From chaos to confidence in community grant management
How Developing Healthy Communities replaced a failing legacy system with Submit.com, going live in eight weeks and transforming the experience for staff, reviewers, and community organisations across Northern Ireland.
It has revolutionised the grant process for us. It was a leap of faith, but it was 100% the right leap to make.
Sarah Jane
Programme Manager, DHC
A system that was failing everyone
When Programme Manager Sarah Jane joined DHC in January 2025, she inherited a grants system that was "not working for them as a team, and it wasn't working for the end user or for the beneficiaries." The Public Health Agency then planned to open the fund earlier than usual, leaving just eight weeks to find and implement a replacement.
The team needed a platform they could configure themselves, trust under pressure, and use to respond rapidly to funder and political reporting demands.
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Over-engineered legacy systemNot fit for purpose, especially for finance workflows and saving in-progress applications.
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Heavy reliance on phone supportStaff spent entire days helping applicants complete basic forms, creating stress and burnout.
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No self-service configurationEven small changes required specialist help and risked breaking background processes.
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Reporting under pressureShort-notice assembly questions required detailed geographic and deprivation breakdowns at speed.
What changed with Submit.com
| Area | Previous System | Submit.com |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | Required specialist; risky to change | ✓ No-code; self-managed by team |
| Applicant experience | Confusing; high drop-off; phone reliance | ✓ Clear, staged, easy to complete |
| Communication | Manual emails; inconsistent updates | ✓ Automated reminders & bulk sends |
| Reviewer access | Emailed packs; manual distribution | ✓ Direct portal login; self-service |
| Reporting | Spreadsheet scramble under deadline | ✓ Instant filters by geography & deprivation |
| GDPR compliance | Uncertain; team lacked confidence | ✓ Built-in compliance; "very important to us" |
| Staff wellbeing | Stressed; dreading return from holidays | ✓ Team able to enjoy summer; calmer peaks |
Submit is just so much easier. We can go on and change things ourselves. It has really built our confidence because before, with the old system, we weren't confident at all. It is not something to be afraid of.
Eight weeks from decision to live
Working closely with Submit's customer success team, DHC built and launched a complete end-to-end grant application process in just eight weeks. Sarah Jane, with no coding background, personally configured the forms and workflows and had the system live by the Monday after Easter.
Submit's onboarding specialist provided live sessions, follow-up videos, and ongoing support, helping the team move from nervousness to genuine confidence.
How DHC runs their full grant lifecycle
- Online fund advertising linked directly to Submit application portal
- Two tailored tiers: up to £1,000 for smaller groups, up to £5,000 for established organisations
- Auto-reject rules filter ineligible applicants instantly and trigger automated decline emails
- Mandatory document uploads prevent incomplete submissions reaching assessment
- Reviewers log in directly to the portal; no emailed packs or printed documents
- Automated reminder emails for in-progress applications, missing documents, and deadlines
- Bulk targeted sends to all drafts, successful applicants, or those awaiting invoices
- Applicants receive clear, timely updates at every stage of the process
- Staged task design helps volunteer groups manage applications around busy schedules
- Dramatically reduced inbound phone support from applicants needing help
- Filter by trust area: Belfast, Northern, Western, Southern, South Eastern
- Cross-reference funded projects with super output areas and deprivation levels
- Respond to ministerial visits and assembly questions with detailed, rapid breakdowns
- Segment by target group: rural isolation, bereavement by suicide, men-only groups
- Turned panic-driven reporting into routine, minutes-long queries
We are delivering grants that are supporting wellbeing in the community, and it is really important that there is wellbeing maintained in my own team. Submit has helped us do that.
The impact on people and programmes
Funding that changes lives
There was never a point where I felt like I didn't know where I was. I honestly would tell anybody: apply for this.
The Causeway Giants wheelchair basketball club received a grant through DHC's Submit-powered programme that enabled them to bring in specialist services: sports massage, accessible gym sessions, and activities tailored specifically to wheelchair users.
When the application process feels approachable and transparent, more niche and under-served groups apply, meaning more community benefit from the same pot of funding.
It has changed lives. That money made such a difference this year. Their wellbeing is so much better just because I wasn't scared to apply for a grant. I wouldn't be scared to reapply because it was so easy and so streamlined.
Helen Causeway Giants Wheelchair Basketball Club — grant recipientReady to transform your grant programme?
See how Submit.com can replace your legacy system, reduce manual workload, and give your team the confidence to focus on what matters.