is to be prepared thoughtfully, it should be based on analysis rather than on mechanically filling in fields in the generator.
What does preparing a grant application involve?
Preparing a grant application usually involves several stages. Their scope depends on the programme, but in most cases the process should begin with an assessment of whether the company and the planned investment fit the given call at all.
A typical scope of work may include:
– analysis of the call rules
– analysis of the project selection criteria
– assessment of the applicant's eligibility
– assessment of the eligibility of the planned investment
– assessment of eligible costs
– analysis of the possible level of funding
– preparation of the project concept
– description of the problem or investment need
– preparation of the business rationale
– formulation of the project objective
– description of the planned activities
– preparation of the physical and financial schedule
– selection of output and result indicators
– preparation of the project budget
– verification of the sources of financing for the own contribution
– preparation or verification of annexes
– completion of the application form
– checking the consistency of the documentation before submission
In more demanding calls, this scope may be broader. It may include the preparation of a business plan, financial forecasts, an investment profitability analysis, technical documentation, a cost estimate, an energy audit, an innovation opinion, a demand analysis, a competitor analysis or additional explanations concerning State aid.
A simple application versus an extensive project – differences in workload
The biggest differences in the cost of preparing documentation result from the complexity of the project. A simple application may concern a single type of investment, clearly defined costs and a short implementation period. In such a case, the analysis is usually less time-consuming, provided that the programme does not require extensive annexes.
An extensive project may involve several categories of expenditure, different locations, several partners, construction investments, the purchase of specialist equipment, technology implementation, recruitment of staff, promotional activities, training, digitalisation or energy efficiency elements. Such a project requires more conceptual work and greater attention to the consistency of the entire documentation.
For example, in an investment project it is necessary to demonstrate not only the need to purchase machinery or equipment, but also its impact on the company's operations. In an energy project, it may be necessary to link costs to the energy effect. In an innovative project, it may be important to demonstrate the novelty of the solution, its competitive advantage and genuine market demand.
That is why two applications of similar financial value may require completely different amounts of work. The value of the project is important, but it is not the only pricing criterion.
How does the grant programme affect the price of preparing an application?
Each programme has its own rules, forms, criteria and annexes. Preparing an application for a regional programme differs from preparing one for a national programme, a loan instrument, or a sectoral call for healthcare, agriculture, R&D, digitalisation or energy efficiency.
Public institutions publish call timetables, rules and documents on their websites. For example, PARP maintains a call timetable in which information on deadlines and available calls for entrepreneurs is published. (PARP) BGK, in turn, publishes information on programmes and funds, including financial instruments and preferential forms of support. (BGK)
A reliable quote for preparing an application should take into account:
– whether the call offers grants, loans, sub-grants or a mix
– whether the project is assessed formally and substantively
– whether there is a points-based ranking
– whether a business plan is required
– whether financial forecasts are required
– whether technical documents are necessary
– whether compliance with State aid rules must be demonstrated
– whether the programme requires compliance with detailed industry standards
– whether the documentation is submitted in a simple form or in an extensive generator
The more complex the programme, the more important the analysis stage before you start writing the application.
What documents can increase the cost of preparing an application?
The cost of preparing an application may increase if additional documents need to be prepared besides the form. In many calls, the annexes are as important as the application itself. If they are missing, inconsistent or incorrectly prepared, this may lead to the project being rejected or to a request for supplementary information.
Documents that may increase the workload include, among others:
– business plan
– financial model
– economic analysis
– market analysis
– competitor analysis
– physical and financial schedule
– investor's cost estimate
– technical documentation
– energy audit
– innovation opinion
– environmental documents
– administrative permits
– State aid declarations
– documents confirming the right to use the property
– quotations or market survey
– the company's financial documents
Not every programme requires all of these documents. That is why the specific call must be checked before assessing the cost of preparing the application. The name of the programme alone is not enough, as the detailed requirements may differ between rounds, regions and types of projects.
Does the price depend on the value of the project?
The price of preparing an application may depend on the value of the project, but it is not assessed solely from this perspective. A high-value project may be simple if it involves a uniform purchase and a clear physical scope. A lower-value project may be more complicated if it requires many justifications, indicators, annexes and analyses.
