Sport England Small Grants
Funding priority
The small grants programme supports projects that helps people get active, whether this is formal sport or informal activity aiming to help people lead more active lifestyles.
Sport England knows that some people and communities face real barriers to getting active. The funding can support your project to run activities that help overcome these barriers, and not just formal or traditional sports.
Your project will need meet one or more of the following aims of their strategy:
- Getting inactive people to become more active
- Developing lasting sporting habits
- Develop more positive attitudes among young people
Their priority is to fund activities which reach people and families who have not had the opportunities to be active that others have. This might be for several reasons, including low income or where they live, but also levels of confidence.
Deadlines
Rolling
Type of funder
Charitable trust or foundation National lottery
Who can apply
You can apply if you're a:
- not-for-profit voluntary or community club or organisation
- registered charity
- not for profit company or community interest company or social enterprise
You don’t have to be a sports organisation to apply. They’re more interested in your knowledge of and track record in the community that will benefit from the project.
But if you’re a sports club or group, you can still apply for funding. They prioritise applications that can show they will involve people who face barriers to being, and staying, active.
You'll also need to meet their code of practice regarding your group's governance.
Restrictions
They won’t fund:
- Replacement of equipment
- Items which only benefit an individual
- Existing salaries
- The continuation of a project or a project that has taken place before, including those they’ve funded previously
- Activities that the government has a legal obligation to fund. They also cannot fund any previously state-funded activity or replace state funding where it’s due to end
- Projects involving construction or refurbishment of property, putting up temporary buildings or land improvement. Also, they can’t fund fixed items of equipment including goals and nets that cannot be easily moved, as well as fixed equipment which may require planning permission or may impact on any lease. This type of project may be eligible under the Community Asset Fund programme
- Projects that take place or incur costs before the date of the offer letter. This includes any form of deposits and costs associated in submitting the application
- Contingency costs and VAT you can recover
- Projects involving travel to another country
- Sponsorship, endowments or loan repayments
- More than £10,000 to the same organisation in a 12-month period
- Projects covered by other Sport England funded schemes.
Funding Type
- Capital expenditure
- One-off
- Project
- Regular
Grant details
- Grants to fund new activity or a clear expansion on previous projects.
- Funding can be for up to £10,000 for a project. They may make slightly larger awards in exceptional circumstances.
- Projects can last up to three years.
- People taking part must be based in England.
Size of grant
- Small (£1 - £10,000)
Application details
Online application form - read the guidelines on the Sports England website carefully before applying
They aim to tell you their decision within 8 weeks
Contact Details
Address
21 Bloomsbury Street
WC1B 3HF
England
Telephone Number
0345 8508 508