A program's mandate tells you exactly what it wants to fund — if you know how to read it. Download the official Applicant Guide (every serious program has one) and read it fully before writing anything. It contains the application instructions and the evaluation criteria — literally how you'll be scored.
Look for:
- Objectives — the outcomes the program exists to create (jobs, exports, R&D, community benefit). Your project has to advance one of these.
- Eligible activities — what the money can actually be spent on.
- Eligible/ineligible costs — many programs won't cover costs incurred before approval, or cap certain categories.
- Evaluation criteria and point values — where the marks are. Federal notices publish the exact scoring; write to it.
Many programs run info sessions or let you email a program officer. Reaching out clarifies fit and puts your name on their radar — a step most applicants skip.
The takeaway: the Applicant Guide is the answer key. Read it before you write, and aim your application at the points that are actually scored.