Welsh Premier League

Welsh Premier League clubs are eligible to apply for:

• a maximum of £400,000 over a five year cumulative period
• a maximum grant of 50% of eligible costs.
   

Whilst we will not automatically provide funding for work you need to undertake to meet the requirements of Welsh Premier League domestic licence, the table below indicates the types of project that are eligible under FSIF policy.

For more information on the Welsh Premier League club licencing system or the UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations, please use the following guides:

• FAW Tier 1 Club Licencing Regulations
• UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations
   

We have included safety categories based on the ‘Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds’. Where appropriate, the guide provides detailed guidance to help you assess the safe capacity of a sports ground. The guide can be found at:

• Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds

You are eligible to apply for grant aid to meet the membership conditions of your current league. If you are promoted in to the Welsh Premier League from the Cymru Alliance League or Welsh Football League Division One, you are eligible to apply for grant aid to meet the membership conditions of the new league, but only after your promotion has been confirmed by the league.

We base grants on the league you were in at the time you submitted your application, and our Board retains full discretion regarding what they consider appropriate.

• ¹If you need to provide floodlights to meet the membership conditions of your league, you are eligible to apply for a grant towards installing the floodlights or towards improving the floodlights if this is necessary because your club has been promoted. Replacement of bulbs and other maintenance operations are not eligible for support but the replacement of very old, defective systems would be considered. Second-hand systems might be considered subject to independent structural and electrical reports. Mobile floodlights are not eligible.
• ²Car and coach parking/access roads will only be considered eligible if the works are required to improve access to the ground for disabled spectators, and/or to satisfy statutory requirements imposed by the local planning authority/Highways Authority, and/or to resolve a specific issue relating to health and safety.
• ³Permanent buildings only with planning permission. Players' and directors' exclusive bars are not eligible.
• ⁴Eligible provided there is safe storage provision on site, insurance for theft, user instruction (including health and safety) and demonstrating sufficient, reliable voluntary labour to undertake the work. Maximum £10,000
• ⁵Eligible subject to appropriate justification (e.g. close proximity to a busy road, railway line or causing a nuisance to neighbours).

• Director's areas
• Land/site purchase
• Routine maintenance i.e. decorations, repairs, annual operations such as boiler servicing, pitch decompaction etc.
• Artificial pitches
• Goalposts

To be eligible for funding, your club must be a member of the Welsh Premier League and either own the freehold of the site you want to develop or have a lease with at least ten years or 21 years unexpired as appropriate i.e. 10 years for clubs applying for up to £150,000 and 21 years for clubs applying for £150,000 and over.

Any grant over £100,000 (or less if there is a particular concern) will require a legal restriction or charge placed on the land title. Associated legal fees for setting-up would be included as part of the eligible cost.

The FSIF reserves the right to demand repayment if a grant aided facility is not in use for a minimum period of time. For any grants less than £150,000 this would be for 10 years. Above £150,000 the period would be 21 years on a sliding scale. For example, 100% would be taken back during the first 10 years but reducing to 50% by year 15 and just 10% by year 19. The minimum unexpired lease would need to correspond with the restriction/charge duration. 

All clubs are required to submit accounts for the previous three years and a copy of the club’s most recent bank statement.

A five year income and expenditure forecast should be provided with the application, if:

• the application is for works to develop the club's hospitality facilities or for clubhouse improvement work which would either:
  • provide substantial changes to the operational practise when generating additional revenue
  • the development could have a material effect on liabilities such as utilities, business rates, staff costs, maintenance etc.
• the application is to support the club moving to a new site
• the grant request is over £100,000
• some or all partnership funding is in the form of a loan, whereby the club will be required to demonstrate its ability to meet the repayment terms.

Please note the above is only applicable for funding requests over £20,000.

At the point of application all applicants are required to submit the following documents:

• Governing documents
• Past three years accounts
• Copy of the club’s most recent bank statement
• Evidence of partnership funding