GRANTFINDER USER GUIDE
GRANTfinder provides information on grants, loans and awards from local, regional and national sources, including UK government, European funding, charitable trusts and corporate sponsors.
STEP 1 - GET ACCESS
BIPC are here to help. Many resources are paid-for, so BIPC has an account. We set you up as a user, and away you go!
Access
Available in Exeter, Barnstaple and Paignton Libraries – please ask a member of staff to log you in.
Access to Grantfinder has been temporarily extended to Devon Libraries and Torbay Libraries members at home.
Please complete the form at the foot of this page for a username and password. These will be reset regularly – contact us again if you need an updated password.
Log in at search.mygrantfinder.co.uk, and click the ‘Search’ button near the top of the page
STEP 2 - SEARCH RESOURCE
We’re in to the ‘nitty gritty’ now – this is where you find the gold!
Searching
Click the Search button near the top of the page to get started.
- Search using the filters on the left of the screen, the keyword search box at the top, or by combining the two.
- The search defaults to Sole Traders in the South West - use the filters on the left to change your organisation type, and to narrow your search to your county, district or town.
The filters running down the left of the screen are a great place to start! By adjusting these, you’ll ensure that more of the results are relevant to the project you’d like to fund. In most sections, you can select several options.
The following filters are particularly helpful.
- Public Sector Organisation / Voluntary, Community or Social Enterprise / Private Company.
Different funding options will be available to you whether you’re a charity, a social enterprise, a sole trader or a limited company. Select which categories are most relevant to you.
* The small arrows beside the tick boxes will let you narrow your search even further.
* Additional questions around your industry and business stage will be displayed, which you can answer or leave blank.
* The Default Search is for a Sole Trader – uncheck this box if your business is of any other type. - Activity Location.
* Type your town, district or county in the location box, and select from the list.
* If you’re working across several counties, enter several terms.
* The Default Search is for the South West – delete this entry if you’d like to narrow your search further.
- Activities. If there’s a particular type of activity you’re intending to fund, select from the boxes. If your project crosses several activities, or isn’t listed – leave this blank.
- Funding type. Just looking for grants? This will narrow your search right down! Or explore the other funding types available.
- Deadline. Funding applications take time! Set the ‘deadline from’ date a couple of weeks in the future, so you only see funding deadlines you can realistically meet.
Keyword Search
- Enter keywords in the search box, and hit enter. Your search term will be highlighted in the results.
- If you don’t find what you’re looking for at first, try alternative terms – or leave the search box blank, and search by filters. There may be more general funds available that would be relevant to your business!
- The ‘?’ icon after the search box will help with more advanced searches.
- It’s a good idea to filter by type of organisation and activity location, as well as keyword, to ensure your search is relevant to your business.
Viewing your Results
Click on the title of any fund to see the full details of each fund in a separate window.
Saving your Results
Select the funds on each page that interest you, by toggling the ‘select this result’ button below the fund title. You can select all items on a page, using the buttons at the top of the list. Your selections will remain as you move through the results pages.
Once you are happy with your selection, click the ‘Download selected’ icon at the top of the list. From here you can add a title, choose an Excel or Word file from the report template, and download the file to your computer.
Alternatively, ‘Share selected’. Choose your report title and template, then enter your email address in the Individual email recipients box. Be sure to select your email address from the drop-down menu. Then click Share, to send the file.
‘Save selected’ is not recommended, as you are working on a shared library login, and your results could be viewed or deleted by other people.
Getting Help
- You’ll see small question mark icons dotted throughout the search screens. Click on these for tips and definitions.
- ‘Page features,’ just below the blue toolbar, gives you a short tour of the main features of each page.
- FAQs and Expert Guides are at the foot of the page
- …or contact us on the email below for further help!
STEP 3 - YOU'RE A DATA-ACE!
Pat yourself on the back! You’re using Data to help your business.
Please feel free to contact BIPC Admin if you need any further help in using GRANTfinder.