The value of the project matters particularly when a higher budget means a larger number of costs, a more complex schedule, the need to divide expenditure into categories, an analysis of VAT eligibility, an assessment of sources of financing and a greater risk of corrections at the settlement stage.
When analysing the value of the project, it is worth answering a few questions:
– what is the total value of the investment
– what part of the costs may be eligible
– will VAT be an eligible cost
– how much will the required own contribution be
– does the company have the capacity to finance the project before reimbursement
– will external financing be needed
– will the project be implemented in stages
– are the costs justified in market terms
– is the expenditure directly linked to the programme objective
These elements affect not only the assessment of the project, but also the scope of work involved in preparing the documentation.
How to prepare for a quote for a grant application?
To receive a reliable quote for preparing an application, it is worth gathering basic information about the company and the planned investment in advance. The more specific the data provided at the outset, the easier it is to assess whether the project qualifies for the given programme and what the scope of documentation will be.
For a preliminary analysis, it is worth preparing:
– the NIP (tax identification number)
– the location of the investment
– the company's status
– a description of the business
– a brief description of the planned project
– a list of planned expenditure
– the estimated net and gross value of the investment
– the planned implementation date
– information on the sources of financing for the own contribution
If a call has not yet been chosen, you can first check available grants and compare which programmes may suit the planned investment.
What to watch out for when comparing offers for preparing an application?
When comparing offers for preparing a grant application, you should not be guided solely by the lowest price. What matters is exactly what the scope of work covers. Two offers may look similar, but one may include a full analysis of the rules, consultations, preparation of annexes and verification of the consistency of the documentation, while the other covers only completing the form on the basis of data provided by the client.
When comparing offers, it is worth checking:
– whether it includes an analysis of the rules and criteria
– whether it includes the preparation of annexes
– whether it includes the preparation of the schedule
– whether it includes a description of the indicators
– whether it includes consultations while the documentation is being prepared
– whether it includes responses to any questions from the institution
– whether it includes support after the application has been submitted
– whether it clearly defines the responsibilities of the parties
– whether it specifies what data the applicant must provide
A low price may be justified for a simple project, but in more complicated calls an overly narrow scope of work may increase the risk of errors. In grants, the problem is not just writing the text, but correctly structuring the project to meet the programme criteria.
Can preparing the application yourself reduce costs?
Preparing the application yourself may reduce the external cost, but it does not mean the process is cost-free. The company has to devote time to analysing the rules, learning the programme requirements, preparing descriptions, compiling documents, checking data consistency and operating the call system. If the project is simple and the applicant has experience with grants, preparing it independently may be feasible.
The risk arises when the project is more complex and the company is unsure how to interpret the criteria, eligible costs, indicators or annex requirements. An error at the application preparation stage may result in the project being rejected, a lower score, a reduced funding amount or problems at the settlement stage.
Why should an analysis of the programme precede the quote?
An analysis of the programme should precede the quote because it is the call documentation that determines the actual scope of work. Only after checking the rules, criteria, instructions for completing the application and the list of annexes can it be established whether the project requires a simple description or a comprehensive study.
Without an analysis of the programme, it is easy to overlook elements that have a significant impact on the price, for example:
– the need to prepare additional analyses
– the requirement to demonstrate innovation
– the need to present environmental effects
– the requirement to have technical documentation
– the need to prepare financial forecasts
– the requirement to meet bonus criteria
– the requirement of compliance with State aid rules
– restrictions on eligible costs
A quote without this information may be underestimated or too general. A reliable process should begin by checking whether it is worth preparing the project for the given call at all.
How much does it cost to prepare a grant application?
The cost of preparing a grant application depends on many factors and should not be assessed solely on the basis of the programme name or the value of the investment. The key factors are the call requirements, the number of annexes, the complexity of the project, the need to prepare analyses, the time available to prepare the documentation and the scope of responsibility for preparing the assumptions.
If you are planning to apply for funding, it is worth verifying in advance the eligibility of the investment, call deadlines, the possible level of support and the scope of documentation required. For this purpose, you can use the grant search engine, check current funding opportunities in the tool check available grants or use the form for contact with an expert.
