Overview
JOB TYPE
Contract / Associate / Subcontractor
PAY
£300–£350 per day, depending on experience and assignment requirements
IR35 / ENGAGEMENT STATUS
Anticipated outside IR35 for defined call-off assignments, subject to final assignment scope, status assessment and engagement route. PAYE / umbrella options may also be considered where appropriate.
ABOUT THE ROLE
DADA is building a pre-qualified associate bench of Public Sector Grant Assessors to support future grant assessment rounds.
We are looking for assessors with experience in skills, employment, adult education, further education, learner support, employer engagement, inclusion, social value or public funding.
This is a call-off associate opportunity. It is not a guaranteed full-time role. Successful applicants may be contacted for specific grant assessment assignments as they are mobilised.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
You may be asked to:
- review public sector grant applications against defined criteria;
- produce clear, neutral and evidence-based scoring rationales;
- assess whether applications evidence need, delivery capacity, inclusion, learner support, employer engagement and measurable outcomes;
- participate in calibration and moderation activity where required;
- flag evidence gaps, unsupported claims or scoring risks;
- work to agreed scoring templates, deadlines and quality standards.
WORKLOAD EXPECTATIONS
As a planning guide:
- individual application reviews are expected to take approximately 3.75 hours per application, subject to complexity and criteria;
- larger rounds may require availability across a four-to-six-week delivery window;
- assessors may be asked to complete multiple application reviews within a defined scoring period;
- onboarding does not guarantee immediate deployment.
EXPECTED QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE
Formal grant-assessor qualifications are not essential. We are more interested in strong professional experience and evidence-based judgement.
Candidates should ideally have one or more of the following:
- experience in adult skills, employability, further education, learner support, careers, employer engagement, inclusion, social value or public funding;
- experience reviewing bids, applications, business cases, project proposals or funding submissions;
- experience applying published criteria, guidance or assessment frameworks consistently;
- strong written skills, with the ability to explain judgement clearly and neutrally;
- degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in education, employment, public policy, programme delivery, social value, project management, quality assurance or a related field.
SCOPE OF APPLICATIONS YOU MAY ASSESS
Applications are likely to relate to public sector funding programmes in areas such as:
- adult skills and employment support;
- further education and training delivery;
- learner support, outreach and inclusion;
- employer engagement and progression into work;
- support for disadvantaged or underrepresented groups;
- programme delivery plans, outputs, outcomes and value for money.
You will not be expected to make policy decisions. Your role is to assess the evidence provided against defined scoring criteria and produce clear, fair and defensible scoring rationales.
LOCATION AND TRAVEL
The role is expected to be primarily remote. Candidates must be UK-based and able to work securely from home. Occasional London meetings may be required for mobilisation, calibration or client meetings, subject to assignment requirements.
ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE
You should be able to demonstrate:
- experience in skills, employment, adult education, further education, learner support, employer engagement, social inclusion or public funding;
- strong written judgement and evidence-based assessment skills;
- ability to apply scoring criteria consistently and objectively;
- ability to produce clear, neutral and defensible rationales;
- ability to work to tight deadlines;
- strong confidentiality and data-handling discipline.
DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE
- Grant application assessment or public funding review.
- Bid evaluation or public sector procurement scoring.
- Experience assessing programmes supporting disadvantaged or underrepresented groups.
- Experience of moderation, quality assurance or feedback drafting.
ONBOARDING REQUIREMENTS
Before any assignment, selected associates will need to complete:
- conflict-of-interest declaration;
- confidentiality / non-disclosure requirements;
- secure data-handling checks;
- availability and rate confirmation;
- scoring calibration where required.
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Applications will be reviewed after the initial two-week campaign period.
We expect to contact shortlisted candidates from 6 August 2026 onwards. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of applying, you may not have been selected for the first mobilisation tranche, although we may retain your details for future opportunities where you have consented to this.
HOW TO APPLY
Please apply via Indeed with:
- your CV;
- your expected day rate or hourly rate;
- your availability over the next 3–6 months;
- a short summary of your relevant skills, employment, education, grant assessment or public-sector experience.
DADA welcomes applications from candidates from underrepresented groups, including women, Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, disabled candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, people returning to work and candidates with lived or professional experience of supporting disadvantaged communities.
Pay: £300.00-£350.00 per day
Benefits:
Application question(s):
- Are you UK-based and able to work remotely using secure systems?
- Are you available for associate / subcontractor call-off assignments rather than a guaranteed full-time role?
- Are you willing to complete conflict-of-interest, confidentiality, secure data-handling and scoring / moderation calibration checks before any assignment?
Work Location: Remote
