The technical section of a grant proposal
This page is for grant writers. Reviewers are rarely technologists; they want to know that the platform is sound, that the organization will own what it builds, and that the site will still work after the grant. The building blocks below are written so you can adapt them. Each one names its source, so you can show a reviewer where it comes from.
Tip
Claim only what your site will actually do. If you will not use Velocity, do not mention it. If accessibility testing is not in the budget, do not promise a conformance level.
Contents
- Platform
- License and ownership
- Hosting
- Accessibility
- Data protection
- Languages
- Sustainability
- What not to write
Platform
The site will be built on Exponential, a free and open-source content management system written in PHP, with browser-based editing, role-based permissions, content approval and scheduled publication, multi-language and multi-site support.
Source: README.md, "Main Exponential features" ("Fine grained role based permissions system", "Content approval and
scheduled publication", "Advanced multi-lingual support", "Multi-site support"). The project is led by 7x and operated
by the nonprofit Exponential Foundation (Who is 7x?,
Who is the Exponential Foundation?).
License and ownership
The software is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later; there is no license fee. The organization owns its content, design and data, and can move them to another provider at any time.
Source: README.md, "License"; Licensing for buyers;
What you own.
Hosting
The site will run on [shared hosting / a small virtual server / managed hosting] with the SQLite database, which needs no separate database server. Backups of the database and file storage are taken [daily] and a restore is tested [each quarter].
Source: SQLite database support, Low-budget hosting, Backups and restores. Fill in the brackets with what you will really do.
Accessibility
Templates will be built following the project's accessibility guidance; images require alternative text; the site will be tested with automated tools and by keyboard before launch, and an accessibility statement will be published.
Source: Accessibility for site builders, Testing accessibility, Writing an accessibility statement. Name a target such as WCAG 2.2 AA only if testing against it is in the budget.
Data protection
Forms collect only the data needed; access to submissions is limited to named coordinators; submissions are deleted on a fixed schedule. The newsletter uses double opt-in. Administrator accounts use two-factor login. A tamper-evident audit trail records administrative actions.
Source: Volunteers and sign-up forms, cjw_newsletter, Two-factor login, The audit trail.
Languages
The site will be published in [languages]. The platform supports up to 62 content languages per installation, and right-to-left scripts.
Source: The 62-language limit, Right-to-left sites.
Sustainability
After the grant period the site will be maintained by [named role], with hosting and updates funded from [budget line]. Because there is no license fee, the continuing costs are hosting and staff or contractor time. Editors are trained during the project, and the setup, accounts and routine are documented.
Source: Budget lines for hosting and maintenance, Handing over to editors.
What not to write
| Do not write | Why |
|---|---|
| "Fully accessible" or "WCAG certified" | Conformance belongs to your site, after testing, not to the software (What Exponential provides) |
| "Built-in donation system" | There is none (Donations) |
| "GDPR compliant" | Software cannot be compliant on its own; your processing is (GDPR basics) |
| Performance figures for your site | Measure your own; do not quote benchmarks as promises |
| A partner discount for non-profits | None is published (Working with a partner) |
Related pages
- Grants and the website
- Grant-funded website project plan
- Who Exponential is for
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
Become an Exponential Partner
Partners share their information, provide funding, contribute back and develop the products with us, and that is how Exponential grows. A partner website and dashboard are planned for mid-2027: please become a partner today to speed up our growth rate and land new features faster.