RAISE LENS · COMPARE
Raise Lens vs Instrumentl
Last checked . Every competitor figure links to its source.
Summary
- Instrumentl is grant management software for nonprofits, consultants and universities, from prospecting to post-award budgets. Raise Lens is a search and monitoring tool for sustainability funding: grants, public tenders, programmes and early signals
- Instrumentl starts at USD 299 a month billed annually (USD 349 billed monthly). Raise Lens is free to search; Pro is £50 a month or £500 a year
- Verdict: Instrumentl suits nonprofits that want one system for the whole grant lifecycle; Raise Lens suits teams who want sustainability grants, tenders and signals in one feed at a lower price
Feature by feature
| Feature | Raise Lens | Instrumentl |
|---|---|---|
| Focus and audience | Sustainability funding, for BD teams and consultancies, founders, non-profits and research teams3 | Grant management software for nonprofits, per Instrumentl; its pricing page also names consultants and universities1,2 |
| Record types | Grants, public tenders, subcontracts, programmes, a funder directory and early funding signals3 | Grant opportunities and funder profiles: per Instrumentl, 37k+ active RFPs and 450k+ funder profiles2 |
| Geography | Procurement monitored across European, American, African and Asian national systems and the major development banks; depth varies by country, deepest for English, Spanish and Portuguese sources4 | Not stated on the pricing or home page2,1 |
| Update frequency | Opportunity sources re-checked daily; signals crawled weekly5 | Per Instrumentl, its team keeps funder profiles and RFPs updated (the home page says daily in one section and weekly in another); saved searches send weekly updates1 |
| Free tier | Yes, with no time limit and no card: full search and filters, 3 saves, every listing named once public and 1 official link a month6 | No free plan listed2 |
| Paid price | Pro £50 a month or £500 a year; Team from £120 a month (£40 per seat, minimum 3); founding offer of £40 a month for the first 20 Pro subscribers while places remain7 | Discover USD 299, Pre-Award USD 499, Full Lifecycle USD 999 a month billed annually; USD 349, USD 579 and USD 1,159 billed monthly; Enterprise custom2 |
| Free trial | No time-limited trial: the free tier never expires7 | 14 days on Discover, Pre-Award and Full Lifecycle; no credit card required2 |
| Matching and scoring | Match score out of 100 on every listing, from five checks against your eligibility profile; Pro shows the breakdown8 | AI matching with funder match scoring; a prospecting assistant (beta) on every plan1,2 |
| Early signals | Budget allocations, programme announcements and corporate commitments; Pro sees the named organisation 30 days before free users6 | Not stated2 |
| Alerts | Saved searches in the weekly email (one on Free, unlimited on Pro), and on Pro an optional daily deadline email for saved opportunities7 | Weekly updates on saved searches; deadline tracking; overspend and underspend alerts on Full Lifecycle1,2 |
| Team and seats | Team plan at £40 per seat a month, minimum 3 seats, each a private workspace; no shared watchlists today7 | Up to 3 users on Discover, 5 on Pre-Award and 15 on Full Lifecycle; custom on Enterprise2 |
| Export and API | No self-serve CSV export (Team customers can request one); no public REST API; an MCP server for AI assistants, with full detail on Pro7 | API on Full Lifecycle and Enterprise; budget versus actuals report export on Full Lifecycle; CSV export not stated2 |
| Application workflow | None: you apply on the funder's own portal; Pro includes a draft assistant (beta)7 | Yes: pipeline and task tracking on every plan; in-app application forms and AI writing help from Pre-Award; post-award budget tracking on Full Lifecycle2 |
| Cancellation and refunds | Cancel any time; the first payment is refunded in full if you ask within 14 days of first subscribing9 | Not stated on the pricing page2 |
Which to choose
Choose Instrumentl if
- You manage applications, awards and spend-down across many grants and want them in one system
- You need several users on one plan (up to 3, 5 or 15 depending on plan) or an API
- Your pipeline is foundation and government grants rather than public tenders
Choose Raise Lens if
- Your work is in sustainability and you bid for public tenders as well as grants
- You want early signals of funding before a call opens
- You want to search free with no time limit, then pay £50 a month for alerts and full detail
Pricing
Raise Lens (GBP)
- Free: £0, no time limit, no card
- Pro: £50 a month billed monthly, or £500 a year billed annually
- Team: £40 per seat a month, minimum 3 seats (from £120 a month), invoiced
- Founding offer: Pro at £40 a month for the first 20 subscribers, while places remain
- Prices in GBP; card payments are also taken in EUR and USD
Instrumentl, as of 21 October 20262
- Discover: USD 299 a month billed annually, or USD 349 billed monthly; up to 3 users
- Pre-Award: USD 499 a month billed annually, or USD 579 billed monthly; up to 5 users
- Full Lifecycle: USD 999 a month billed annually, or USD 1,159 billed monthly; up to 15 users
- Enterprise: custom pricing
- 14-day free trial on the three listed plans; no credit card required
FAQ
Questions
Is Raise Lens cheaper than Instrumentl?
Raise Lens Pro costs £50 a month or £500 a year. Instrumentl's lowest listed plan, Discover, costs USD 299 a month billed annually or USD 349 billed monthly, per its pricing page on 21 October 2026. The plans are not like for like: Discover includes up to 3 users and grant workflow tools that Raise Lens does not offer.
Does Raise Lens manage grant applications like Instrumentl?
No. Raise Lens finds and explains opportunities and links to the funder's own portal, where you apply. Pro includes a draft assistant (beta) that gives a first-pass structure to edit. Instrumentl lists in-app application forms, AI writing help and post-award budget tracking on its higher plans.
Does Instrumentl list public tenders?
Instrumentl describes active RFPs and funder profiles for grant seekers; its pricing and home pages do not mention public procurement tenders. Raise Lens lists sustainability-relevant public tenders from national procurement portals and development banks alongside grants.
Is there a free trial?
Instrumentl offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. Raise Lens has no time-limited trial: its free tier never expires, and the first Pro payment is refunded in full if you ask within 14 days of first subscribing.
Can I use Raise Lens and Instrumentl together?
Yes. The two overlap on grant discovery. Instrumentl covers application and award management; Raise Lens adds public tenders and early signals in sustainability sectors. The Raise Lens free tier lets you test the overlap before paying for either.
Sources
- 1. Instrumentl home page, https://www.instrumentl.com/, accessed
- 2. Instrumentl pricing, https://www.instrumentl.com/pricing, accessed
- 3. Raise Lens: About
- 4. Raise Lens: Coverage map
- 5. Raise Lens: Last refreshed
- 6. Raise Lens: What Free vs Pro actually unlocks
- 7. Raise Lens: Pricing
- 8. Raise Lens: How it works
- 9. Raise Lens: Terms
Spot an error? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.
More on how Raise Lens fits your work: For non-profits
Search sustainability funding free
Every live grant, tender and programme, with a match score on each. No card, no time limit.