Grant Funding Specialists

Helping sport, health and wellbeing organisations secure the funding they deserve

Nollpip Associates Ltd works with sport, health and wellbeing organisations to help them strengthen their funding position and approach grant applications with clarity and confidence. With 20 years of experience on both sides of the funding system, we bring genuine insight into how funders think and what it takes to secure funding.

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Both sides of the funding system 20 years assessing and writing applications — we know exactly how funders think.
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Beyond the application We help you fix the foundations, not just improve the wording.
Honest and direct If the foundations aren't there yet, we'll tell you — and we'll work out what to do first.

Four services. One clear aim.

Whether you need an expert eye on a draft application or a full strategic review of your organisation's funding position, we can help.

Assessment

Grant Application Assessment

A rigorous, criteria-led review of your draft application before it goes in — not a light-touch proofread, but a thorough assessment informed by how funders evaluate bids.

Diagnostic

The Funding MOT

A structured organisational diagnostic to find out if you're truly ready for funding — and a clear, honest plan for what to do if you're not.

Writing

Grant Application Writing

End-to-end support to develop strong, credible and competitive funding applications — from first ideas to final submission.

Impact

Impact Measurement & Reporting

Practical tools and frameworks to help you measure, evidence and communicate the difference your work makes — clearly, consistently and credibly.

Not sure where to start?

Every conversation starts with a free, no-obligation consultation. Get in touch and we'll work out what you need.

Book your free consultation
Jack Birkby, Founder of Nollpip Associates Ltd

About

20 years. Applicant and funder.

We work with sport, health and wellbeing organisations to help them strengthen their funding position and approach grant applications with more clarity and confidence.

Nollpip Associates Ltd was founded by Jack Birkby, a grant funding specialist who brings 20 years' experience across the public and voluntary sectors and direct insight from both sides of the funding system.

As an applicant, Jack has been the lead bid writer on capital and revenue funding applications ranging from small community grants to large-scale, multi-year programmes. Within local government, he has managed grant programmes ranging from £20k to £2m — assessing applications, administering funding, monitoring delivery, and ensuring compliance and accountability.

This dual experience has shown that securing funding is rarely just about the application itself. Often, the real issues sit underneath it — clarity of purpose, strength of offer, evidence of need, realistic delivery plans, clear outcomes, and whether the organisation is genuinely ready for funding.

A well-written application still matters, but funders are ultimately making a judgement about whether the work is a good match for their priorities, whether the organisation is credible, whether it can deliver with confidence, and whether the funding will be managed responsibly.

That is the perspective we bring to our work. Our role is not just to improve the wording of an application, but to help organisations strengthen the thinking, structure and evidence behind it.

Whether we are assessing an existing bid, shaping a funding strategy or writing a grant application, the aim is the same: to help organisations put forward a clearer, stronger and more credible case for funding.

20
Years of experience across the public and voluntary sectors
£2m
Largest grant programme managed within local government
4
Specialist services tailored to sport, health and wellbeing organisations

The right fit matters more than size.

If you work in sport, health or wellbeing and you're serious about securing funding, there's a good chance we can help you.

We work with a wide range of organisations across the sector — sport and recreation clubs and foundations, charities and charitable trusts, community interest companies, community health and wellbeing organisations, schools and education providers, local authorities and active partnerships, and town and parish councils. From grassroots community groups taking their first steps into grant funding, to established organisations with paid staff and complex funding needs.

What every organisation we work with has in common — regardless of size or structure — is that they're doing meaningful work, they have a genuine case for funding, and they want to approach it properly.

If that sounds like your organisation, we'd love to hear from you.

Ready to have a conversation?

Every enquiry starts with a free, no-obligation chat. Get in touch and we'll take it from there.

Get in touch

Our Services

Four services. Built around what organisations actually need.

From an expert assessment of a draft application to a full organisational diagnostic, every service is designed to help you put forward a stronger, more credible case for funding.

Grant Application Assessment

Starting from £100

A thorough, criteria-led assessment to strengthen your application before it goes in.

If you have a draft application written and want expert eyes on it before you submit, this service gives you a detailed, structured assessment. It's not a light-touch proofread or general feedback, but a rigorous review informed by how funders themselves evaluate applications.

Using a proven assessment framework and 20 years of experience across both sides of the funding system, we review your application against the funder's specific criteria, priorities and likely decision-making approach. We look at how well your project aligns with funder priorities, how clearly your case for funding is made, where the gaps and weaknesses are, and what needs to be addressed before it goes in.

You'll receive a detailed written report with clear, prioritised recommendations — so you know exactly what to strengthen, why it matters to this particular funder, and what to do next.

