The Economics of Grant Administration

Strong processes cost less than weak ones—time saved, errors avoided and better outcomes easily outweigh tool spend.

• Manual admin hides significant staff costs.
• Risk and reputation costs are real but invisible.
• AI reduces heavy text work across the lifecycle.

Calculating true cost

Look beyond licences.

• Hours per application and decision.
• Reporting effort and audit prep time.
• Rework from errors and missing records.

Key takeaway: measure before and after improvements.

Investing where it pays back

Prioritise steps with the biggest gains.

• Eligibility triage and due diligence automation.
• Reviewer workflows and feedback drafting.
• Monitoring and impact dashboards.

Key takeaway: Plinth returns value quickly.

Making the case internally

Show evidence to secure budget.

• Pilot a programme and publish results.
• Gather staff and applicant feedback.
• Align savings to strategic goals.

Key takeaway: decisions follow data and user experience.

FAQs

Do small grants justify investment?

Yes with light tiers; admin time dominates otherwise.

How fast is payback?

Often within the first round post‑implementation.

What about sunk costs in legacy tools?

Consider ongoing maintenance vs future flexibility.