Grants are available to enable football clubs and organisations in England to restart or deliver new disability football activities following the period of COVID-19 restrictions.
Fund Information
- Funding body:
- The Football Foundation
- Maximum value:
- £ 1,000
- Application deadline:
- None specified
Background
The Return to Disability Football Fund is provided by the Football Foundation, a partnership charity formed by the Premier League, the Football Association, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Sport England. The charity's aim is 'to transform lives and strengthen communities through the power of football'.
Objectives of Fund
The aim of the Return to Disability Football Fund is to enable football clubs and organisations in England to restart or deliver new disability football activities following the period of COVID-19 restrictions.
Value Notes
The fund has a total value of £300,000.
Grants of up to £1,000 are available.
Who Can Apply
Applications will be accepted from clubs and organisations that had a disability team(s) affiliated to their County FA/The FA in either seasons 19/20 and/or 20/21, including:
- Traditional Grassroots Clubs - Charter Standard/England Accredited Clubs and Non-Charter Standard/England Accredited Clubs.
- Pro Club Community Organisations.
- Colleges.
- Disability Organisations/Charities (eg local MIND offices).
- Disability Sports Organisations (eg Special Olympics).
Funding must be used towards either:
Returning to football
- Restarting football activity across all groups. Priority will be given to applications with a focus on groups that have lapsed due to lockdown and COVID-19 and are at most risk of not returning to pre-COVID activity.
New football activity
- Delivering new football activity that was cancelled due to lockdown and COVID-19.
Restrictions
The following are not eligible for funding:
- Clubs and organisations that did not have disability teams affiliated to the CFA/FA either in seasons 19/20 and/or 20/21.
- Disability Leagues.
- For-profit organisations.
- Professional Clubs.
- County FAs.
- Education establishments (unless it is a college or FE establishment that had a team affiliated to the local CFA).
- Local Authorities.
- Town and Parish Councils.
- Leisure Trusts.
- Projects not clearly related to COVID-19 challenges.
- General costs associated with the day-to-day operations of the club/organisation that would ordinarily be incurred regardless of the impact of COVID-19 disruption.
- Loss of income.
- Capital Facility Projects - eg construction/refurbishment.
- Staffing costs not directly associated with helping activity providers to restart or provide new football activity.
- Retrospective funding.
- Projects not ready to begin within three months of the date of the Grant Offer Letter.
- Costs benefitting an individual (eg membership fees).
- Costs that are not a direct responsibility of the applicant to cover.
- Commission or consultancy fees.
- Decorating.
- Pitch maintenance works.
- Purchase of grounds maintenance machinery.
Eligible Expenditure
Funding is intended to be used for the following projects and activities:
- Changes required to adhere to published Government and FA guidance.
- Additional sports equipment to minimise sharing and safely deliver activities.
- Providing safety and sanitation to keep equipment clean.
- Staffing costs associated with helping activity providers to restart activity or provide new activity.
- Extra facility hire costs to create more space for players and volunteers.
- Coach education courses, eg qualifying coaches for new teams.
- Appropriate training of club volunteers to ensure they meet current guidelines.
- Marketing and communication materials to promote and reinforce safety protocols to members, including accessible formats.
- Any other reasonable cost directly associated with restarting activity or providing new activity.
Location
England
How To Apply
Applications may be made at any time while funding remains available.
All funding decisions will be communicated to applicants as soon as possible and typically within two weeks of applying. It is anticipated that all offers will be made by no later than 6 August 2021.
The application process is available online at the Football Foundation's website. Organisations must first create an account for the Foundation's grants portal and can then access the application guidance notes and the online application form.
Useful documents & links
Useful Links
Addresses and contacts
For further information on how to obtain this grant locally, please contact the following:
- Enquiries
The Football Foundation
10 Eastbourne Terrace
London
W2 6LG
Tel: 0345 345 4555
Email: [email protected]