Sports grants – Everything you need to know
Navigating the world of sports grants can be a bit of a headache. Especially as they tend to change all the time in terms of available funds, deadlines, criteria and application processes. To save you the hard work of finding a grant, we’ve compiled a list of 10 UK sports grants clubs can apply for in 2024 and beyond.
From grants that can help cover the cost of equipment, kit and facilities, to pitch maintenance and much more. Read on for our list of UK sports grants. Full in-depth criteria for each grant can be found by clicking the individual links.
10 sports club grants you can apply for in 2024
The National Lottery Community Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund donates £600 million a year to communities in the UK. Money is raised by those who play The National Lottery.
Eligibility criteria for The National Lottery Community Fund is as follows:
- Does your club bring people together and build strong relationships in and across communities?
- Does your club improve the places and spaces that matter to communities?
- Does your club help more people reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage?
Sports clubs can apply for either an amount of up to £10,000 or sums over £10,000 depending on whether they meet the criteria.
Tesco Community Grants
Every year Tesco opens up their community grants to local charities and community organisations, including sports clubs. Tesco stores across the UK select three local worthwhile community causes every three months for the ‘blue token’ customer vote campaign.
Eligibility criteria for the Tesco Community Grants is as follows:
- Depending on the project, clubs are eligible for funding for sports equipment and kit for youth teams
Sports grants of up to £1,500 are available for local sports clubs and community organisations.
The Poundland Foundation
The Poundland Foundation has recently announced it has reopened the Kit for Kids grants programme. The scheme awards 250 grants to sports clubs/organisations to provide equipment and kit to help children get active.
Eligibility criteria for The Poundland Foundation is as follows:
- Applicants will be considered for any kind of team sport, including football, netball, hockey, and volleyball
Grants of up to £750 are available to local children’s sports clubs or organisations.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Activity Fund
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Activity Fund aims to use sport and physical activity as a way to bring together communities and tackle inequality through clubs and projects.
Eligibility criteria for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Activity Fund is as follows:
- Funds are available for project costs such as facility hire, coaching, and small capital improvements
There is a total pot of £5 million, which is funded by the National Lottery. Grants of between £300 and £10,000 are available for eligible sports clubs.
Barclays Community Football Fund
Barclays Community Football Fund aims to help make football more accessible at a grassroots level. There is a particular focus on including and inspiring girls and young people from lower socio-economic and under-represented groups, including culturally diverse communities, young people with disabilities, and young people from the LGBTQ+ community.
Eligibility criteria for Barclays Community Football Fund is as follows:
- The grant can be used for anything that will support project delivery including venue hire, coaching costs, volunteer expenses, equipment, kit, marketing, training, and insurance
- You must use the funding within six months
- Applications can be made at any time from January 2022 to December 2024
Sports grants of £500 are available.
Cash4Clubs
Since 2008, Cash4Clubs has given over £800,000 to community sports projects. The organisation has a passion for supporting local clubs, and recognises the power that sports can have in communities.
The grant is funded by Flutter Entertainment and is available to grassroots sports clubs.
Eligibility criteria for Cash4Clubs is as follows:
- Funding can be used to improve facilities, purchase upgraded equipment, gain coaching qualifications and invest in the club
- Clubs must provide evidence that they use sport as a mechanism to tackle social issues such as developing life skills, employment opportunities or reducing crime and anti-social behaviour
Grants are awarded up to a maximum of £5,000.
Football Foundation
The Football Foundation provides grants to grassroots football clubs all over the UK. They have a wide range of funding on offer to help improve the quality of local football clubs.
Eligibility criteria for the Football Foundation is as follows:
- Funding is available for new 3G pitches, 3G pitch maintenance equipment, grass pitches, new changing rooms and pavilions, the refurbishment of existing changing rooms and pavilions, improvement of small-sided facilities, and other small grants
Sports grants of up to £25,000 can be awarded.
Foyle Foundation Small Grants Scheme
The Small Grants Scheme aims to support charities registered and operating in the UK, especially those who work at the grassroots and local community level. Grants can be awarded across a wide range of activities and in any field. Specifically, the fund supports local charities that deliver services to the young, vulnerable, elderly, disadvantaged or the general community.
Eligibility criteria for the Foyle Foundation is as follows:
- Grants can be used to cover core costs or essential equipment, or to enable ongoing service provision or delivery of services
Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are available.
County Grants Fund (Cricket)
This is a fairly new funding opportunity for cricket clubs. Periodically throughout the year, they add time-specific grants that you can apply for.
Eligibility criteria for the County Grants Fund is as follows:
- The scheme is open to ECB affiliated Cricket Clubs registered for All-Stars/Dynamos, or directly involved with Women’s and Girls’ Cricket and/or Disability cricket. It is an expectation that any junior programme will include and actively engage with girls
- Open to ECB affiliated Cricket Clubs actively engaged in competitive female-only cricket and/or disability cricket
Clubs can apply for sums between £1,000 and £10,000.
The Swimathon Community Grants Scheme
The foundation works in partnership with Swim England to provide funding for community swimming programmes. The grant helps to provide financial support to swimming programmes across the UK.
Eligibility criteria for The Swimathon Foundation is as follows:
- The fund is open to clubs or individuals who offer and promote swimming in their local community
- The grant is set to return in early 2022 for new applications
- A grant of between £500 and £2,500 can be awarded to organisations who are participating in Swimathons or Open Water Swimathons
Interested in learning more about grassroots funding? Discover other funding options and advice on how to successfully write your bids by reading our article.
