Grant Writer

/ About Sustainable Ventures

Our impact on the planet’s climate and its natural resources is being felt more often and by more people than ever before. It is clear that significant changes must be made to achieve the targets set by the IPCC and reach Net Zero by 2050. This presents the world’s biggest challenge and it is something that Sustainable Ventures has been working towards since 2011. We believe in the power of commercial innovation to address the twin challenges of climate change and resource scarcity.

Over the past 11 years we have expanded our services to cover: Investment with five seed-stage funds raised to date, Workspaces with over 450+ innovators and entrepreneur members and delivery of a range of Venture and Commercial Support Services, including securing >£10m in non-dilutive funding through grants and R&D tax credits. The companies we have supported have gone on to raise significant follow-on funding and acquired by larger corporates e.g. ECarClub to Europcar and Zeigo to Schneider Electric and won numerous awards.

We are Europe’s largest ecosystem of climate tech startups and have recently opened our new HQ at County Hall as we continue on our mission to develop 1000 new businesses by 2025.

/ Grant Writer

Our team is growing and we are looking for a purpose-driven, passionate individual to join us as Grant Writer. This is an opportunity for you to work with a broad range of start-ups in the climate-tech/sustainability sector, whilst implementing key venture development and growth principles.

Ideally you will have demonstrated capability of working with grant applications from a range of funding bodies and a successful track record of grant wins, as well as a strong commercial skillset and great interpersonal skills. This is an opportunity to expand the grant services arm of our business, building on previous success with a strong startup client base (throughout our startup ecosystem).

/ The Role

The role offers unparalleled exposure to many exciting start-ups, with opportunities for long-term career progression as Sustainable Ventures continues to scale. Based at Sustainable Ventures’ flagship co-working space, candidates can expect a lively and engaging work environment amongst a diverse range of innovators.

Tasks will include, but are not limited to:

• Grant writing;
• Delivery of grant applications;
• Grant opportunity identification and scope assessment;
• Promotion of grant opportunities to attract clients across our ecosystem;
• Identification of potential best-fit startup/scaleup clients;
• Client approach, sales conversations and putting clients to contract;
• Coordination of delivery across other team members; and
• Management and reporting against revenue targets.

Requirements

/ We expect you to:

• 5+ years’ relevant professional experience including grant writing experience;
• Demonstrable experience in undertaking client-facing work - producing high-quality outputs to time/budget/quality objectives;
• Proven organisational skills - for managing multiple projects/clients simultaneously, co-ordinating deliverables and meeting deadlines;
• Proven success in meeting revenue/business development targets; and
• Knowledge and/or experience of the sustainability sector, and an understanding of technological and commercial innovation.

/ Desirable

• A track record with Innovate UK bids.
• A commercial skill set - this might include business planning, financial modelling, market analysis/characterisation, customer proposition testing, go-to-market strategy, fundraising or anything related to successfully growing a business.
• An undergraduate degree in business, technology or sustainability-related field;
• A postgraduate qualification in business, economics, technology or sustainability;
• Experience in venture development and/or sustainability innovation; and
• Motivation to learn about other Sustainable Ventures functions, for example investment, product design and venture development.

/ Application Instructions

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Please send a cover letter outlining exactly how you meet the role requirements and skills expectations together with a sample of your grant writing (max 2 pages) alongside your CV (max 2 pages). Applications without this information will not be considered.

Benefits

/ Additional Details

• Remuneration: £46k-52k (depending on experience) + discretionary bonus + long-term incentive scheme.
• Location: County Hall on the south bank in Waterloo. We have a hybrid working model in place with a minimum requirement of 2 days’ in the office per week.

/ Diversity

Our people are what make Sustainable Ventures great. They infuse the business with fresh ideas, turn plans into actions and are the backbone of providing outstanding support to our ecosystem. As such, Sustainable Ventures is an equal opportunity employer; we are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce, celebrating difference and creating an inclusive environment so that everyone can be themselves at work.

The climate crisis is a social and inclusion issue, as well as an environmental one, and we are especially keen to encourage applications from individuals underrepresented in the climate space. We also welcome applicants who may have different experiences to those exactly specified in the application. This is a full-time role, however, we will seek to accommodate requests for flexible working schedules.