FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • What does Grant Nomad do?

    We’re a boutique grant writing company providing top-quality grant research, proposal writing, budgets, and compliance for for-profits and nonprofits in the U.S., EU/UK, and beyond.

  • Who hires you?

    Startups/SMBs (for-profits) and nonprofits across dozens of sectors, including (but not limited to) tech/innovation, health/life sciences, education/workforce, environment, and community development, seeking foundation and government grants.

  • What results have you delivered?

    Clients have secured $30M+ in awards with us; we focus on rubric-aligned, compliance-first proposals, not “spray and pray.”

  • What service packages do you offer?

    Two options are available: Weekly (with the option to renew or switch) – $550, and 4-Week All-Inclusive – $2,000 (a time-limited discount from the original $2,200), which covers grant research, writing, budget & justification, compliance, and submission support.

  • Do you require a paid consultation, and if so, why?

    Yes, we only offer a Premium 60-minute grant consultation ($50) to develop a tailored blueprint strategy for your organization, confirm grant readiness, fit, and timeline. We charge for the 60-minute consultation because, as a boutique grant company, we only take on a very limited clients at a time and prep for each call like a real working session. The fee helps protect our calendar, reduces no-shows, and lets us dedicate that hour fully to you.

  • How are payments handled?

    Up-front invoice; work begins on receipt. Consults are prepaid (24-hour reschedule window; no-show forfeits). Please refer to our Terms & Conditions on Premium Consultation for more details.

  • Do you work on commission or success fees?

    No. Major professional bodies explicitly prohibit commission/contingency-based pay: the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) bars finder’s fees, commissions, and percentage compensation (and says compensation shouldn’t be written into grants unless a funder allows it); the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) bans percentage/contingent fees (Standard #21); the American Grant Writers’ Association (AGWA) permits hourly/project fees only and forbids commission; and CASE (for education advancement) prohibits commission-based or percentage-of-gifts compensation.

  • Why do you not work on commission or success fees?

    Commission/ success fee models distort incentives and create conflicts of interest, can undermine donor/public trust, and often clash with funder rules (e.g., U.S. Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.442 makes fundraising costs unallowable on federal awards).

  • What types of grants do you specialize in?

    Private foundation grants, corporate/philanthropy RFPs, U.S. state/federal opportunities (incl. SBIR/STTR, workforce, community), and EU/UK calls (e.g., Horizon-style, regional funds).

  • Do you write grants for individuals?

    Primarily organizations. Individuals can sometimes apply via fiscal sponsorship, fellowships, or scholarships; we’ll advise the viable path.

  • Do you work with new nonprofits or early-stage teams?

    Yes. We use a grant readiness sprint (governance, budget, outcomes, basic policies) and aim at right-sized foundation opportunities first.

  • Do you help for-profits apply for grants?

    Yes. R&D, innovation, workforce, climate/sustainability, export, and sector-specific grants. We also structure nonprofit partnerships and MOUs when strategic.

  • How fast can you deliver a proposal?

    Foundation proposals: ~7–10 days. State/federal/EU calls: typically 2–4+ weeks due to registrations and attachments.

  • What’s your end-to-end process?

    Consult → Onboarding & document room → (optional) grant research & pipeline → strategy & outline → drafting & budget → compliance pass → submission.

  • Can you tailor one proposal to multiple funders?

    Yes—responsibly. We refactor goals, metrics, budget, and compliance to fit each funder (no copy-paste risks).

  • Do you support Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) and concept notes?

    Yes. LOI drafting, scoping, and conversion to full proposals upon invite.

  • Do you build budgets and budget justifications?

    Yes. Fully costed budgets with allowable costs, indirects/overhead, and clear justification aligned to the RFP/NOFO.

  • What about match/cost share requirements?

    We flag requirements and structure cash + in-kind with documentation (pledge/commitment letters).

  • Are indirects allowed?

    We apply the funder’s rules (de minimis or negotiated rates) and classify costs correctly (equipment vs. supplies).

  • Can we include participant incentives/stipends and travel?

    Often yes: rationale, caps, and per-diem per funder policy.

  • Can for-profit companies realistically win grants?

    Yes, particularly SBIR/STTR, innovation, workforce, climate/sustainability, and more generally private foundation grants. Fit, evidence, and commercialization plans matter.

  • Can nonprofits apply with limited operating history?

    Yes, with a lean, credible plan, strong partners, and right-sized grant donors. We often start with private foundation grants.

  • Do you handle funder Q&A or revision requests?

    Yes, responses, clarifications, and resubmissions within your package window or via Weekly.

  • Do you request debriefs after a denial?

    When possible, we translate funder feedback into a resubmission plan.

  • Do you help with reporting and post-award setup?

    Yes. Reporting calendars, KPI templates, deliverable trackers, and no-cost extension/rebudget support as add-ons.

  • Do you guarantee a grant award?

    No grant writer can. We maximize competitiveness; funders decide.

  • Will you provide client references?

    We protect client confidentiality. We share anonymized case studies and, with permission, may provide limited references case-by-case.

  • Will you sign an NDA?

    Yes, mutual NDA available; we practice data minimization and secure file-sharing.

  • What’s the team structure and communication cadence?

    A lead grant writer/strategist plus research & QA; clear weekly cadences and defined SLAs during the engagement.

  • Do you train in-house teams?

    Yes, short clinics on pipelines, logic models, budgets, compliance, and grant readiness.

  • Do you support SBIR/STTR proposals?

    Yes, scoping, work plans, commercialization plans, biosketches, partner splits, and NOFO-compliant packaging.

  • Do you support EU/Horizon-style calls?

    Yes, eligibility, TRL fit, impact pathways, consortium roles, work package/budget architecture, and evaluation alignment.

  • Can you build a 6–12 month grants pipeline?

    Yes, we can build a deadline map, fit tiers, prep actions, and a capacity plan so you’re never deadline-driven.

  • Can you help engage funders before applying?

    Yes. We can help with warm outreach notes, meeting agendas, and stewardship plans to improve win rates.

  • What common disqualifiers do you watch for?

    Lobbying restrictions, religious use limits, sanctions/export controls, double-funding, missing registrations, and past-due reports.

  • International projects: any special considerations?

    FX, safeguarding, local partners, cross-border compliance, and clear M&E tailored to context.