In this stage, you determine how the funding program will be advertised or sent to potential applicants, receive and review applications, and make approval decisions.
Note: “Application Round” is the default name for this stage. If you assigned a different name in the Workflow step of Creating a Funding Program, that name will appear here instead.
Note that during this stage, and in all subsequent stages, the funding program overview runs across the top, detailing current applications, funds, and projects. This information can be hidden, and clicking the Refresh icon will ensure that any detail or data changes are visible.
The first step of the Application Round stage is Setup, in which you define the funding program’s selection process, relevant dates, and other details.
Important: Be sure to choose the correct Selection Process, because Closed vs Open (private vs public) affects how applicants will access the funding opportunity.
- Closed funding programs are invite-only; you will have to select all potential recipients manually. Recipients and their organisations must be set up in your SurePact account, which is done by admin users.
- Open funding programs are available to anyone who wants to apply. SurePact will generate a URL for the funding opportunity, and you can make this URL known via email, website, social media, etc. Applicants will need to register to use SurePact in order to apply.
The first set of fields relate to dates and payments.
- Selection Process: Choose whether the application is open (available to the public) or closed (invite-only), competitive or non-competitive, demand-driven or one time. As mentioned above, the selection process type will affect how applicants access the application form.
- Application Time Zone: Typically the time zone of the funding body, though this could vary based on program location.
- Open / Close Date & Time: The window for applicants to submit applications.
- Review Completion Date: The date by which all applications should be reviewed by the Assessment Panel. Used as a milestone, this date must be between the application close date and application outcome date.
- Application Outcome Date & Time: The moment when the funding body should provide application outcomes to applicants.
- Recepient Allocation Amount: The maximum amount a recipient can receive. Applicants request a dollar amount, and exact allocation is defined in the Recipient Allocation stage.
- Payment Type: Choose from lump sum, milestone / progress based, etc.
The fields farther down in this step include:
- Eligibility Criteria: The conditions the funding body expects applicants to honour before they submit their application.
- Co-Contribution: Tick this box if you are asking the applicant to also contribute funds. If so, application contribution can be set as a dollar amount or a percentage of the applicant’s allocation.
- Contact Details: The funding body contact person to whom applicants can reach out for details or support.
- Funding Opportunity Image: The image that will appear on the funding opportunity page, visible to applicants. If no image is provided, the page will display a default SurePact-provided image.
When all required fields are complete, click Save. Then click Next to Funding Opportunity.
Note: In this step, and in subsequent Application Round steps, be sure to click Save first, then proceed onward.