Having worked on a winning IMAGINE Grant application in the “Go Further, Go Faster” category for a project at Fair Trade USA, I wanted to share a few practical tips that might help others. These insights come from my personal experience navigating the process—from aligning a technical vision with organizational goals to crafting a clear, focused proposal.
Whether you’re just getting started with AWS or already building on the platform, I hope this helps you write an application that highlights both your innovation and your impact.
Our Project
The winning proposal focused on building an on-demand data insights platform within our existing Partner Portal. It helps our partners better evaluate supply chain risks and track their impact, powered by our data warehouse and a suite of AWS services for ingestion, transformation, storage, governance, and delivery.
This wasn’t a speculative idea. We had already laid the groundwork over the past few years, and the grant enabled us to accelerate the delivery of something we knew our partners needed.
Why It Fit Our Long-Term Vision
This project was a natural next step in our strategy. It aligned perfectly with an existing organization-wide priority and had:
- Executive buy-in
- A clear roadmap
- A dedicated team and budget
- A technical foundation already in place
Because it was already in motion, we could show that the grant wouldn’t fund exploratory work—it would amplify a solution already gaining traction. That distinction matters. Reviewers want to see that their investment will have real, near-term results.
Strengthening Our Internal Capabilities
Because AWS was already our platform of choice, we had an advantage: several team members were already skilled in building with AWS. To strengthen our position further, we:
- Stayed current with AWS best practices through certifications, online learning, and events—many of which are free. Why it matters: This shows your team has a learning culture and is committed to building sustainable, future-proof solutions—not just quick wins.
- Worked with our AWS account manager to bring in specialized support (e.g., Solutions Architects focused on data, security, and AI). Why it matters: It shows you know how to collaborate, validate your plans, and de-risk execution. It’s also a strong signal that AWS sees value in supporting your vision.
- Partnered with our BI implementation vendor to ensure scalability and maintainability. Why it matters: Reviewers want to know the solution won’t fall apart after the grant ends. External partnerships help show long-term viability.
How We Framed the Technical Vision
This part can be tricky—there’s always a temptation to include every cool feature or service. But we focused on clarity, impact, and alignment. Here’s what helped:
What to Include
- A clear articulation of the problem and the current state. This grounds your proposal. Don’t assume the reviewer understands your mission or user base—explain why this project matters now.
- A well-defined solution with realistic, meaningful outcomes. Clarity beats complexity. Make it easy for reviewers to picture what you’re building and who it helps.
- Evidence of progress already made This builds trust. It says: “We know how to deliver—we just need a boost.”
- A plan to build foundational capabilities first. Jumping straight to AI or predictive analytics can raise red flags if your data infrastructure isn’t solid. Show you’ve prioritized the basics.
- A focused scope that prioritized impact over complexity. A smaller, well-executed project is more compelling than an ambitious, vague one. Pick your core use case and do it right.
- Clear explanation of AWS services used and why. There are many ways to solve a problem on AWS. Explain your decisions—cost-efficiency, scalability, data compliance, etc.—and show you’ve thought them through.
Quantifying Impact
This is one of the most overlooked—but most important—sections of any grant proposal.
Even if your project is early-stage, try to include:
- Expected usage metrics (e.g., number of users or partners affected)
- Efficiency gains (e.g., reduction in manual reporting time)
- Scalability indicators (e.g., how many additional users or data sources could be onboarded)
- Impact outcomes (e.g., better decision-making, more transparency, higher partner satisfaction)
Why it matters: Funders want to know how their support translates into real-world change. Even directional or projected numbers are better than none.
Additional Tips That Made a Difference
Here are a few practical things we did that helped strengthen the proposal:
- Used AWS reference architectures from events and case studies. This helps ensure best practices and makes your architecture legible to technical reviewers.
- Mentioned future/out-of-scope features. This showed we had long-term vision but were being disciplined with short-term scope.
- Got feedback from UX team members. Reviewers may only spend a few minutes skimming your proposal. Clear flow and simple visuals make a huge difference.
- Worked closely with our AWS account team. They can connect you with Solutions Architects, share architecture guidance, and help you pressure-test your proposal.
Final Thoughts
Winning an IMAGINE Grant isn’t just about technical complexity—it’s about telling a clear, compelling story backed by solid planning and impact.
If your project is grounded in a real need, already underway, and built on a thoughtful AWS-based architecture, you’re in a strong position to make the case that your team is ready to go further and faster.
Disclaimer: The views and recommendations shared in this post are my own and based on my personal experience leading a successful grant application project. They do not represent the official position of Fair Trade USA or any other organization.
>>> If you’re working on a grant or tech project and want to explore how I can help, you can reach out here to start a conversation.