Return of Supporters Fund
Funded by the Premier League's Football Stadia Improvement Fund (via the Fans Fund), the Return of Supporters Fund provides grants of up to £6,000 to Pro Club Community Organisations of EFL League One and Two, National League (Step 1) and Women's Super League clubs to help them engage with fans ahead of the 2021/22 season.
Am I eligible?
Who is eligible?
Pro Club Community Organisations (PCCOs) of clubs from:
- EFL League One
- EFL League Two
- The National League (Step 1 only)
- Women's Super League
Who is not eligible?
- Pro Club Community Organisations (PCCOs) in receipt of live Fans Fund small grant scheme awards
- Professional Football Clubs
- Supporters Trust or Group
About the fund
The Return of Supporters Fund will provide grants of up to £6,000 to help Pro Club Community Organisations of EFL League One and Two, National League and Women's Super League clubs to engage fans ahead of the 2021/22 season.
After over a year of COVID-19 restrictions, feelings towards returning to stadia and engaging with the club are mixed amongst supporters. The Return of Supporters Fund aims to support Pro Club Community Organisations to engage with fans, no matter what their position is on returning to watch their team.
- Celebrate - grants will be provided to help PCCOs celebrate the return of fans who are already returning to stadia on matchday
- Transition - grants will be provided to help PCCOs provide opportunities that will support the transition of fans that are ready to return
- Engage - grants will be provided to help PCCOs engage with fans who are unsure about returning to the stadium
- Support - grants will be provided to help PCCOs support those fans who aren't able to attend the stadium on matchday
The investment has been provided by the Premier League's Football Stadia Improvement Fund via the Fans Fund scheme.
Below you'll discover further details about the funding that your club may be able to apply for, what it can be spent on and the application process.
The Premier League Fans Fund is a commitment from the Premier League to fund projects and organisations that improve the relationship between fans and their clubs and enhance the way supporters engage with each other.
What can the grant be used for?
We've broken down what your grant can be used for into four key areas and, if you're successful, your grant should do one or more of the following:
- Develop matchday opportunities for fans and supporters to celebrate their return
- Develop opportunities for non-matchday fan engagement
- Support formal and informal fan & supporter groups with their work
- Improve fan and community engagement
More information on these areas can be found in the FAQs. We've added some common examples of eligible and ineligible costs below.
The Return of Supporters Fund is for use in the 2021/22 season and should be spent in full by 30 June 2022. Successful applicants are expected to start their project as soon as possible and within 3 months of the grant award.
What can the grant be used for?
- Marketing
- Administration
- Facility hire
- Volunteer training
- Equipment hire and purchase*
- External providers for activities and sessions
- Website and social media platform development (i.e. fan-focused website pages on CCO sites)
- Project Coordinator costs up to £1,500 (i.e.15 match day events £20 per hour x 5 hrs. per event)
* Equipment purchase limited to £1,000 per item i.e. staging gazebos and ancillary items
What the grant can't be used for
- Food and beverages
- Hospitality
- Salary costs
- Travel and capital costs