This is a great starting point if you want an expert view on a live application without committing to one of our wider services just yet. And because our assessment is informed by how funders themselves evaluate applications, you get a genuine sense of how your bid is likely to be read by the people making the decision.

Pricing: Starting from £100 — the exact price is determined by the length and complexity of the application and will be confirmed before any work begins.

The Funding MOT

£395 – £695

A structured diagnostic to give you a clear, honest picture of your organisation's funding position — and a practical plan for strengthening it.

Most organisations that come to us want help with a funding application. And that's completely understandable — but it's rarely where the real work needs to happen.

The organisations that secure funding consistently aren't just better at writing applications. They're clearer about what they do, who it's for, and why it matters. They understand their evidence, know their funder landscape, and have a realistic grip on their financial position. The application is the last step — not the first.

And here's the thing — that's true whether you're new to grant funding or have been securing it successfully for years. Blind spots exist at every level. Assumptions go unchallenged. Income sources that feel secure can carry more risk than they appear to. Organisations that have always done things a certain way can miss opportunities that a fresh, expert perspective would spot immediately.

The Funding MOT is designed to surface all of that.

Just like a car MOT, it gives you a clear, honest picture of where you are — what's working well, what needs to change, and what needs fixing before you go any further. No jargon, no vague advice. Just a structured, expert assessment of your organisation's funding position and a clear plan for what to do next.

It starts with a detailed questionnaire to build a clear picture of your organisation — your core offer, your impact, your income structure and your funding risks. We then analyse your responses before we meet for a focused 90-minute strategy session, where we work through your position in depth and surface the issues that matter most.

You'll receive a written Funding MOT Report covering five core areas — a practical, honest assessment of your current position across each one, with clear recommendations and a tailored action plan to help you move forward with confidence.

Pricing: £395 for organisations with an annual turnover of up to £50k. £695 for organisations with an annual turnover above £50k.

Grant Application Writing

£40 per hour

End-to-end support to develop strong, credible and competitive funding applications — from first ideas to final submission.

There's no shortage of people who will write a funding application for you. What's harder to find is someone who understands how funders actually think — what they're looking for, how they score applications, and what makes them say yes.

That's the perspective we bring to this service. Having spent years assessing and managing grant programmes professionally, we don't just write applications — we design them. Before a word is written, we work through the strategic foundations: the funder's priorities, the evidence base, the behaviour change pathway, the delivery model and the financial logic. The writing comes last, not first.

Every application goes through a rigorous multi-layer review process before submission — checking strategic fit, evidence quality, impact credibility, delivery feasibility and financial integrity. If it isn't ready, it doesn't go in.

Because this is the most bespoke of our services, no two projects look exactly the same. The level of support will depend on the complexity of the application, the funder's requirements and where you are in the process. What doesn't change is the standard.

One thing worth being honest about — we won't take on an application if we don't believe your organisation is a genuine fit for the funder. That's not a barrier, it's a commitment to doing this properly. If the foundations aren't there yet, we'll talk about what needs to happen first.

Impact Measurement and Reporting Systems

Fixed price — POA

Practical tools and frameworks to help you measure, evidence and communicate the difference your work makes.

Funders don't just want to know what you do — they want to know what changes because of it. And increasingly, the organisations that secure funding consistently are the ones that can evidence their impact clearly, honestly and convincingly.

For many organisations, impact measurement feels complicated or time-consuming. It doesn't need to be. With the right framework and the right tools in place, capturing and reporting impact can become a straightforward and genuinely useful part of how you work — not just something you do for funders.

This service helps you build exactly that. Working with your organisation, we develop a complete impact measurement system that reflects what you actually do and the changes you're trying to create — not a generic template dropped in from the outside.

You'll receive three practical deliverables tailored to your organisation: a bespoke impact framework that clearly defines your outcomes, how you'll measure them, and what success looks like; practical data collection templates that make capturing evidence straightforward for your team; and a reporting template designed to meet funder requirements while also being useful for your own internal decision-making.

The result is a clear, consistent and credible approach to impact that strengthens every funding application you make — and demonstrates to funders that you take accountability seriously.

Not sure which service is right for you?

Get in touch for a free, no-obligation consultation and we'll work it out together.

Book a free consultation

Get in touch

Let's start with a conversation.

Every enquiry starts with a free, no-obligation consultation. Tell us a little about your organisation and what you're looking to achieve, and we'll take it from there.

How it works

Get in touch using the form and we'll come back to you to arrange a free initial consultation — a relaxed, no-pressure conversation to understand your organisation and what you need.

There's no commitment involved. If we think we can help, we'll explain how and provide a clear quote. If we don't think we're the right fit, we'll tell you honestly and point you in the right direction.

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