FAQ’s

We help individuals, companies, organisations and groups with a range of services looking to improve productivity and efficiency in their business or organisation, start a new business or charity venture. We also undertake an assessment of potential funding options, apply for grant funding and write funding bids.

We support start-up companies, sole proprietors, small businesses, charities and partnerships.

We work with Barton Consultancy as this enables us to be able to offer a wider range of services to clients.

We offer a range of services to support businesses, charities, groups and organisation:

Seek and apply for funding including bid writing
Evaluate and, if appropriate, apply for charity and CIC status
Undertake public engagement and consultation projects
Develop business plans and drawing up governing documents
Develop policies for businesses and organisations
Project manage and delivery of events and activities
Undertake assessments and conduct feasibility studies

Our fees are based on a day rate, half-day rate, retainer or depending on the scale of the project a fixed fee can be agreed to help you with budgeting. Our rates are kept low, when compared to larger companies where daily rates can range from £400 to over £1,000 per day, as we understand small businesses and start-ups may not have the initial capital.

For registered charities, community interest companies or community organisations we offer a reduction on the rates as we believe community development and support to be at the heart of society's wellbeing and sustainability.

We also work on a retainer basis if funding or on-going work is required. We would normally have a base fee x by the amount of days per months required for the on-going project.

Please contact us to discuss the options and rates as they are likey to differ depending on the project scale and duration.

Unfortunately, the answer can be Yes and No but we will consider a Risk/Reward approach to the project.

Many funding bids do not allow a consultants fee to be included, however there are some that do and we would be happy to consider this.

If you are seeking other types of funding such as private sector or Government investment we will consider this along with a small base fee. Our risk/reward approach and percentage of the total funding will be based on the scale and complexity of the project and outlined in writing for your consideration.

Please contact us to discuss the options.

This is a good question and one we suggest asking.

We always recommend having a face to face meeting over a coffee to discuss your project, proposal or venture and of course the likely cost. There is no financial or contractual commitment at this stage and our advice and feedback at this meeting is free.

We can then give you time to consider your options and if you would like to engage our company to undertake the project.

The short answer is Yes.

We always treat our clients information with respect, and confidentiality regarding the business and/or project is paramount and assured. This helps us as with future engagements, retention of business and of course testimonials from people we have worked with.

We do however ask some clients if they would be willing to share their experience with us to other potential customers.

We would always recommend starting off with a face to face meeting so you can decide if we are the right company for you and if we are able to offer you the appropriate services.

We normally conduct the first meeting over a coffee so we can understand your project and give you the opportunity to ask questions. We may ask you lots of questions so we can give you the best possible feedback and potential next steps for you.

If we are engaged to undertake the project, we would agree the details of the project work and our delivery process and methods with you and set out our approach which generally are the following stages: Analysis, Planning Phase, Implementation (or Delivery) and Conclude.

Unfortunately, we can't guarantee the success of funding bids nor can anyone else.

We will make sure you meet the funding criteria and aim to give you the best possible chance of success with the funding application, but this is only part of the process. We will have no control over the funding authority or their internal processes and there could be other competitors seeking the same type of funding for a similar project which may reduce your chance of success.

However, we do have a good track record and years of experience to bring to the table to give you the best possible chance of success.

We programme our work continuously so we can plan clients work all of which have their own deadlines.

We would general state that your project would fit within this process but will be influenced by the scale and complexity of the project, quality of your existing materials, the level of participation you require from us, and the deadline you may have.

We will consider urgent short deadline work, but this will depend on our workload at the time.