Best Grant Writing Consultants in the UK (2026)
We offer grant reviews and writing ourselves, so read this knowing that. Every fee, claim and status below was read from each firm's own website on the date above, including where they are the better choice.
Who are the best grant writing consultants in the UK?
The best UK grant writing consultant depends on what you are applying for, because the market splits into firms that write innovation grants and firms that write charity bids, and almost none publish prices. For Innovate UK, UKRI and EU innovation funding, GrantUp, UK Grant Funding (Tatton Consulting), Red Knight, GrantTree and TBAT Innovation specialise there, and Sustainable Ventures takes climate-tech bids over £150,000 on a success fee only. ABGi and Ayming combine grants with large R&D tax claims. For charities and community groups, 4Grants works no win, no fee, and Charity Excellence is free. Of the fourteen firms we checked on 2 October 2026, only Tatton publishes fee figures, from £3,500 plus a 7 to 12 per cent success fee. Three still market Innovate UK Smart Grants, which were paused in January 2025. EchoGrant, which publishes this list, reviews drafted applications for a fixed £250.
What we found checking fourteen firms
One firm publishes its fees. UK Grant Funding (Tatton) lists actual prices. Everyone else quotes on enquiry, which means comparing them takes a round of calls.
Three still sell a closed scheme. Innovate UK paused Smart Grants in January 2025. On 2 October 2026, Tatton, Sustainable Ventures and Anchored In still presented Smart Grants as current, and ABGi was the only firm to say plainly that they had stopped. Here is what is open instead.
Several disagree with themselves. GrantTree gives two different totals and two different success rates on two of its pages. Tatton's homepage says its pay is success-based while its pricing page shows upfront and monthly fees. GrantUp says it takes no percentage but describes a success fee on its retainer product.
The most believable number is the lowest. Red Knight publishes a 36.78% success rate across 285 proposals, against “above 90%” elsewhere. Precision is a better signal than size.
How they charge, at a glance
| Firm | Model | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| UK Grant Funding (Tatton) | Upfront + success fee, or retainer | From £3,500 + 7–12% |
| GrantUp | Fixed fee, no % (retainer has a success fee) | Not published |
| Sustainable Ventures | Success fee only (bids £150k+) | Not published |
| 4Grants | No win, no fee | Not published |
| Red Knight | Quote after consultation | Not published |
| GrantTree | Three service tiers | Not published |
| TBAT Innovation | Quote after consultation | Not published |
| Streets Innovation | Quote after consultation | Not published |
| ABGi UK | Quote after consultation | Not published |
| Ayming UK | One-off engagement | Not published |
| Xeinadin | Quote; no “additional” fees if unsuccessful | Not published |
| Funded Team | Per application | Not published (2024 offer expired) |
| Anchored In | Three support levels | Not published |
| Charity Excellence | Free platform | Free |
| EchoGrant (us) | Fixed price, no success fee | £250 review; writing from £2,500 |
Innovation grants: Innovate UK, UKRI and EU funding
For technology and R&D businesses. These firms write to the scoring criteria of specific innovation competitions.
GrantUp
grantup.co.ukBest for: Deep tech and life sciences, and funders beyond Innovate UK
Writes innovation grants for tech and life-science companies across Innovate UK, UKRI councils, Horizon Europe and the EIC, ESA, ARIA, ATI and Eurostars. Also does R&D tax.
Fees. “The fee is quoted before any work starts, with no percentage of the award.” Most work is a fixed fee per submission; the consultation is free; a no-win-no-fee option exists “for qualifying companies”. No figures published.
What they claim. “£190m+ Won for clients”; a per-engagement success rate “above 90%”.
Worth knowing. Its “Unlimited” page describes a six-month monthly retainer and says “A success fee applies on award”, which sits awkwardly with “no percentage” elsewhere on the site. Ask which model your quote is on.
UK Grant Funding (Tatton Consulting)
ukgrantfunding.co.ukBest for: Projects over £150,000 where you want published prices
Innovation grants only: Innovate UK, NIHR i4i, DASA, SBRI, ESA, EIC, APC and ATI. Its enquiry form asks you to confirm project costs above £150,000.
Fees. The only firm here that publishes figures. Full application support from £3,500 plus a 7 to 12% success fee; review from £0 plus a 10 to 15% approval fee; a strategic partner retainer from £1,495 a month plus 8%. Free chance-of-success assessment and free support for resubmissions.
