Defining the Categories

Category	Grant Size	Typical Scope
Micro Grants	£500-£5K	Equipment, small projects, pilot activities
Small Grants	£5K-£25K	Short-term projects, specific activities
Medium Grants	£25K-£100K	1-2 year projects, part-time staff
Large Grants	£100K-£500K	Multi-year programmes, multiple staff
Major Grants	£500K+	Transformational programmes, systems change

Application Complexity Comparison

Small Grants (£5K-£25K)

• Simple online forms (30-60 minutes)
• Minimal supporting documents
• 1-2 page proposals typical
• Decision in 4-8 weeks
• Light-touch reporting (annual)
• One-stage application usually
• Individual decision-maker often

Large Grants (£100K+)

• Extensive applications (20-40 pages)
• Comprehensive supporting evidence
• Detailed budgets and timelines
• Decision in 3-9 months
• Quarterly/bi-annual reporting
• Multi-stage process (EOI + full)
• Board/panel decisions

Due Diligence Requirements

As grant size increases, so does funder scrutiny:

£5K-£25K: Light Touch

Basic eligibility checks, financial health review via Charity Commission data, website review. Trust-based approach common.

£25K-£100K: Standard

Recent accounts required, safeguarding policies, governance structure review, sometimes references requested.

£100K+: Comprehensive

Multi-year accounts analysis, site visits, stakeholder consultations, reference calls, sometimes independent evaluations or feasibility studies required.

Strategic Fit for Different Organizational Stages

New Organizations (0-2 years)

Focus on: Micro and small grants (£500-£15K)

Why: Build track record, prove concept, develop systems. Large funders want evidence you can't yet provide.

Emerging Organizations (2-5 years)

Focus on: Small to medium grants (£10K-£50K)

Why: Scale proven approaches, professionalize operations, build capacity for larger funding.

Established Organizations (5+ years)

Focus on: Portfolio approach mixing small (£5K-£25K), medium (£25K-£100K), and large (£100K+)

Why: Diversification, different grants for different purposes. Quick-win small grants fund agile work; large grants fund strategic programmes.

Return on Investment by Grant Size

Grant Size	Effort Required	Cost Per £ Raised	Best ROI For
£1K-£5K	1-3 hours	£0.05-£0.15	Quick needs, equipment
£5K-£25K	5-15 hours	£0.08-£0.20	Small organisations, specific projects
£25K-£100K	20-40 hours	£0.10-£0.25	Medium organisations, programme funding
£100K+	60-120 hours	£0.12-£0.30	Large organisations, strategic initiatives

When to Pursue Each Type

Choose Small Grants When:

✓ Testing new ideas before scaling
✓ Need quick funding decisions
✓ Building track record with new funders
✓ Limited staff capacity for complex applications
✓ Filling specific, immediate gaps

Choose Large Grants When:

✓ Implementing proven, scalable models
✓ Have strong evidence base and track record
✓ Capacity for complex application processes
✓ Multi-year strategic programmes need
✓ Can absorb long decision timelines

Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Chasing large grants too early

New organisations applying for £250K when they lack track record. Build up through smaller grants first.

❌ Ignoring small grants as "not worth it"

Established organisations dismissing sub-£10K opportunities. These can be high-ROI for specific needs and relationship building.

❌ Same application approach for all sizes

Treating £5K application like £100K one (over-engineered) or vice versa (under-developed). Match effort to grant size and requirements.

Conclusion

Grant sizing strategy should match your organizational stage, capacity, and needs. Build systematically from small to large, using smaller grants to create evidence for bigger asks.

TL;DR: Small vs Large Grants

✓ Small grants (£5K-£25K): Quick, simple, good for testing and new organizations
✓ Large grants (£100K+): Complex, lengthy, require strong track record
✓ Match your pursuit to organizational maturity and capacity
✓ Build portfolio: mix of grant sizes for different purposes
✓ ROI varies: consider effort required vs funding secured