SPORT ENGLAND

Apply now for up to £150,000 provided by Sport England as part of their Community Asset Fund

Grants are now available!

Grants are now available for community organisations, sports clubs, statutory bodies, and educational establishments to enhance local community spaces which encourage people to play sport and get active.

The Community Asset Fund is provided and administered by Sport England as part of their continued investment in local infrastructure which gives people the opportunity to get active.

The funding programme aims to support local clubs and community organisations to create quality and financially sustainable sports facilities or spaces that benefit their community for both traditional sports and other more unusual physical activities. Sport England wants to invest in projects that help people keep playing sport and increase the number regularly taking part, as well as projects that look beyond this to how sport and activity can – and does – change lives and becomes a force for social good.

Storm Ciara Emergency Funding

On 11 February 2020, Sport England announced that community, voluntary, and social enterprise can request up to £5,000 of emergency funding to support sports clubs most badly affected by recent Storm Ciara. The grants could typically be used to restore grass pitches., to repair and decontaminate flood or wind-damaged clubhouses, replace damaged electrical systems, or dredge blocked drains. Applications should be made using the Community Asset Fund online application.

There are three levels of funding available:

  • Small Scale Investments – typically ranging between £1,000 and £15,000
  • Medium Scale Investments – typically ranging between £15,000 and £50,000
  • Large Scale Investments – typically ranging between £50,000 to £150,000

Sport England expects to make mainly small and medium scale investments as these can make a significant difference to an organisation and the community it serves.

Match Funding Restrictions

Statutory bodies and educational establishments must provide a minimum of 50% partnership funding.

Sport England is a funder of last resort so the more an applicant is able to contribute to their project, the better; however, the presence of partnership funding or in-kind support is not a prerequisite of investment.

Who Can Apply

Applications will be considered from any organisation with a great idea, including:

Community organisations and clubs that:

  • Own or lease existing local facilities.
  • Offer the community the chance to play sport and be active.
  • Are considering taking over an existing local facility that might not be a traditional space for sport.
  • Have not accessed Sport England funding before but want to create great spaces for people to be active.
  • Respond to the people in their local community.
  • Ensure everyone has the opportunity to choose to take part in sport and physical activity as part of their lives.
  • Are committed to providing a sustainable place to be active in their community for the long term.
  • Have not received a lottery award greater than £10,000 before now.
  • Are eligible to receive public funding

Statutory bodies and educational establishments that:

  • Provide important community sports facilities at a local level. Sport England’s Community Asset Fund is open to applications from all bodies, but an annual budget will be ring-fenced for these organisations. Although Sport England will always look objectively at each project, statutory bodies and education establishments are different to community organisations and so Sport England will reflect that when considering applications.
  • Provide a minimum of pound-for-pound (50%) partnership funding.
  • Demonstrate the strategic need for their project proportionate to the scale of investment requested.
  • Limit requests to a maximum of £150,000 within any 12-month period.

Statutory bodies and education establishments are more likely to need to access higher levels of investment of up to £150,000; however, awards over £100,000 will be the exception rather than the norm.

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

  • Revenue-only projects.
  • Routine maintenance and repairs resulting from wear and tear.
  • Children’s playgrounds and play equipment.
  • Projects intended for private gain.
  • Retrospective funding.
  • Projects Sport England has funded in the past.
  • Football-only projects.
  • Small-scale cricket projects.

To find out more information about the fund:

CLICK HERE

Or, follow the link below to apply:

APPLY