Brand & Communications Partnership

Equipping
founders to
communicate.

Prepared for
Ian Brown, VentureWorks
Prepared by
Nick Hoskin, Creative Director
Date
April 2026
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01 The opportunity

VentureWorks is building the execution layer around capital. The participants you back need to communicate clearly, compellingly, and consistently from day one. That capability is what this work delivers.

02 What this project solves
The problem

Early-stage founders almost always underestimate how much their communication is costing them. Weak decks lose partnership meetings. A missing narrative makes grant applications harder. An inconsistent identity signals immaturity to the people you're trying to raise from.

For VentureWorks itself, the same gap exists at a program level. A first-cohort pilot needs to look and sound like the institution it intends to become, not the start-up it currently is.

What success looks like

VentureWorks launches its pilot with a distinctive identity, a clear 60-second narrative, and a pitch deck that sets the standard for every team in the cohort.

Each participant team leaves the program with a light-touch identity of their own, a 60-second explainer that communicates what they do, and a deck built for real funding conversations. All produced to a consistent standard, at a cost per team that makes the model repeatable across future cohorts.

2
Packages:
Core + Participant
60s
Explainer animation
per team
10
Pitch deck slides
+ PPT template
10%
Quantity discount
at 10+ teams
03 Key strategic considerations
Grant application
Budget lines need to be clean and defensible
This proposal is structured so that VentureWorks can lift per-line numbers straight into the LotteryWest submission. Core package and per-team unit economics are kept separate so the grant budget scales transparently with cohort size.
Two scopes, one reason
VentureWorks is an institution, participants are at day one
The Core package invests more because VentureWorks is being built for ten years of cohorts, institutional partnerships, and public visibility. Participants are pilot-stage teams who need credible, fit-for-purpose communication to win their next conversation. Each scope is calibrated to what the work has to do, short and long term.
Brand from scratch
VentureWorks does not have an existing identity
The Core package includes the creation of the VentureWorks visual identity from a blank page. This is an upside: the identity can be built with the cohort rollout, animation, and deck template all designed as a single coherent system from day one.
Sequence matters
Core package ships before participant work begins
Participants benefit from seeing what good looks like. Delivering the Core package first gives every participant team a working reference for narrative, visual quality, and deck structure before they start their own. It also sets the production rhythm for the team doing cohort delivery.
Mission-aligned
Nick's day rate is reduced for this engagement
Nick's standard day rate is $1,500. For VentureWorks, the rate has been reduced to $1,250. This reflects the mission alignment and the long-horizon nature of the partnership Ian has described. The reduction is applied silently across all line items.
Quality floor
A participant package has to be good, not just cheap
The risk at this unit cost is producing work that feels like a discount. The scope for each participant is deliberately narrow rather than shallow: fewer deliverables, each done properly, rather than a long list done at a surface level.
04 VentureWorks Core package
The Core package establishes VentureWorks as an institution. It delivers the foundational identity, the 60-second narrative that explains what VentureWorks is, and the pitch deck that presents the program to partners and funders. Scope and depth are set against a ten-year horizon, not a single cohort.
Package A · Core
VentureWorks brand, narrative
and pitch deck
Visual identity — two options
Option 1 · Light touch
Foundational identity
A workable identity built for pilot-stage credibility. Designed to scale into something more comprehensive later without rework.
  • Wordmark and primary logo lockup
  • Colour palette, primary and secondary
  • Typography selection, 1 display and 1 text family
  • Usage basics: clear space, minimum sizes, on-image behaviour
  • Single-page brand reference document
Option 2 · Comprehensive
Full brand system
A proper brand system built to carry VentureWorks through multiple cohorts, institutional partnerships, and media exposure.
  • Brand strategy foundation: positioning, personality, tone
  • Wordmark, primary logo, monogram, and lockup variations
  • Full colour system with accessibility-compliant pairings
  • Typographic hierarchy across display, text, and UI use
  • Art direction and photography direction
  • Iconography approach and supporting graphic system
  • Templates: social, letterhead, email signature, document cover
  • Brand guidelines document, approx 20 pages
Other Core deliverables
Deliverable
60s Explainer Animation
Full creative direction and delivery of a 60-second animation that explains what VentureWorks is and how it works.
  • Define the most relevant visual style for the story
  • Script development and narrative shape
  • Storyboard across all key beats
  • Keyframe design and style frames
  • Animation production, sound design, and edit
  • Delivery in web and social formats
Deliverable
10-slide Pitch Deck & PPT Template
A finished 10-slide pitch deck for VentureWorks plus a reusable PowerPoint template for ongoing internal use.
  • Narrative development and story arc
  • Full content creation across all 10 slides
  • Designed slides against the approved identity
  • Reusable PowerPoint template with master slides
  • Type, colour, and layout styles built in
  • Delivery in .pptx editable format

"The Core package is the foundation. It tells every participant, every partner, and every funder what VentureWorks intends to become."

