Writing A Winning Bid – Guide – Step 2

Step 2: Writing A Winning Bid

Securing grant funding isn’t just about having a great idea. It’s about telling a compelling story—one that clearly outlines the need for your innovation, why your solution is better than anything currently available, and how your team will deliver impact. Writing a winning bid means bringing together strong technical evidence, commercial reasoning, and a clear understanding of the funding body’s priorities.

This step in the guide will help you craft persuasive, strategically focused applications that stand out from the competition. Whether you’re applying for Innovate UK, Horizon Europe, or another R&D funder, the principles here will help you communicate value, clarity, and credibility from the first page.

What You’ll Learn in This Step

1. Defining the need – Learn how to structure a strong problem statement using a funnel-style approach, moving from a broad industry challenge to your specific innovation.
2. Communicating technical excellence – Discover how to describe your technology in a way that is accessible but technically robust, including appropriate outputs and success metrics.
3. Comparing the competition – Position your solution within the current landscape by identifying existing alternatives and quantifying your advantages.
4. Highlighting broader impacts – Understand how to frame your innovation in terms of societal, economic, and environmental benefit, helping your bid resonate beyond the immediate market.
5. Laying the groundwork for market strategy – Set up a strong foundation for future application sections by exploring cost competitiveness, user feedback, and integration into real-world systems.