Rochelle Gunn

Government grant writing for high-value, competitive funding

How government grant applications are assessed

Grant assessors do not know your organisation.

They assess applications under time pressure. They work to stringent criteria. They test the logic and look for gaps.

Applications are rarely unsuccessful because they lack detail. They fail because the core case is unclear, inconsistent, or difficult to assess.

Writing more content does not fix this. It usually makes it worse.

I help you decide what genuinely strengthens your application, and remove what weakens it, so your submission stands up to scrutiny.

What matters in competitive grant assessment

High-value government grants are assessed, not read.

Assessors are looking for a clear line between the problem they are trying to solve, the proposal and the funding request.

I work with organisations to:

  • establish a strong, logical case for funding

  • align the application tightly to the assessment criteria

  • identify and remove material that weakens the overall submission

  • ensure the application is easy to assess and justify

My role is to ensure every part of the application adds value to the funding case.

Experience and results

In less than two years, I’ve supported successful grant applications totalling $16 million in government funding.

My work focuses on state and federal grant programs where:

  • applications are competitive

  • assessment standards are high

  • governance, value for money and feasibility matter

I work on a limited number of applications at any one time.

Instead of high-volume grant writing, I focus on applications that require specialised skills to present a clear case for funding.

The type of organisations I work with

This work is well suited to organisations that are:

  • applying for a high-value state or federal grant

  • working with complex or competitive guidelines

  • accountable to a board, funder or public scrutiny

  • time-poor, but unwilling to submit a weak or unfocused application

It is less suited to organisations that are:

  • looking for low-cost, high-volume grant writing

  • applying for small or low-risk grants

  • focused on including detail that does not materially strengthen the application

Next steps

If you’re planning to apply for a high-value state or federal government grant and the approach outlined above resonates, you’re welcome to make an enquiry.

I work on a limited number of applications at any one time, so it’s helpful to share a brief outline of the grant, timing and funding amount when getting in touch.

Connect with me