05 Core package · budget breakdown
Scenario A · Core Light
Deliverable What it covers Key notes Amount
Light Touch Visual Identity Wordmark, colour, typography, usage basics, single-page reference document No existing logo. Identity is created from scratch. $5,000
60s Explainer Animation Style definition, script, storyboard, keyframes, animation and edit Full creative direction and production to explain what VentureWorks is and how it works. $20,000
Pitch Deck & PPT Template 10-slide deck with narrative and content, plus reusable PowerPoint template Finished deck for VentureWorks plus a PowerPoint template for ongoing internal use. $7,500
Total $32,500
Scenario B · Core Comprehensive
Deliverable What it covers Key notes Amount
Comprehensive Visual Identity Brand strategy foundation, full logo system, colour, typography, art direction, graphic system, templates, 20pg guidelines Recommended. Built to carry VentureWorks through multiple cohorts and institutional partnerships. $15,000
60s Explainer Animation Style definition, script, storyboard, keyframes, animation and edit Full creative direction and production to explain what VentureWorks is and how it works. $20,000
Pitch Deck & PPT Template 10-slide deck with narrative and content, plus reusable PowerPoint template Finished deck for VentureWorks plus a PowerPoint template for ongoing internal use. $7,500
Total $42,500
All costs exclude GST.
Nick has committed to a reduced day rate of $1,250 on this engagement, against his standard rate of $1,500. This reflects the mission alignment of VentureWorks and the long-horizon nature of the partnership. The reduction is already applied across every line item shown. A 15% management margin is applied to managed freelancer time.
Core Light
$32,500
Foundational identity plus the animation and deck. Gets VentureWorks to a credible pilot launch at the lowest viable cost.
Recommended
Core Comprehensive
$42,500
Full brand system plus animation and deck. The identity is built to carry VentureWorks across ten years of cohorts, not just the pilot.
06 Participant package
The Participant package is a repeatable unit. Each team in the cohort receives a light-touch identity, a 60-second explainer animation, and a designed 10-slide pitch deck built on the VentureWorks template. The cost is held flat at $20,000 per team, with a 10% quantity discount available when 10 or more teams are confirmed in a single cohort.
Package B · Per participant team
Light-touch brand,
animation and deck
Per team
$20,000
Deliverable What it covers Key notes Amount
Light Touch Visual Identity Wordmark, font and type styles, colour palette, 1 brand application example, single-page brand guidelines Enough for the team to present professionally and consistently across a deck, a website, and a pitch meeting. $2,500
60s Explainer Animation Streamlined process: select the most relevant style from the VentureWorks animation library, develop script, develop storyboard, produce keyframes, animate and edit Streamlined production process keeps cost per team viable without compromising output quality. $12,500
10-slide Pitch Deck & PPT Template Content guidance, narrative development, designed 10-slide deck built on the VentureWorks PowerPoint template Content is developed with the team, not written for them. The team leaves owning their own narrative. $5,000
Per team total $20,000
Per-team pricing is fixed for cohorts confirmed in the 2026 program year. Nick reserves the right to review and adjust participant package rates annually from 2027 onwards, in line with production costs and scope refinements informed by earlier cohorts. Any adjustment is confirmed in writing before a cohort is committed.
Cohort pricing
A 10% quantity discount is applied when 10 or more participant teams are confirmed in a single project or year. The discount reflects the real efficiency gain of running a larger cohort through the same creative pipeline.
Cohort of 5 · minimum
$20,000 / team
Standard per-team rate. A cohort of 5 is the smallest cohort viable at this unit cost. Anything smaller requires a re-scope.
Cohort of 10+
$18,000 / team
10% quantity discount. At 10 teams, total is $180,000 rather than $200,000. Discount applied per team from team #1 once the trigger is met.
Discount trigger: the 10% rate applies when 10 or more teams are confirmed and funded within a single project or calendar year, scheduled as one continuous cohort or two sequential cohorts within the year. Applied per team from team #1, not from team #10.
07 The team
Fractional Creative Director
Nick Hoskin
Strategic and creative lead across both packages. Responsible for brand direction, animation direction, pitch deck narrative, and the consistency of participant output across cohorts. Nick has committed to a reduced day rate on this engagement in recognition of the mission.
Freelancer, managed by Nick
Brand Designer
Executes the VentureWorks identity against Nick's brief, then delivers a distinct light-touch identity for each participant team. Works under Nick's creative direction across the whole engagement.
Freelancers, managed by Nick
Animators / Motion Designers
Produce the VentureWorks 60-second animation and each participant team's animation. Multiple specialists engaged depending on story style, cohort volume, and delivery window. Owning the full pipeline from style frame through to final edit under Nick's creative direction.
Freelancer, managed by Nick
Deck & Presentation Designer
Designs the VentureWorks pitch deck and PowerPoint template, then delivers each participant team's deck. Works closely with Nick on narrative structure and with each team on content.
Client, VentureWorks
Program Lead