What they claim. “£120m Secured | 75% Win Rate” and “£125m+ Funding Secured” on the same homepage.
Worth knowing. The homepage says “All our remuneration is success-based”, while the pricing page shows upfront and monthly fees. Its FAQ still lists Smart Grants among its specialisms.
Red Knight Consultancy
redknightconsultancy.co.ukBest for: Founders who want honest numbers
Innovation funding for high-tech startups and SMEs: Innovate UK, Horizon Europe, EIC Accelerator, Eureka, DASA, NIHR and IHI. Bid writing, claim management, training and retained consultancy.
Fees. Not published. Free consultation.
What they claim. “£28M+ Innovation Funding Secured”, “285 Proposals Submitted” and a “36.78% Success Rate”. That is far lower than its peers claim, and far more believable.
Sustainable Ventures
sustainableventures.co.ukBest for: Climate-tech startups with a large bid and no cash for fees
A climate-tech incubator and investor with a grants team that writes Innovate UK grants and loans.
Fees. End-to-end writing on “a success-fee only” basis, sized to the award, so no win, no fee. Critical review at a day rate. Percentages not published. Does not take grants under £150,000 in total value, or bids that depend on an interview.
What they claim. “£14m+” secured; an “80% success rate”; £4.56m secured in the past year.
Worth knowing. Its homepage still links to a Smart Grants guide saying “the newest round recently launched”.
GrantTree
granttree.co.ukBest for: One firm for grants, R&D tax and advance funding
Innovation grants, R&D tax relief, Innovation Loans and advance funding of up to 80% of a grant once you win. Three grant service tiers: full write, collaborate and review.
Fees. Not published. No stated success fee or no-win-no-fee.
What they claim. “2000+ Innovative Companies Funded”.
Worth knowing. Its homepage says “£500 million+” secured and its grants page “£400 million+”; the grants page gives both “65%+” and “over 60%” as its success rate.
TBAT Innovation
tbat.co.ukBest for: Workshops and resubmissions alongside R&D tax
Grant workshops, bid writing, application review, resubmission and claim management across Innovate UK, Horizon Europe and Scottish Enterprise, plus R&D tax, Patent Box and EIS.
Fees. Not published. Free consultation.
What they claim. “78% success rate” on grants; “over £107.5 million” in funding and tax relief combined, which cannot be compared with grants-only figures.
Streets Innovation
streetsinnovation.ukBest for: Agri-tech, defence and aerospace grants with an accountant attached
Part of Streets Group, a chartered accountancy. R&D tax, grant writing and grant project management across agri-tech, biomedical, defence, aerospace and energy, with UKRI, Innovate UK, DASA, DEFRA and the UK Space Agency among its funders.
Fees. Not published. Free consultation.
What they claim. “£150m+”, which is R&D tax savings rather than grants won.
Large companies combining grants with R&D tax
If your grant work sits alongside large R&D tax claims or operations in several countries, these firms are built for that scale.
ABGi UK
abgi-uk.comBest for: Mid-size and large R&D-intensive companies
Grant strategy, partner finding, proposal writing, submission and post-award support across Innovate UK, European and regional schemes, plus R&D tax. Part of the French SNEF group.
Fees. Not published. Free consultation and analysis of potential returns.
What they claim. “1000+ customers”; 64 UK employees; group-wide “£1.7bn” of incentives handled.
Worth knowing. The only firm we checked that states plainly that Smart Grants “have been paused since January 2025”.
Ayming UK
ayming.co.ukBest for: One-off bids inside a wider R&D funding relationship
R&D tax relief, Patent Box and “Direct Funding”. Grant writing is offered as “a one-off engagement” for a specific funding opportunity, for R&D or capital projects.
Fees. Not published.
What they claim. Market statistics rather than its own win rate, such as “50-70% Project activity typically covered by a grant”. 1,600+ staff in 14 countries.
Charities, community groups and trusts
Charity funding is a different discipline from innovation funding: different funders, language and criteria.
Charity Excellence
charityexcellence.co.ukBest for: Any small charity, before paying anyone
A free platform rather than a consultancy: funding finder, company donations finder, an AI bid writer and policy templates. Registration required.
Fees. “It’s completely free.”
What they claim. “60,000 members”.
