Grant application support during the grant management process can be much underestimated. Managing online grant applications can significantly reduce administrative burdens – but without thoughtful design, many applicants still generate high volumes of support requests. Our experience working with clients to migrate legacy grant processes online highlights a clear opportunity: up to 90% of post-submission support requests are related to simple issues such as password resets, updating contact details, or checking application status – tasks that could be resolved through better design and communication.
How to Improve Grant Application Support and Reduce Costs
In this article we explore five practical ways to reduce support costs, improve submission quality, and increase applicant satisfaction. These recommendations reflect best practices we’ve developed and refined through thousands of real-world interactions with grant applicants – and through building Enquire, our grant lifecycle management system.
1. Customise and Automate to Boost Data Accuracy
Accurate application data is the foundation of a streamlined process – and better data means fewer questions for your support team. You can improve accuracy by:
Customising the data fields you collect to match your requirements
Including data and field validations with clear error messages
Using automated verifications (e.g., address look-ups or registration number checks)
Reusing data to avoid repeated entry
Providing standard templates for items such as budgets
Using auto-suggest and pre-defined options in drop-downs
At the same time, avoid over-designing your form. Only collect what you need and will actually use – excessive fields lead to confusion and more support inquiries.
2. Let Applicants Own Their Interaction
Empowering applicants to control their journey through the application process reduces frustration – and reduces support costs. Best practice features include:
Dividing the application into stages so users can go section by section
Clearly indicating progress throughout the form
Allowing applicants to save, edit and return later
Integrating helpful tips at relevant points
Providing a login function for password recovery and updates
Enabling multiple contributors (e.g. admin/finance users) to edit the application
Whether your form is simple or complex, creating this sense of ownership improves both completion rates and submission quality.
How Enquire facilitates an applicant friendly application process:
3. Offer Help Within the Application Process
Applicants are unlikely to read long help documents – and differing backgrounds, language skills, and familiarity with grants can make general guidance confusing. To reduce support enquiries:
Provide introductory information and clear program details
Include pre-application screening requirements to reduce incomplete or invalid submissions
Add context-specific help and examples throughout the form
This in-context assistance supports applicants where they need it most – right at the point of friction – and reduces the volume of basic support requests.
4. Provide Clear Submission Updates and Receipts
Applicants need certainty – they want to know their submission was successful, what to do next, and how to prove their submission to stakeholders. You can help by:
Offering an on-screen confirmation and/or email receipt upon successful submission
Including a copy of the completed application form in email receipts
Clearly outlining next steps, what comes next, and timelines
Letting applicants know whether they can log back in later and what they can access
Retaining access to program information and submission details
These steps reduce the number of applicants calling or emailing just to confirm their status — and provide better transparency overall.
5. Communicate Proactively and Constantly
Once an application is submitted, applicants will often reach out for updates or clarification. Frequent and proactive communication about the status of the round, timelines, and next steps can dramatically reduce support workloads. Encourage communications such as:
Updates on program status, including delays
Clear messaging on process timelines and expectations
Information about outcomes, including unsuccessful applications
Guidance on where and how applicants can get feedback (if offered)
Consistent communication eliminates the majority of follow-up contacts from applicants and frees support staff to focus on higher-value tasks.
Why Efficient Grant Applications Matters
Reducing post-submission support costs isn’t just about lowering staff hours – it’s about creating an applicant experience that’s intuitive, transparent and efficient. When applicants feel informed and empowered, they’re less likely to get stuck, more likely to complete and submit accurate applications, and more satisfied with the process overall.
These best practice approaches are simple to implement and don’t require complex technical development – yet they can dramatically improve submission quality and reduce your support demands.
The Steps to Better Grant Application Support
Transforming your grant application process requires careful design, clear communication, and a focus on the applicant experience. By applying these five practices, your organisation can reduce support costs, improve data accuracy and applicant satisfaction – and position your grant program for success.
If you’d like help putting these practices into action or want to explore how Enquire’s configurable online application tools can reduce support demands in your organisation, get in touch with our team or request a demo today.
