Funds UK sports clubs can apply to now, each checked on the funder’s own page, with who can apply and how much. Plus what funders ask for, and how to write an application that gets read.
By the Dyno team · Updated 16 October 2026
Every fund below was checked on the funder’s own website on 16 October 2026, and only funds that were open, rolling or running regular rounds that day are listed. Deadlines change, so always read the funder’s page before you apply.
Open to clubs across the UK
Your local community foundation
UK Community Foundations network
Local community foundations run grant programmes for grassroots groups in their area, often including small grants for clubs. Find yours by postcode.
Who can apply
Varies by foundation and fund; most support local not-for-profit groups and clubs.
Grants or crowdfunding pledges for community projects that help people be active, with priority for people who face barriers to taking part.
Who can apply
Not-for-profit organisations such as sports clubs and community groups, with a formal governing document and at least three unrelated committee members.
How much
£300 to £15,000
Where
England
Status
Open, no deadline. Apply at least 12 weeks before your project starts.
Small grants for community projects of up to two years, including sports projects that bring people together.
Who can apply
Constituted groups and clubs, voluntary and community organisations and charities with at least two unrelated committee members. Smaller organisations are prioritised.
Funding towards new 4ft by 2.5ft goalposts bought from the Foundation’s approved suppliers.
Who can apply
Grassroots football clubs and leagues in a central venue league or home and away competition. Clubs at National League System steps 1 to 6 and Women’s Pyramid tiers 1 to 4 are excluded.
Most small funds check the same things before they read the rest of an application. Get these ready once and every application after the first is quicker.
A constitution or other governing document, adopted and signed. Most funders won’t look at a club without one.
A bank account in the club’s name, with at least two unrelated signatories.
A committee of unrelated people. Sport England’s Movement Fund asks for at least three, and National Lottery Awards for All at least two.
Your latest accounts, or a simple income and expenditure statement if the club is new.
A safeguarding policy if you work with children or adults at risk, and an equality policy.
Quotes for anything you want to buy, and evidence the venue owner agrees if it’s building work.
Evidence of need: who isn’t taking part now, why, and how the project changes that. Numbers help, such as a waiting list or a survey.
Read the funder’s priorities and answer them in their own terms. A fund for inactive people won’t pay for a first team’s new kit.
Be specific about outcomes: “40 girls aged 11 to 14 training weekly by next September” beats “more young people playing sport”.
Ask for what the project costs, no more, and show any other money going in, including your own fundraising.
Apply well before you need the money. Sport England asks for at least 12 weeks before activity starts.
Talk to your governing body’s club development officer or, in England, your local Active Partnership; they often know about local funds and will read a draft.
Keep the receipts and report back. Funders talk to each other, and a club that reports well gets funded again.
Beyond the funds above, ask your local council, your governing body’s regional office and local businesses, and check your community foundation, which often runs small local grants that never make a national list.
Questions
What grants are available for sports clubs in the UK?
The main sources are the sports councils (Sport England, sportscotland, Sport Wales and Sport NI), The National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards for All in each nation, governing body funds for particular sports, landfill community funds for facilities near waste sites, company community schemes, and your local community foundation and council.
Can an unregistered sports club get a grant?
Yes. Most small grants for clubs, including Sport England’s Movement Fund and National Lottery Awards for All, are open to constituted not-for-profit clubs that are not charities. Some trusts and foundations fund registered charities only.
What can a sports club grant pay for?
It depends on the fund. Small grants commonly pay for equipment, coaching courses, venue hire for new sessions and projects that reach people who don’t take part now. Facility funds and loans pay for building work, pitches, courts and floodlights.
How do we write a funding application for a sports club?
Get the basics in place first: a constitution, a club bank account, recent accounts and a safeguarding policy. Then show the need, say exactly who will benefit and how, cost the project with quotes, and answer the funder’s own priorities.
These templates and guides are a starting point, not legal or financial advice. Rules differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and between governing bodies, so check the official sources linked on each page and your own governing body before you rely on them.
Dyno