Funders’ Portal Survival Guide 2025: Flexi-Grant, Foundant, Submittable
The 2025 refreshes to Flexi-Grant, Foundant, Submittable, and local authority portals promise smoother workflows—until they crash on deadline night. Use this survival guide to prep accounts, scripts, and conversion routines so Crafty-generated content lands perfectly first time.
TL;DR
- Document portal requirements, from multifactor authentication to PDF templates, at least two weeks ahead.
- Run submission rehearsals and accessibility checks to catch formatting issues before the real deadline.
- Archive receipts, export packets, and compliance notes so audits and re-submissions are painless.
What changed across funder portals for 2025?
Flexi-Grant introduced granular role permissions in its November 2024 release, requiring every organisation to assign administrator, editor, and finance approvals. Foundant added native two-factor authentication in January 2025, while Submittable now enforces document accessibility checks (WCAG 2.1 AA) before final submission—a change announced in Submittable’s September 2024 update.
Local authorities using the new Grant Approval Platform aligned to the Government Grants Functional Standard (GovS 015, 2024) now expect applicant organisations to upload fraud risk assessments. Missing those extra documents is an easy rejection trigger.
How do you build a portal pre-flight checklist?
Assemble a portal dossier: account owners, MFA method, upload formats, character limits, naming conventions, and downtime schedules. Include contact emails for portal support. Share it in your grant pipeline Kanban board so every stage references the same instructions.
| Portal | Access & MFA | Formatting Rules | Backup Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flexi-Grant | Authenticator app + role assignments | Plain text paste, 4,000 char limit | Schedule submission 48 hours early; call helpline if lockout |
| Foundant Grant Lifecycle | SMS-based MFA, shared mailbox alerts | PDF uploads, 10 MB max, alt text mandatory | Maintain offline PDF pack; duplicate to backup admin |
| Submittable | Email + authenticator, SSO optional | Word/PDF, automatic WCAG checker | Export final packet; log accessibility report |
| Local Authority (Grant Approval Platform) | Gov Gateway login, IP whitelisting | Excel budget template, fraud risk upload | Pre-fill spreadsheet offline, confirm checksum pre-upload |
Share this table in your intranet, and mark critical updates as announcements. Assign someone from IT or governance to refresh it quarterly in line with the audit prep schedule.
Which workflow keeps submissions error-free?
Follow the 48/24/12-hour rule: 48-hour rehearsal (dry run), 24-hour freeze (no major edits, run accessibility checks), 12-hour submission. Capture logs, time-stamped screenshots, and receipts for each step. Use the kick-off workshop to assign roles early so there’s no scramble at midnight.
Workflow highlights
- Lock final narrative in Crafty, export to Word, and copy to portal with manual formatting check.
- Run the portal accessibility checker, fix flagged headings or alt text before final submission.
- Archive the submission packet alongside your readiness documentation.
How does Crafty integrate with portal demands?
Crafty’s export settings include Flexi-Grant-friendly plain text and Submittable-ready Word templates with heading styles baked in. Use the platform’s checklist builder to mirror the portal pre-flight list; connect it to your modular answer library so you can quickly customise responses for portal-specific length limits.
Combine Crafty exports with scenario-tested budgets to populate required Excel uploads. If your portal allows API submissions (e.g. Foundant), work with IT to automate attachments directly from Crafty’s document store.
Download the portal survival kit and next steps
Grab the portal dossier template, dry-run checklist, and accessibility audit log. Schedule a rehearsal a fortnight before your biggest deadline—no exceptions.
Next actions
- Populate the portal dossier with live 2025 requirements and share it with bid owners.
- Book a rehearsal slot for your next Flexi-Grant or Foundant submission.
- Enable Crafty’s portal-ready export templates and add pre-flight checks to your workflow.
Key takeaways
- Portal updates in 2025 emphasise MFA, accessibility, and fraud controls—prepare early.
- Run pre-flight rehearsals and archive every submission artefact for audits.
- Use Crafty exports and checklists to standardise portal-ready submissions.
Summary and next steps
The platforms are improving, but failures still happen when teams leave prep too late. Embed the dossier, automate reminders, and pair portal rehearsals with Crafty’s drafting guardrails.
- Update portal requirements quarterly and share with board champions.
- Practise the 48/24/12-hour submission workflow on every high-stakes bid.
- Keep receipts, transcripts, and compliance logs ready for funder audits.