Grant writers · what hiring one costs
What a grant writer costs in Canada
Canadian grant writers quote in three ways — by the hour, by the project, or on retainer — and reputable ones will not take a percentage of the grant. This page explains what each model actually costs you, how to read a quote you have been given, and when writing it yourself is the better call.
Looking for a grant writing job instead? This page is for people hiring one. Job listings are on Indeed and LinkedIn.
The short version. There is no single going rate in Canada, and anyone who publishes one is generalising across wildly different jobs. What is consistent is the structure: you will be quoted hourly, as a flat project fee, or on a monthly retainer. The model determines your exposure — an hourly quote on an open-ended application is the one that runs away from you.
Percentage-of-grant is the exception, not the norm. The professional bodies for grant and fundraising practitioners treat compensation tied to a share of funds raised as contrary to their codes of conduct, which is why established grant writers quote fees rather than commission. If someone offers to work for a cut of the award, ask why. Note the contrast with SR&ED, where contingency pricing is the industry norm because the credit is a tax filing rather than a fundraising activity — see what an SR&ED consultant costs.
The three models, and what each one exposes you to
Hourly
You carry the risk
Fine for a bounded task — a review, an edit, one section. On a full application the hours are open-ended, and scope creep is yours. Always ask for an estimated range and a stop point.
Flat project fee
They carry the risk
The clearest arrangement for a single application. Establish exactly what is included: research, drafting, budget preparation, revisions after funder feedback, and resubmission.
Retainer
Priced for a programme
Sensible when you apply continuously and want someone holding the calendar. Expensive if you have one application a year — you are buying availability you will not use.
The question that tells you most
"What happens if this application is unsuccessful?" Most grant applications are not funded on the first attempt, so the answer to that question is the one that matters. Does the fee include a revision and resubmission to the next intake, or does the relationship end at submission? A quote that covers only the first attempt is priced for the best case.
When hiring a grant writer is clearly the right call
There are situations where a good writer is worth well beyond their fee, and we would rather you knew them:
Hire one when:
- The award is large and the competition is real. On a six-figure programme with a low success rate, the gap between a competent application and an excellent one is worth more than any fee you will be quoted.
- The funder requires a format you do not know. Some programmes want a logic model, an evaluation framework, or letters of support assembled a particular way. Someone who has done it before will do it faster and better.
- You are a non-profit with a complex programme narrative. Charitable and social-impact applications carry conventions that business owners rarely encounter.
- Nobody internally will actually write it. An application that never gets finished has a guaranteed return of zero. If the realistic alternative is not applying, hire.
Where GrantCompass fits, honestly
We are not a grant writing firm and there is no human writer assigned to you. What the subscription does is remove the blank page: it tells you which of 650+ Canadian programs you actually qualify for, then drafts each application with you from your own business details, section by section, in the funder's structure. You edit it; nobody hands it in for you.
The honest comparison: a writer brings judgement about what a particular funder rewards, and that judgement is real. What we bring is coverage and speed — the fee does not scale with the award, it applies to every program you match rather than the one you hired for, and you keep the draft whether or not you win.
A drafted section per application requirement, written from your business profile and the program's own criteria — then edited by you in the workspace, with the eligibility conditions you still need to satisfy tracked alongside it.
This is drafting support, not a submission service. For tax credits such as SR&ED the workspace switches to claim steps instead, because a credit is a filing rather than an application — we would rather say so than let you find out after paying.
See what you would be applying for
Before pricing a writer, it is worth knowing how many programs you actually qualify for. A writer is hired for one application; most businesses match several. Both plans are shown, and no account is needed to look.
Questions worth asking before you sign
What exactly is included, and what is extra? Research, budget preparation, letters of support, revisions and resubmission are each commonly in or out. Get the list.
Have you written for this specific program before? Familiarity with one funder does not transfer automatically to another. Ask for the programs, not the years.
Who owns the draft? You should keep the written material regardless of outcome — it is the basis of every future application you make.
What is your success rate, and on what? Treat an unqualified number carefully. A high rate on easy, high-approval programs says less than a moderate rate on competitive ones.