We Won! Grantus Takes Out the 2025 Professional Services Award
We are absolutely thrilled (and honestly a little shocked!) to share that Grantus won the 2025 Professional Services Business Award at the Federation University Commerce Ballarat Business Excellence Awards. This recognition affirms a belief we’ve held since 2019:
That lean, regionally grounded professional services can deliver massive, transformational impact.
But behind the award is also a personal story.
The Reluctance to Apply
When first encouraged to apply, Simon’s instinct was “No thanks.”
Not because the work of Grantus wasn’t valued, but because self-promotion has never come naturally. For years, the focus was simply on doing good work and letting outcomes speak for themselves.
And for a long time, that was enough.
Grantus grew into a trusted one-person consultancy serving councils, water corporations, and not-for-profits across regional Australia — built almost entirely on reputation and referrals.
A Crossroads Moment
In the past year, though, the question arose:
Stay small and serve a few… or grow (smarter) with purpose?
The truth is, Grantus was never about chasing comfort. It began with a vision to support grassroots not-for-profits, overstretched program managers, and underfunded community organisations doing brilliant work with minimal resources.
These are the people who deserve quality strategy, governance, and funding tools — but often lack access to them.
- To make that vision a reality, Simon recognised that Grantus needed to:
- Build greater brand awareness
- Earn deeper trust
- Develop systems that didn’t rely on one person alone
Why This Award Matters
Winning this award isn’t just about business success. It represents what we believe in:
- That relationship-driven consulting matters
- That you don’t need a big team to make a big difference
- That regional people understand regional issues
- That when clients trust you — and you deliver — everyone wins
A Heartfelt Thank You
To every council, water corporation, and not-for-profit who’s chosen Grantus as a partner — thank you for trusting us to support your vision.
To our incredible subcontractor network, collaborators, and local partners — your expertise and care elevate every project.
To the Ballarat business community and the award judges — your recognition fuels our drive to keep building smarter, more strategic, more values-aligned services for the public good.
What’s Next
This award gives us momentum to keep evolving — to grow without losing quality or values, and to create space for even greater impact.
If you’re leading a grassroots organisation or SME and wondering if better funding or tender support is out of reach — it isn’t.
And if you’re a partner or ally who shares our vision, let’s talk.
Because while we’re celebrating this win, the real work is just getting started.
Simon Coutts
Simon is the Director and Founder of Grantus, a trusted advisor in strategic funding, complex problem solving, and stakeholder management, driving growth and public benefit for organisations dedicated to making a lasting impact. Book a ‘Borrow My Brain‘ session with Simon.
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