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István Zsolt Benkó
Lead Public Procurement Expert
Grant writing · Hungarian & EU
Grant Writing
Writing, compiling, or reviewing Hungarian and European Union funding applications.
How the grant-writing process works
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Funding source review
We map the Hungarian and EU calls that fit the project, and recommend the best target.
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Eligibility and preparation
We verify eligibility, own contribution, and maintenance commitments before any writing begins.
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Application preparation
We compile the project description, budget, timeline, and every required annex and declaration.
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Submission and follow-up
We run the formal and content review, submit the application, and track clarification requests.
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Project execution
Applicant's task
The applicant executes the funded project according to the contracted scope and timeline.
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Delivery reporting and audit
We support interim and final reports, plus responses to audits by the funding and control authorities.
Why choose us?
What is worth knowing about grant writing at Sugallat.
Success-fee based collaboration
Fees are due only for successful applications. No upfront consulting fee or fixed retainer, risk-free engagement.
On the market since 1996
More than two decades of practice in Hungarian and EU funding programmes, with deep working knowledge of the Public Procurement Act.
From grant to procurement, one partner
After the grant is won, we also support the subsequent procurement procedure and legal remedy representation from a single professional partner.
Free first consultation
No engagement contract needed for an initial project review. Get to know us before committing to anything.
Free expert consultation
Discuss your project with us, and we will help you find the best support for preparing and submitting your grant application.
Grant writing ends with the delivery obligations that follow submission. On a successful project we also handle the subsequent public procurement procedure on the contracting authority side, and where disputes arise we provide legal remedy representation from a single partner.
Grant writing and project preparation
Eligible cost categories
Within the detailed budget, the following eligible cost categories typically need to be classified and substantiated.
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Investment and tangible assets
Machinery, equipment, real estate.
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Intangible assets
Software, licences, know-how.
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Personnel costs and related contributions
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External expert, consulting and training services
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Marketing and communication expenses
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Project management and general costs
Individual categories may be subject to separate ratios, caps and evidentiary requirements set by the call, so the classification is worth reviewing item by item before submission.
Key information about grants for businesses and non-profit organisations
When submitting grant applications without expert help, there is a significant risk of formal errors, misinterpretation of eligibility requirements, and inadequate content development. If a proposal is submitted with formal errors, it can easily be rejected. A company should pay special attention to formal details before submission. During the application process, especially for first-time applicants, misunderstandings about the requirements can quickly lead to mistakes. Grant writing errors often fail not on the professional content, but on small formal details.
A grant application typically includes a detailed professional description of the project, the definition of objectives and indicators, an implementation timeline, a budget, as well as mandatory annexes and declarations. For an organisation, verifying eligibility is particularly important.
Most grant applications fail not because the idea is poor, but because the implementation plan is not convincing. Rejection can result from missing annexes, incorrect cost calculations, unrealistic commitments, or the project not aligning precisely with the objectives of the call for proposals.
We work with nationwide coverage, and for EU grant applications we support project preparation with a business-oriented approach, including cities such as Budapest, Pécs, Szeged, Győr, and Székesfehérvár.
In our experience, preparing a medium-complexity SME grant application typically takes 2-6 weeks, depending on project size, the speed of data provision, and the range of required annexes. The open submission window varies by call, often 30-60 days, so it is worth starting preparation as soon as the call is published.
Not every development idea fits a given call for proposals. Applying is generally not worthwhile when the project scope does not match the call's objectives, when the required own contribution or liquidity for post-financing is not secured, when meeting the indicators during the maintenance period is unrealistic, or when the administrative and reporting burden is disproportionate to the project's benefit. In such cases we honestly advise against submission.