Nick's primary point of contact across all packages. Responsible for participant team scheduling, content review gates, and approvals. Needs genuine decision-making authority, not a coordinator role.
Client, Participant Team
Participant Founder
One named founder per participant team, available for scripted sessions on content, narrative, and reviews. Availability is the primary driver of per-team timeline.
08 What must be true
01
LotteryWest funding is secured and released on schedule. Everything in this proposal is conditional on the grant being approved and funded. A Letter of Intent can be provided ahead of the application to support VentureWorks' submission.
02
The Core package ships before participant work begins. Sequencing Core delivery ahead of the cohort gives every participant a working reference for what good looks like, and sets the production rhythm for the team delivering cohort work.
03
Participant team count is confirmed at cohort kickoff. The quantity discount is triggered by confirmed, funded teams, not prospective teams. The number is locked once the cohort begins.
04
Content is developed with each founder, not for them. Per-team pricing assumes founders are available and engaged for scripted sessions on narrative, deck content, and animation storyline. Founders who cannot commit this time will slow their own delivery.
05
Revisions are capped. Two rounds of revision per participant deliverable and two rounds per Core deliverable. Further rounds are billed as a change order at the agreed rate. This must sit in the engagement letter.
06
Participant identities are distinct from VentureWorks and from each other. Each team's identity is designed for their own venture, not as a sub-brand of VentureWorks. The scope is light-touch by design, calibrated to what a pilot-stage team needs. Teams wanting a comprehensive brand identity should be referred on to a standalone engagement.
07
Source files are delivered to each participant. Each team owns their identity files, animation source, and deck at the end of the program. VentureWorks retains the right to showcase the work. This needs to be clear in the cohort agreement.
08
Scheduling respects cohort pace. Participant teams are delivered in parallel tracks rather than sequentially. A cohort of 10 is delivered inside a 10-12 week window, not 10-12 months. This must be planned into the cohort calendar.
Key risks identified
High risk
Grant timing slippage
If the LotteryWest submission is delayed or partially funded, the Core and participant packages need to be re-scoped against the actual budget. A decision point on scope is built in for the week funding is confirmed.
High risk
Founder availability
Early-stage founders are overcommitted. Per-team cost assumes founders turn up to scripted sessions on time and make decisions. Missing content gates will bleed time out of the per-team budget quickly.
High risk
Scope creep at team level
Teams will ask for more. The participant package is defined by what it is not, as much as by what it is. The engagement agreement must make clear what sits outside the package and what the change-order rate is for extensions.
Medium risk
Quality variance across the cohort
Delivering 5-10 teams in parallel at a tight unit cost creates a quality-consistency risk. Mitigated by Nick holding creative direction across every team, a shared review gate before any team's work is finalised, and clearly defined scope limits that protect time against drift.
Medium risk
Core package overruns delay cohort one
If the Core package slips, the cohort can't begin. The Core schedule includes a buffer week and a clear go/no-go gate before participant production begins.
Medium risk
Long horizon changes the brief
Over 10 years and multiple cohorts, VentureWorks' positioning will evolve. The Comprehensive identity is the scope that most protects against this. The Light Touch scope may need a refresh by cohort three or four.
09 Payment schedule
Payments are structured across three milestones per package, tied to project progress. Core package and participant cohort are invoiced separately.
Milestone 1
50%
On commencement
of each package
Milestone 2
25%
At mid-point
of each package
Milestone 3
25%
Prior to final
delivery / go-live
Payment terms are 14 days from invoice. All costs exclude GST. Core package and participant cohort are invoiced as separate engagements. For cohorts of 10+ teams, the cohort can be invoiced as two stages at the cohort midpoint if preferred.
10 How we move forward
1.
Letter of Intent signed
Nick provides a non-binding Letter of Intent to sit inside the LotteryWest submission, confirming the scope, rates, and partnership intent described in this proposal.
2.
Funding outcome confirmed
On funding approval, scope is locked against the confirmed grant budget. If partial funding is secured, scenarios in Section 05 provide the framework for re-scoping cleanly.
3.
Engagement letter and Core kickoff
Nick's engagement is formalised with day rate, change-order process, and IP ownership terms. Core package commences, targeting delivery in time for the first cohort launch.
4.
Cohort one participant production
With the Core package delivered, participant production begins in parallel tracks across the cohort. Delivery window of 10-12 weeks for a cohort of 5-10 teams.
For the LotteryWest submission: the cleanest numbers to use are $42,500 Core Comprehensive + $18,000 per team × 10 teams ($180,000) = $222,500 total year one budget. This gives VentureWorks the strongest identity position for the pilot, a full cohort of 10 teams, and the 10% quantity discount already built in.

Let's build this
properly, from day one.

Email
nick@nickhoskin.com
Phone
0473 616 416
Based in
Bangalow, NSW — working Australia-wide