A/B/C triage: how to prioritise public funding opportunities
Monitoring every UK source surfaces dozens of opportunities a week. Most are not worth your time — wrong sector, ineligible, or too far off. Triage is what turns a long list into a short list of things to actually do. Here is a three-axis method you can apply in seconds.
The three axes
- Climate / sector fit — how well the opportunity matches what you do (e.g. clean maritime, retrofit, EV, hydrogen). A weak fit is rarely worth it however large the prize.
- Eligibility clarity — can you clearly meet the rules (UK entity, lead applicant, consortium, TRL, match funding)? Uncertainty is risk.
- Timing and actionability — is the deadline close enough to matter but far enough to prepare a credible bid?
The A/B/C labels
- A — act now. Strong fit, clear eligibility, actionable before the deadline. Put a name against it today.
- B — qualify. Real potential but something needs checking — eligibility, a consortium partner, or timing. Worth a short investigation before committing.
- C — monitor. Weaker fit or a longer horizon. Keep it on the radar; do not spend time yet.
How to use it
Score each new opportunity on the three axes, assign a letter, and only work the A list. Re-triage Bs as new information arrives (a partner appears, eligibility clarifies). This keeps scarce bid-writing time on the opportunities you can actually win, and stops good A-grade chances slipping past while you read C-grade noise.
Climatenders applies exactly this triage to every UK climate opportunity every Monday and Wednesday, so you open your inbox to a ranked shortlist rather than a portal dump. See what’s open now.