Small-sided Facility Improvement
Grants of up to £25,000 to build or improve the condition of small-sided artificial pitches
Eligibility
You don’t have to be a football club to apply to the Football Foundation, however grassroots football must be an integral part of your offer.
You can apply if you're
- A not-for-profit football club or voluntary group
- A Local Authority
- A County FA
- A Professional Club Community Organisation
- An educational establishment providing facilities for the community
- A registered charity
- A not-for-profit company
- A community interest company (CIC) or other social enterprise
- A company limited by guarantee
You can't apply if you're
- An individual or sole trader
- A national governing body
- A commercial/for-profit entity
- A club within the Premier League, Football League, National League System (Step 1 to 6), Women’s Football Pyramid (Tier 1 – 4) or the Welsh Premier League
- Educational establishments providing facilities solely for their students
About the grant
Criteria
We ask that you speak with your Football Foundation Technical Project Manager before proceeding with a grant application.
We’ll require a condition survey or inspection report from an artificial pitch specialist recommending the scope of works to be undertaken.
We’ll require specifications and drawings, clearly detailing the scope of the proposed works. Works should comply with the Foundation’s minimum design requirements, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Planning permission may or may not be required for the works and confirmation of which applies is required from the local planning authority. Further information regarding planning permission can be found here. Planning permission must be in place before your application is submitted.
Grant limits
Are you a Football Club looking for funding?
Please note that only the Chair, Secretary or Treasurer of that Club can submit an application form.
Applications submitted since 1 July 2023 by other members of the Club will be rejected. You’ll be contacted by the Football Foundation team and asked that an authorised person complete a new funding application.
When it comes to the acceptance and claiming stages of your grant, the secondary contact nominated to co-sign the required forms must also fulfil one of the roles of Chair, Secretary or Treasurer of the Football Club.
Document & tenure requirements
Tenure required
We’ll ask you to demonstrate that you have the required ownership, by either freehold, or uninterruptable leasehold from the date of grant offer for a varying period, for a length of time dependent on the grant amount:
- Up to £25,000 – 5 years
- £25,001 up to £100,000 – 10 years
Documents required
To ensure your application is processed you must include the following documents:
- Plans and drawings of the existing configuration and as proposed
- Condition survey or inspection report from an artificial pitch specialist recommending the scope of works to be undertaken
- Specification and schedule of works
- A minimum of two like-for-like quotations from experienced contractors, based upon the design details and specification
- Evidence of partnership funding
- Evidence of security of tenure
- Planning approval notice
- Landlord’s consent to the works
- A copy of a typical weekly programme of use for the facility
Once your application and supporting documents have been submitted, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Your application will be assessed by our Grant Management Team who’ll contact you to discuss your application if they have any queries.
Assessment will typically take around four weeks. You’ll then receive a notification by email that your decision letter (and any associated terms and conditions) is available for download from your Football Foundation account.