We built the GrantPilot Readiness Score on the rubric selection committees actually use. These are the ten failures that pull scores below the shortlist line, in the order we see them most.
- Placeholders and template language. “[Insert name]”, “[confirm]”, “we leverage synergies”. Fix: write every fact as a decision, and list genuine unknowns in a short assumptions table.
- No financial tables. A break-even month with no P&L behind it. Fix: 3-year P&L, 12-month cash flow, use of funds that sums to the ask.
- Numbers that don’t add up. Price × volume ≠ revenue; CAC higher than gross margin per customer. Fix: build the tables first, write the prose from them.
- Unverifiable market size. “$38 billion TAM” with no source. Fix: state the assumption and the arithmetic; use local, recent figures.
- No evidence. Not one customer, pilot, quote or letter. Fix: three concrete proofs, with numbers and dates.
- An anonymous team. Fix: named founder with relevant experience; roles the funding creates.
- Wrong funder fit. Applying to a women’s fund as a male-led company, or a Lagos programme from Kano. Fix: read eligibility before writing a word.
- Impact as decoration. SDG icons without indicators. Fix: jobs, income, beneficiaries — baseline and target.
- Risks ignored. Fix: a short table of the top five risks with a real mitigation each.
- Submitted at the deadline. Portals crash. Fix: track the listing and submit 48 hours early.
Upload your plan to the free Readiness Score to see which of these apply to you, then use Rebuild to 90+ to fix them while keeping your facts.
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