Innovate UK Smart grants are not necessarily a quick financial win. After a lengthy application process and submission of your, *fingers-crossed*, successful application, competition entrants must wait many weeks until the verdict is out.  

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Notification day can seem like you have reached the summit of the mountain, and you can now rest and enjoy the view, with a seamless and automatic start to project activities. 

However, if truth be told, successful applicants must still play the waiting game, with a few more boxes to tick before funds are approved and projects can commence. This time between notification and project commencement can often be underestimated and can take a few months, meaning eligible project activities must be delayed. So how long until you can get going?

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Here is our suggested timeline for an August 2021 SMART grant application:

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As you can see, there can be quite a few months between project acceptance and commencement. 

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Remember, no costs ensued in this time preceding the official project start date (here, 1st December/January) will be covered by grant reimbursement. Therefore, planning is key!  

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We recommend applicants always plan the timing of competition applications wisely, making sure they have enough financial cushioning to sustain business activities before projects can officially commence.  

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At Inventya we are happy to discuss these preparations with you, working together to identify the most appropriate grant opportunity for you.