18 May 2020
Funding to Prepare Football Pitches for Resumption of Games and Training
Football clubs and organisations in England and Wales can apply for grants to get their natural and artificial grass pitches ready for when the Government’s coronavirus/COVID-19 advice allows football to start being played again.
A funding pot of £9.56 million is available for football clubs and organisations in England and Wales to prepare their pitches for when football training and games can resume after the coronavirus/COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and for any work that has been completed since the FA suspended football on 16 March 2020.
The following are eligible for funding:
- Grassroots football clubs (including Step 7).
- FA National League System clubs (from Steps 1 to 6).
- FA Women’s Pyramid clubs (Tier 1 to 5).
- County FAs.
- Professional Club Community Trusts.
- Leisure Trusts (with an annual turnover of less than £500,000).
- Welsh Premier League clubs.
Eligible clubs can apply for the following amounts:
- National League System clubs (Step 1 to 6): grants of up to £1,500 for stadium pitch.
- FA Women’s Pyramid (Tier 1 to 5): grants of up to £1,500 for stadium pitch.
- Welsh Cymru Premier League clubs: grants of up to £1,500 for stadium pitch.
Eligible affiliated grassroots clubs and organisations (including step 7) that maintain:
- One full-size pitch (or equivalent) can apply for grants of up to £1,500.
- Two to three full-size pitches (or equivalent) can apply for grants of up to £2,500.
- Four or more full-size pitches (or equivalent) can apply for grants of up to £5,000.
The grants can be used for covering the costs of aeration, chain harrowing, consumable materials, fertilising, flail mowing, grass cutting, line marking, over seeding, turfing, weed killing, vertical decompaction. For 3G pitches the funding can also be used for deep cleaning, FA pitch testing and maintenance.
The deadline for applications is 9pm on Monday 25 May 2020.