Practical Courses for Founders and Innovators
Our courses provide the practical frameworks and expert guidance you need to build winning grant proposals and apply design thinking methods.
Read the Founder’s Guide to Grants: Sustainability Edition Report: here
Meet Your Instructor: Dr Chloe Sharp
Chloe has brought together all of her knowledge about UK government grants, gained from winning grants for businesses she’s worked in, and on behalf of other businesses, primarily early-stage companies. She’s personally won over £10m in grant funding and has led grant service teams at GrantTree and MPA and delivered training to Science Creates Accelerator cohorts.
Alongside winning grants, Chloe has written Make Products That Matter, which focuses on design thinking and understanding user and customer needs. She has worked with deep tech founders, developing products with cutting-edge technologies. Bringing together all this knowledge, she wrote Design Thinking for Deep Tech.
Grant Funding Fundamentals Course
This online course covers the basics of accessing grant funding, from where to look for grants to tips for writing grants, packed with resources and templates. It’s the most comprehensive course available on UK government grants.
Foundation Course
Expert-designed course with templates, resources and videos
Grant Strategy Builder
Access 2 x 2.5hr live workshops plus course
£475+VAT
Turn your idea into a competitive application.
Two intensive workshops where we build your grant strategy together, from eligibility checks to impact evidence. Leave with a clear roadmap and confidence to write a winning application.
£225+VAT
Build your grant strategy from the ground up.
Get the grant strategy framework, templates, and practical tools you need to move from vision to a fundable project. A self-paced course with a workbook to support your learning.
Add Validation Work Packages to your grant project
Work with Sharp Insight by adding us as a subcontractor in your grant application. We offer market validation services for the application phase, in the project itself and post-project.
We have lots of experience in writing grants, while we have transitioned away from offering this as a main service, we have wrapped up all we’ve learned in the courses above. If you’re looking for a grant writer, get in touch, and we can direct you to one.
Design Thinking for Deep Tech Course
Design Thinking for Deep Tech
We show you how design thinking applies to Deep Tech ventures. We take you from concept to commercial success.
You're a scientist or engineer with breakthrough technology. But building a company requires completely different skills: understanding customer needs, designing business models, and communicating with investors.
This course bridges that gap, teaching you design thinking adapted for deep tech realities: long timelines, regulatory complexity, manufacturing challenges, and high capital requirements.
In this course, you'll develop customer empathy, strategic thinking, and fundraising storytelling methods, transforming from researcher to entrepreneur.
£249 +VAT
What past students said
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"I found the tips in the Grant Funding Fundamentals online course and workshops to be incredibly practical. The guidance was immediately applicable, helping me feel far more prepared to build a grant strategy. I now have a clear understanding of what is needed for opportunities like the Smart Grant, which had previously felt overwhelming. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone looking to strengthen their approach to grant writing and boost their confidence in navigating funding applications."
Ana Silva, Replica Biomaterials
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"Grant Funding Fundamentals was a game-changer for me. The course offered clear, actionable insights that took the mystery out of the grant application process. Each session was packed with practical advice, examples, and resources that made the complex world of grant writing feel accessible and manageable. I left feeling confident and equipped with the tools needed to approach grant funding strategically. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to improve their grant writing skills and maximise their chances of success!"
Saba Riaz, LeafyColl
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“The quality and quantity of information was incredible, backed up with practical templates to follow along with and implement ourselves – this made the whole workshop very engaging and very very useful!”
Benn Klewpatinond, Inond
Sharing thoughts on grants and design thinking
Grant Funding
Sustainable Times Article: A Founders Guide to Grants: Sustainability Edition: here
Sustainable Times Article: Innovate UK Grants in 2025: What Sustainability Start-ups Need to Know: here
Enterprise Nation Webinar: Unlocking grant opportunities for your small business: here
South East Midlands Growth Hub: Eight Tips for Writing a Successful Grant Application: here
Barclays: Sustainable Tech Startup Grants: here
Design Thinking
Enterprise Nation Article: Five tips for conducting brilliant competitor analysis: here
Helio Blog Post: Product Development Research Guide to Slow and Fast Research: here
UXTweak Podcast: Making products that matter: here
The Institute of Creativity Podcast: How to make products that matter: here
Video Podcast: How to Build Products That Matter: Dr Chloe Sharp: here
Video Podcast: Product Development - Coffee with Ems: here
Female Product Leads: Storytelling for Product Leaders: here