Winning Bids Masterclass
"Practical, honest and invaluable" — the Winning Bids Masterclass gives you the skills and confidence to write successful funding bids for your school. An interactive, professional-but-informal training day for those new to bid writing.
At a glance
- Format: full day or half day in person, or live online — contact for pricing.
- ISBL members save 15%; delegates receive a year's FundEd subscription.
- Included: bid templates, checklists and worked examples to reuse on real applications.
- Level: designed for beginners — no bid-writing experience needed.
About This Masterclass
Over £1.5bn sits with 5,000+ UK funders every year, and the schools that claim it aren't luckier — they write better bids. This masterclass teaches the craft end to end: finding the right funders, building the case for support, evidencing need, costing honestly and writing to the funder's questions.
It's taught by someone who does this for a living: Justin has secured £8m+ for schools, including whole bids written end-to-end. Expect real applications — winners and losers — and the reasons behind both.
What You'll Learn
Choosing the Right Funders
Where the money is, eligibility small print, and why a brilliant bid to the wrong funder still loses.
Building the Evidence
Turning your school's data into a case for support funders can verify — need, numbers and story.
Writing the Application
Structure, language and the funder's perspective — answering what's asked, within the word count.
Budgets That Convince
Real quotes, full costs, no padding — the budget section that quietly wins (or kills) bids.
After You Press Send
Follow-up, feedback, resubmission — and turning one successful bid into a repeatable pipeline.
Built for the Monday After
Interactive, professional but informal — and ruthlessly practical. You work on your own school's situation throughout, numbers stay small enough for every delegate to be heard, and every exercise produces something you'll actually use: shortlists, plans, drafts. The resource pack and templates go home with you.
School life is relentless, so the day is designed to survive it: clear next steps, realistic timelines, and materials your team can pick up without having attended. That's the difference between a course you enjoyed and a course that changed something.
Formats, Booking & Delivery
Public Masterclass
Join delegates from other schools at a scheduled venue day — the cross-school perspective is half the value. Book your place.
In-School / Trust Delivery
The same masterclass delivered at your school or trust, tailored to your context — often the best per-head value for teams. Request a quote.
Live Online
Delivered as interactive online sessions when travel doesn't work — full participation, same materials.
What's Included
Resource pack, reusable templates, a year's FundEd subscription — and the 15% ISBL member discount applies. See also the full training hub.
What Past Delegates Say
"Justin was instrumental in our receiving the grant of £65,000. He worked tirelessly on our behalf." — Mark Barrow, Headteacher
"Justin's support has been invaluable, his knowledge and experience around bid writing is second to none." — Dominique Flint, SBM (Sport England MUGA bid)
Two successful infrastructure grants — "his guidance and expertise has been invaluable." — Stephanie Wiles
Outcomes vary by school and effort applied — no funding results are guaranteed.
Masterclass FAQs
Who should attend?
School business managers and SBLs first, plus heads, deputies, office teams, MAT central staff and active governors or PTA leads. No prior experience is assumed.
How do I book?
Use the booking form for scheduled dates, or contact Justin for in-school and trust delivery. ISBL members: mention your membership for the 15% discount.
Can several staff attend together?
Encouraged — skills embed faster in pairs, and shared attendance is how schools turn a course into a working plan. For whole teams, in-school delivery usually costs less per head.
What happens after the day?
You leave with the materials and an action plan; many schools book a term-later follow-up call, and some grow into ongoing consultancy. Neither is required — the day stands alone.
Is it recognised CPD?
Content is ISBL Professional Standards-aligned (Tiers 1 and 2) and delegates receive attendance confirmation for CPD records. Justin is an ISBL Fellow and assessor for the profession's qualifications.
Ready to Book?
Places are limited so every delegate gets heard. Book a scheduled date, or ask about bringing the masterclass to your school or trust.