Think Big in Grants
Hello Everyone,
Today I want to encourage you to think big in grants.
Due to the nature of my work, I’ve worked directly with several CEOs.
Take Champion Petfoods. I had the privilege of working with them when I first started writing grants. Their growth was remarkable. They had a strong vision and mission, and I can still recite them to this day. They are one of the best companies in Canada, and they recently sold to Mars.
Between 2016 and 2022, I wrote grants for a Calgary company called Radicle. It recently sold to BMO. I worked with its CEO for years, and I have always been amazed about his thinking. He and the founder always thought big, and it worked!
These teams had big visions. They made detailed plans then executed.
If you have a big vision, win a grant.
Throughout my career, I’ve won a pile of grants under $1 million: agriculture, construction, employee, environment, equipment, export (18X), technology, and training. They totalled $4.3M. My students are now winning significant grants as well.
Lately, I’ve had a front row seat at larger grants.
Remember my sister who I helped with a $426,000 grant back in 2018? Well, her team recently won a $5 million grant.
I’ve recently wrote or edited three applications that totalled about $5M from PrairiesCan and over $2M from SDTC.
As many of you have probably seen, Volkswagen is receiving $13 billion in funding for a battery plant. I didn’t write that grant application, but it has challenged my thinking.
When the prime minister was asked about other company’s getting similar deals, look at his response. Credit to JWN website:
“When asked whether every other company building a battery plant can expect the same deal, Trudeau said no. “We are prepared to step up and make sure that we’re competitive” with U.S. manufacturing subsidies, Trudeau said Friday during an interview at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York. “But we’re going to look at each one on a case-by-case basis. We will think strategically about this” and not just say yes to any firm, he said.”
Case-by-case basis. Think strategically.
Are we thinking big enough?
If you’re thinking about a $50,000 grant, maybe it’s time to come up with a $500,000 project, $5M, $50M, or more.
Our economy and technology are changing at a rapid pace. It will need industrial and innovative solutions. Maybe it’s time for your business to offer a big project to position Canada as a global leader.
No thinking small this week. Be brave and courageous.
You can do it. My book can help you get your head around grants if you’re not sure where to start.
Sincerely,
David Kincade
