Bids and Funding Officer

Community Voices Matter - The home of Healthwatch Nottingham & Nottinghamsire; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Part time

Job summary

Community Voices Matter is seeking an experienced Bids and Funding Officer to identify grant, foundation and contract opportunities and develop compliant, persuasive applications that secure income for the organisation. This 12-month fixed-term role offers 25 hours per week and hybrid working.

You will lead on opportunity shortlisting, coordinate evidence from across CVM, and act as lead author on submissions while building strong relationships with funders and commissioners.

Qualifications

• Relevant qualification or substantial equivalent experience in bid writing, grant or trust fundraising, tendering or a comparable professional writing role.
• A proven track record of writing strong grant applications and/or tender responses, including as lead author.
• Experience managing several bids at once to fixed deadlines, including through online e-tendering portals.
• Excellent, plain-English written communication and high attention to detail.
• Understanding of the grant funding and public procurement landscape (including the Procurement Act 2023 and the NHS Provider Selection Regime), or the ability to get up to speed quickly.

Responsibilities

• Identify, assess and shortlist funding and contract opportunities for the Chief Executive to approve.
• Plan and manage our bid pipeline, timetables and deadlines.
• Write persuasive, evidence-led applications and tender responses, using our research, case studies and lived-experience evidence ethically and with consent.
• Work with colleagues to prepare budgets and coordinate contributions from across the team and from partners.
• Build and maintain our bid processes, templates and library of reusable content.
• Build positive relationships with funders and commissioners.
• Track success rates and income secured, and learn from both successful and unsuccessful bids.

Skills

Bid writing

Grant funding

Stakeholder management

Budgeting

Research skills

Excellent writing

Education

Bid writing qualification

APMP Foundation

Fundraising qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

12-month fixed-term contract Freelance options available | 25 hours per week | £27,817 to £30,619 pro rata

Community Voices Matter is looking for an experienced and capable Bids and Funding Officer to help us identify new funding and contract opportunities and develop strong, compliant applications that secure income for the organisation.

This is a new role at an important time for CVM. We are developing a more sustainable, mixed-income approach and need someone who can quickly bring their bid writing expertise to the organisation. You will lead on identifying suitable opportunities, developing and coordinating applications, and writing high-quality grant and tender submissions.

You will need to be confident working independently, managing multiple deadlines and drawing information and evidence from colleagues across the organisation to develop clear, persuasive bids.

The role is offered as a 12-month fixed-term contract, working 25 hours per week. However, we would also consider a freelance/contractor arrangement with a suitably experienced person who can deliver the requirements of the role. Please indicate your preferred arrangement when applying.

We are particularly interested in hearing from people with a strong track record of writing successful grant applications and/or tender responses, including experience of acting as lead author.

Community Voices Matter is an independent charity rooted in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We are committed to ensuring that people's experiences, particularly those least often heard, shape decisions, improve services and challenge inequality. We are also the home of Healthwatch Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

About the role

You will find and shortlist grant, foundation and contract opportunities, then act as lead author on most of our grant applications and tender submissions. You will work closely with colleagues across CVM to gather evidence and expertise, build relationships with funders and commissioners, and help shape how we approach bid development from the start.

This is a writing and coordination role, not a sales or outbound business development role. Decisions on which opportunities to pursue, pricing and final sign-off sit with our Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team.

• Hours: 25 hours per week, worked flexibly across the week by agreement with your line manager
• Contract: Fixed term for one year, with a formal six-month review
• Location: Hybrid, working from home with an office base at Byron Business Centre, Hucknall as required. Some travel across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire is needed, with occasional national events
• Holidays: 29 days plus bank holidays (pro rata), plus one Special Day / Mental Health Day per year
• Reports to: Chief Executive

What you'll do

• Identify, assess and shortlist funding and contract opportunities for the Chief Executive to approve
• Plan and manage our bid pipeline, timetables and deadlines
• Write persuasive, evidence-led applications and tender responses, using our research, case studies and lived-experience evidence ethically and with consent
• Work with colleagues to prepare budgets and coordinate contributions from across the team and from partners
• Build and maintain our bid processes, templates and library of reusable content
• Build positive relationships with funders and commissioners
• Track success rates and income secured, and learn from both successful and unsuccessful bids

What we're looking for

• A relevant qualification or substantial equivalent experience in bid writing, grant or trust fundraising, tendering or a comparable professional writing role
• A proven track record of writing strong grant applications and/or tender responses, including as lead author
• Experience managing several bids at once to fixed deadlines, including through online e-tendering portals
• Excellent, plain-English written communication and high attention to detail
• Understanding of the grant funding and public procurement landscape (including the Procurement Act 2023 and the NHS Provider Selection Regime), or the ability to get up to speed quickly
• Financial literacy and confident use of digital tools and Microsoft Office
• A commitment to CVM's values and to equality, diversity and inclusion in practice
• Self-starting, resilient and collaborative, and comfortable working in a small, evolving organisation
• Experience in the charity, health, social care, public or VCFSE sector
• Experience of partnership or consortium bids
• Formal bid or proposal training (such as APMP Foundation) or a fundraising qualification
• A current driving licence, or working towards one, with access to a vehicle if required

The role is subject to a DBS check as appropriate, and you must be legally entitled to work in the UK.

Our values

Inclusion, compassion, integrity and independence.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and communities, particularly those under-represented in the charity sector. Transferable writing and bidding experience from any sector is valued.

Key dates

• Interviews: w/c Monday 26 October (exact date to be confirmed)