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Funding follows a plan, not an idea
Programmes want a defined scope, a timeline and a measurable outcome. If you cannot write that down, you are not ready for funding — you are ready for a discovery phase. That is not a failure; it is the correct order.
Apply before you start, always
Most programmes will not fund work that has already begun. Signing the development contract before the application is the single most common way companies disqualify themselves from money they would have received.
Count the true cost of applying
Applications, documentation and reporting cost internal hours. For a small project, that overhead can exceed the grant. Do the arithmetic honestly before you spend a month on paperwork for a subsidy you barely need.
Do not let the programme design the project
The worst outcome is a company building an AI feature it does not need because AI was fundable. Build what the business needs, then check whether it happens to qualify — never the other way round.
- Apply before signing anything.
- Paperwork can cost more than a small grant.
- Never let funding rules design your product.
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