26 October 2020
Sport England Return to Play – Small Grants Programme
Not-for-profit organisations delivering community sport and physical activity in England can apply now for funding to help them adapt to the challenges posed by the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
The £10 million Small Grants Programme is part of the new £16.5 million Return to Play Fund that is supporting local groups, clubs and grassroots organisations impacted by the disruptions caused by the pandemic with a particular focus on tackling inequalities.
Grants of between £300 and £10,000 are available to not-for-profit voluntary groups, sports clubs, community clubs, registered charities, community interest companies, social enterprises, not-for-profit companies and leisure operators, operating a single site in England.
The fund’s priorities are flexible, enabling it to best respond to the frequently changing challenges posed to community sport by the pandemic. These could include having to deliver sport and physical activity in smaller groups, having the correct sanitation and safety equipment, not having enough sports equipment to safely deliver activities and having the appropriate training for club volunteers to ensure the current guidelines are being met.
Grants can support minor amendments to facilities, additional sports equipment, signage, sanitation and training courses to help deliver activities safely.
Priority will be given to:
- Projects located in areas of high deprivation (decile 1-3 of the Indices of Deprivation).
- Organisations working with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, people on lower incomes, disabled people, people with long-term health conditions and people experiencing a greater burden of care because of coronavirus, people on lower incomes, disabled people, people with long-term health conditions and people experiencing a greater burden of care because of coronavirus.
- Organisations that do not have a significant level of reserve funding available to utilise.
Applications are currently being accepted with notification of decisions within three weeks.