A fixed fee is a set price for the application, agreed before work starts. A success fee is paid only if the grant is awarded, usually as a percentage of it. Success fees are legal and some Australian grant writers use them. We use a fixed fee only, because it keeps our advice honest, and we think you should know the trade-offs either way.
What each one means
Fixed fee. You and the grant writer agree a price in writing for the application before any work starts. You pay it whether or not the grant is awarded.
Success fee. The grant writer is paid only if you win, or is paid a smaller upfront fee plus a share of the grant, often a percentage of the amount awarded. Some Australian grant consultancies publish success-fee terms, and these are often charged on top of an upfront fee.
There are variations, such as an hourly rate or a monthly retainer. Our guide to how much a grant writer costs covers those and what changes the price of an application.
Fixed fee against success fee
Fixed fee
- You know the cost before work starts.
- The price isn't a percentage of the grant.
- The writer has no financial reason to push you to apply.
- You can get an honest view of your chances, including "don't apply".
The trade-off: you pay even if the grant isn't awarded, so you carry the risk.
Success fee
- Little or no money up front.
- The writer shares some of the risk.
- It can suit an organisation with tight cash flow.
The trade-off: the fee grows with the grant, so on a large grant it can cost far more than a fixed fee. The writer is also paid only when you win, which can shape which grants they take on and which they advise against.
Why we use a fixed fee only
If a grant writer is paid only when you win, they have a financial interest in the outcome. That can pull two ways: towards encouraging you to apply for everything, or towards taking only the grants they think are sure things. Neither is the same as an honest view of your chances.
With a fixed fee, we’re paid the same whether we tell you to apply or tell you not to. That’s why we can say, “we don’t think it’s worth your time and money to apply.” It’s also why our free check comes first, and why you see our fee before you commit.
We’re open about the trade-off. A fixed fee means you pay even if the application isn’t successful. No grant writer can guarantee funding, because the funder decides, and in a competitive round eligible applications still miss out. We try to reduce that risk by telling you where you stand before you pay.
Check whether the program lets you claim the fee
Whichever way you pay, find out whether the grant will cover it. Some programs don’t pay for the cost of preparing the application, and a success fee is unlikely to be claimable from grant money either. For example, the South Australian Export Diversification Program doesn’t cover the cost of preparing the application, including our fee. See the program page.
If you’re offered a success fee, ask whether it’s paid from your own funds or from the grant, and check the program guidelines before you agree.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Is the fee fixed, or does it depend on the grant being awarded?
- If there’s a success fee, what percentage is it, is there a cap, and what does it come to on the grant we’re applying for?
- Is there also an upfront fee, and is it refundable?
- Will the program allow this fee to be paid from the grant? Where in the guidelines does it say so?
- How do you decide which grants to put forward, and will you tell me if you think I shouldn’t apply?
- Who approves the final application, and who lodges it?
Get the fee for your project
Our approach is a fixed fee, agreed in writing before any work starts, with no success fee. Tell us about your event or project and, if you know it, the grant. We’ll send you a short written brief with the grants it could apply for, how strong an application would be, what would make it stronger, and our fee. If we don’t think it’s worth your time and money to apply, we’ll tell you. Ask for a free check.
Andrew is an events organiser and events producer who spent years on the applicant side of grant funding before founding Better Funded. More about Andrew