FAQs

Why use a freelancer?

My clients engage me for various reasons, but generally these boil down to one or both of the following:

  • Insufficient capacity within the existing team
  • Skills gaps within the existing team

Writing major and multi-partnership bids is a skill, and opportunities to apply for significant funding in the environmental sector are precious. Great ideas deserve to be presented at their best, and I can help you ensure your proposal is clear, concise and convincing.

For other types of work, you may only need expertise for a time-limited task. Using a freelancer means you have expert input on tap when you need it – and you don’t have to pay for it when you don’t.

An external perspective on your work, with my sector-specific experience, can help clarify the best way forward, sharpen up project plans, and sometimes give extra weight to conversations between internal teams.

How does the contractual arrangement work?

I don’t write bids for commission, and we will need a written agreement, or at least terms agreed in writing by email.

For fees and contracts, I use a variety of approaches to suit my clients’ individual situations:

  • Fees could be based on fixed quotes, per hour, a maximum budget, or what I call a “flex” quote where we allow for an agreed variation on a quote based on actual time spent.
  • Contractual arrangements can be based on your own specification, or I have a standard T&Cs document that covers relevant issues such as intellectual property, confidentiality and cancellation.
  • Information access is typically done via email, or by giving me partial access to your Google Docs or Sharepoint – whatever works for you.
  • Invoicing can either be monthly (for longer projects), against agreement milestones, or when a piece of work is complete.

How do we work together?

I work collaboratively and flexibly with clients according to need, at any stage in the development process. Initial conversations to scope and agree a piece of work are never charged.

Taking bid writing as a key service, a typical process (when a specific funder is already identified) would be:

  • Initial client video call and/or email exchange to agree work
  • Establishing funder requirements (e.g. reading paperwork)
  • Setup meeting with client to scope the proposed project and agree the bid writing process
  • Gathering information about proposed work (including past bids, evaluation evidence) and mapping this against funder requirements
  • Working with the client to address gaps or weaknesses
  • First draft produced for client review
  • Amendments
  • Second draft for client review and submission

I normally recommend that clients lead any direct communication with funders, to build a direct relationship that is not reliant on their relationship with me.

Can you provide a CV?

Of course! You can read about my experience on my LinkedIn page or the About and Portfolio pages on my website. If you need a CV document, please let me know and I can prepare an up-to-date summary of my experience relevant to your request.