4Grants
4grants.co.ukBest for: Sports clubs, schools, parish councils and community groups
Grant writing for community organisations and charities since 2009.
Fees. “No Win, No Fee… no upfront fees whatsoever.” The success-fee percentage is not published.
What they claim. No win rates or totals published.
Funded Team
funded.teamBest for: Charities that want an outsourced bid writer without hiring
Outsourced grant writing for charities, non-profits and community groups, aimed at trusts, foundations and the Lottery.
Fees. No pricing page. The only price on the site (about £740 an application) is from an offer that ended in February 2024, so do not rely on it.
What they claim. “Thousands of applications” submitted; no win rate.
Generalists and specialist trainers
Useful in narrower cases.
Xeinadin
xeinadin.comBest for: Existing clients of the accountancy group
Grant writing as part of an accountancy group’s advisory services. No funders named.
Fees. Quoted at consultation. If the application fails, “you won’t be charged… any additional fees”, which is not the same as no win, no fee.
What they claim. None quantified.
Anchored In
anchoredin.ukBest for: University spinouts and academic–industry partnerships
Bridges universities, researchers and funders, with grant writing support, mentoring and pre-assessment by former Innovate UK assessors.
Fees. Not published.
What they claim. None quantified.
Worth knowing. Its grants page still advertises 2024 workshop dates and an Innovate UK Smart Grant template.
Where EchoGrant fits, and where it does not
We are built for one case the firms above mostly are not: you have drafted an application, the deadline is close, and you want to know where it falls short against the published criteria. A Full Assessment is a fixed £250. Scoring a project against a grant is free with no signup, and we write applications from £2,500 with no success fee.
Where someone else is the better call: for a Horizon Europe, ESA or ARIA bid written from scratch, GrantUp covers those funders in more depth. For a climate-tech bid over £150,000 and no cash for fees, Sustainable Ventures' success-fee model fits. For grants that sit inside a large R&D tax claim, ABGi or Ayming. For a small charity, Charity Excellence is free and you should use it first.
Questions people ask
Who is the best grant writing consultant in the UK?
There is no single best, because UK grant consultants split into innovation specialists and charity specialists who barely overlap. For Innovate UK and EU innovation funding, GrantUp, UK Grant Funding (Tatton), Red Knight, GrantTree and TBAT specialise there. For climate tech with a bid over £150,000, Sustainable Ventures works on a success fee only. ABGi and Ayming suit large companies combining grants with R&D tax. For charities, start with Charity Excellence, which is free, then 4Grants or Funded Team.
How much do UK grant writing consultants charge?
Only one of the fourteen firms we checked publishes figures: UK Grant Funding (Tatton) charges from £3,500 plus a 7 to 12 per cent success fee for a full application. Everyone else quotes on enquiry. Several work on a success fee only, including Sustainable Ventures for climate tech and 4Grants for community groups, while GrantUp quotes a fixed fee with no percentage of the award. Our grant writing cost guide covers the wider market.
Are no-win-no-fee grant writers worth it?
They can be, but check two things. First, what the percentage is: on a large award, a success fee often costs more than a fixed fee would have. Second, whether your funder lets you pay it from the grant: Innovate UK only pays for project costs incurred after the start date, so in practice the fee comes out of your own cash after you win. Also read the wording. One firm we checked says it charges no “additional” fees if you lose, which is not the same as charging nothing.
Why do some consultants still advertise Innovate UK Smart Grants?
Most likely because the pages have not been updated. Innovate UK paused Smart Grants in January 2025 and said there would be no Smart rounds in the 2025/26 financial year. On 2 October 2026, three of the fourteen firms we checked still presented Smart Grants as a live service, and only one stated that they had been paused. If a consultant proposes a Smart Grant, ask which open competition they actually mean.
Can I trust consultants’ success rates?
Treat them carefully. Published rates among the firms we checked ranged from 36.78 per cent to “above 90%”, measured in different ways: per engagement, per application, or by first-time wins. Several firms give different figures on different pages of their own site, and some headline totals include R&D tax relief alongside grants. A lower, precisely stated rate is often more informative than a round high one.
Fees, claims and status were read from each firm's own website on 2 October 2026 and quoted as they appeared. Order within each group reflects fit for a UK SME, not quality: we have not used these firms' services. Where a firm's pages disagree with each other we say so rather than choosing the better figure. If you run one of these firms and something is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will correct it the same day.
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