People who have sat on both sides of the review panel

Aaron has a track record of winning grant funding and delivering the projects that follow, across current and past businesses as a founder. He is passionate about writing high-quality, clear and compelling applications for companies that want to win funding.

Sarah brings deep technical expertise in grant funding and R&D tax relief, with over 15 years of experience in both, and an outstanding track record of positive outcomes for small and mid-sized companies across multiple industries.

Felix writes NSF and NIH SBIR submissions, from Project Pitch through full Phase I proposals, and knows how reviewers weigh technical risk against commercial potential. On Project Pitch resubmissions he works to a benchmark of roughly 40 percent acceptance, and he coaches founders on exactly what to change between a decline and a resubmission.

Thomas has written and won NSF SBIR Project Pitches, the gate that decides whether a company is invited to submit at all, and has reviewed Phase I proposals, so he reads a draft the way a program director does. He also has deep knowledge of the EU and UK landscapes including Horizon Europe, NIHR and Innovate UK, and has been a key lead on a significant share of the funding GrantUp has secured.

Jessica has written across the full US SBIR pipeline: Project Pitch, Phase I and Phase II for NSF, NIH and the Department of Energy, plus ARPA-E and other DOE programs. She has taken companies through successful Project Pitches and Phase I awards, and knows how each agency's review culture differs, which is where most first-time applicants lose points.

Katy brings over twenty years of experience developing partnerships that deliver measurable business growth, with a proven ability to identify high-value opportunities and negotiate collaborations that support innovation, market expansion and access to funding.

Katie is a highly experienced innovation consultant and grant writer with over a decade of expertise securing funding for science and engineering projects. She has raised over £35 million ($44M+) for initiatives in advanced manufacturing, recycling, biotech, food processing, agri-tech and sustainable innovation.

Ben is a highly experienced bid writer with wide-ranging expertise across funder requirements in multiple sectors, having secured more than 350 grants for clients over the past 15 years. Alongside agency and research council applications he has unique experience developing proposals for charities, trusts and foundations, and serves as an expert reviewer.

Matthew is a bid writer with over 10 years of experience at the interface between university research and industry innovation, supporting organizations to secure competitive grant funding across national and European programs. He serves as an expert reviewer, giving him valuable insight into how proposals are assessed.

Martin brings over 30 years of experience in high-technology industries, combined with seven years specializing in grant funding and innovation bids.

Kevin is a highly experienced international bid and grant specialist with over 20 years of experience securing funding for innovative organizations, supporting small and mid-sized companies, universities, health systems and local government to win competitive grants and deliver complex multi-partner projects.

Nathan is a grant consultant with a strong technical background in life sciences and data-driven research, supporting organizations to develop robust, evidence-led funding applications. He holds a PhD in Neuropathology, where his research focused on protein aggregation and diagnostics for neurodegenerative disease.

Anjuli is an experienced grant consultant with a strong track record supporting innovation-led projects from application through to delivery, shaping compelling bids and providing hands-on support across the lifecycle of funded projects.

Lisa is an innovation consultant with experience supporting organizations to secure and deliver grant funding across complex, multi-year programs, bringing a structured approach to funding planning, bid development and opportunity identification.

Rebecca has extensive experience supporting innovative businesses to access funding through innovation grants, technical project development and R&D tax relief, across software, manufacturing, deep tech and medtech.

Shelley brings decades of commercial experience supporting innovative businesses, helping organizations identify and pursue funding opportunities that let them grow, scale and bring new ideas to market.

Stacy brings a scientific background in molecular diagnostics, with experience developing innovative testing panels and working across highly technical research environments.

Lucy is GrantUp's Operations Manager, making sure the business runs smoothly behind the scenes while the team focuses on delivering high-quality funding applications.