Download The UK Business Guide to Grant Writing & Grant Audits
How to prepare strong applications and stay audit-ready
Click here to downloadStart with the guide that helps you write or commission stronger Innovate UK / UKRI applications for 2026 – and stay audit-ready
If your business is planning to apply for grant funding from Innovate UK, UKRI or similar funders, the quality, clarity and credibility of your application will matter every bit as much as your idea. This is true whether you use grant writing services or draft the application yourself.
Our practical guide – The UK Business Guide to Grant Writing & Grant Audits – explains how to prepare a competitive grant application, how to structure your budget, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to set up the reporting and record-keeping you’ll need once your project is underway. It also gives you tips on how to select the right grant writing services for your needs.
Written by THP Chartered Accountants – specialists in grant audits for organisations that already hold funding – this guide gives you an independent, expert perspective on what makes an application persuasive and audit-ready.
What’s inside the guide?
- How to write a strong, funder-aligned Innovate UK or UKRI application – Plain-English guidance on clarity, structure, evidence, storytelling and risk.
- The Five R’s framework for producing a compelling and compliant bid – A simple, memorable process that strengthens every part of your application.
- How to build a clear, credible and auditable budget – What assessors expect – and what causes problems later in project audits.
- How to choose grant writing services – What to look for when selecting from among grant writing service providers
- Common mistakes applicants make (and how to avoid them) – Drawn from real audit experience with UK grant-funded projects.
- Understanding Innovate UK and UKRI cost rules – Key differences, what to prepare for, and how to get ahead of compliance.
- How to stay audit-ready from day one – What evidence you’ll need, what records to keep, and how to avoid clawbacks.
Why this guide is different
Because THP Chartered Accountants does not offer grant writing services, this guide is genuinely independent.
Our perspective comes from auditing grant-funded projects once they are underway, which means we see where applications are strong, where they create difficulties and what helps a business stay fully compliant.
If you’re aiming for Innovate UK or UKRI funding, the advice in this guide will help you build a stronger application and avoid the costly issues that many organisations encounter later.
About THP Chartered Accountants
We are independent grant auditors for Innovate UK, UKRI and other publicly funded projects. We don’t write applications or offer grant writing services – we help ensure that once funding is awarded, your project stands up to financial scrutiny.
Download the Guide
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