Certification standards
These standards explain what the Certified Grant Writing Professional (C.G.W.P.) credential represents and how it is awarded, so students, clients, and employers can trust what it stands for.
1. What the credential represents
The C.G.W.P. credential signifies that the holder has completed Professional Grant Writing Institute training and demonstrated a working knowledge of how to research funders, structure a proposal, write the case for support, build and justify a budget, and plan an evaluation. It recognizes practical readiness to write funding applications. It is not a license, it is not accredited by any government body or grant professional association, and it does not replace any credential a particular employer or funder may require.
2. Eligibility
Any enrolled student may work toward the credential. There are no prior education or experience requirements to begin. The certification is available to students of both the Professional and Advanced courses.
3. How candidates are assessed
To earn the credential, a candidate must complete their course and pass the final assessment. The assessment is an open-book online exam combining multiple-choice and short written answers. A candidate must score at least 70 out of 100 to pass. Multiple-choice answers are graded automatically; written answers are reviewed by our team to confirm genuine understanding rather than recall alone.
4. Issuing the certificate
On passing, each candidate receives a personalized digital certificate showing their name, the course completed, and the date of issue. Every certificate carries a unique verification ID so its authenticity can be confirmed independently at any time.
5. Validity and use
The credential does not expire and carries no renewal fee. Holders may reference it in their marketing and client communications, provided they represent it accurately, as a sign of completed training, not as a government license or a guarantee of any specific result.
6. Maintaining standards
Holders are expected to uphold the Member Code of Conduct. We reserve the right to revoke a credential obtained through dishonesty in the assessment, or used to misrepresent the holder's qualifications. Revoked credentials are marked invalid on the verification page.
7. Verifying a certificate
Anyone can confirm a certificate is genuine on our certificate verification page by entering the verification ID printed on it.
Questions about these standards? Contact us.
