Grants for Sports Clubs UK: Where to Find Funding
Grants for sports clubs in the UK, from Sport England and the Football Foundation to small local funds. Who can apply, what gets funded and what is open now.
Most grant money for community sport comes from four places: Sport England (and the sports councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), governing bodies such as the Football Foundation, company funds, and local trusts. This guide covers the main ones open now, who can apply and what tends to rule clubs out.
Last checked: 9 October 2026. Amounts and dates were checked on each funder's own page.
Sport England's Movement Fund
If you're in England, start here. The Movement Fund offers grants or pledges from £300 to £15,000 for projects that get people active, with a focus on people who face barriers to taking part.
Key points from Sport England's own guidance:
- there is no deadline, but you should apply at least 12 weeks before you want to start or spend any money
- decisions usually take six to eight weeks
- projects can run for up to 12 months
The fund is about getting less active people moving, not about running your existing club better. A bid that opens a new session for people who don't play now will do better than one for new kit for your first team.
Football Foundation grants
The Football Foundation funds grassroots football facilities and equipment in England. Its grants for clubs include:
- Goalposts. Pairs of new or replacement goalposts from approved suppliers. The minimum grant is £400 on a total cost of £533, which means the Foundation pays up to 75% and your club pays the rest.
- Portable floodlights for training areas. You need secure storage on your own site and must show the training area can cope with the extra use.
- Premier League Defibrillator Fund. A defibrillator and outdoor cabinet for eligible football sites that don't already have one people can reach quickly.
Expect to need a formal supplier quote. The goalposts scheme also won't pay for posts you've already bought or ordered.
Company and charity funds open now
Sported Cash4Clubs. Grants of £2,000 for clubs and groups that use sport to help adults, particularly in underserved communities. It's open from 1 October 2026 until 5pm on 1 January 2027. One important rule: your club must work only with adults. Any junior section rules you out. The money is unrestricted, so it can go on venue hire, heating, kit or coaching. Details are on Sported's Cash4Clubs page.
Angus Irvine Playing Fields Fund. The Angus Irvine Playing Fields Fund helps young people in disadvantaged areas take part in sport. Grants are usually £2,500 to £5,000. It's for clubs in Greater Manchester, Oxfordshire, Greater London or the West Midlands, and it opens on 12 October and closes at 1pm on 18 December 2026.
Barclays Community Sport Fund. The Barclays Community Sport Fund, run with Sported, supports football, cricket and tennis for women and girls. Its £1,000 access grant is closed for 2026, but the female coaches grant, which pays for a Level 1 coaching course, is open until 5pm on 4 November 2026.
You can also search all sport grants open now.
Can a club that isn't a charity apply?
Usually, yes. Most sport funders accept not-for-profit clubs, as long as you have:
- a written constitution or set of rules
- a committee, rather than one person in charge
- a bank account in the club's name with at least two signatories
- a safeguarding policy, especially if you work with children or vulnerable adults
Some clubs register as a community amateur sports club (CASC) with HMRC, which brings tax reliefs. It isn't usually required for grants. If your club is still informal, our guide to grants for community groups explains the basics.
What tends to rule clubs out
- Spending before you hear back. Most funders won't pay for anything you've already bought or ordered.
- Elite or professional costs. Grants are for grassroots and community sport.
- No club bank account. Money can't go into a personal account.
- The wrong age group. Cash4Clubs is adults only, while Angus Irvine is aimed at young people.
- Missing the point of the fund. The Movement Fund wants new people active, not more of the same.
Key dates
| Fund | Amount | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Barclays female coaches grant | Cost of a Level 1 course | 5pm, 4 Nov 2026 |
| Angus Irvine Playing Fields Fund | Usually £2,500 to £5,000 | 1pm, 18 Dec 2026 (opens 12 Oct) |
| Sported Cash4Clubs | £2,000 | 5pm, 1 Jan 2027 |
| Sport England Movement Fund | £300 to £15,000 | No deadline; apply 12 weeks ahead |
Questions people ask
What is the easiest sports grant to get? None is guaranteed, but smaller grants with simple forms, like Cash4Clubs, are a sensible first step. Cash4Clubs is still competitive: Sported says that last year it received almost 1,500 applications and could fund 250.
Can we get a grant for kit? Sometimes. Cash4Clubs money is unrestricted and can go on kit. The Football Foundation's goalpost grants won't fund footballs, corner flags or kit.
Do we need match funding? For Football Foundation equipment grants, yes: you pay part of the cost. Many small grants don't ask for it.
Want to see sport grants that fit your club? Create a free GrantMatch account, tell us where you are and who you work with, and we'll show you what's open. Every listing stays free to read.
We check every deadline on the funder's own website before publishing. Funders do change dates, so always confirm on their site before you apply.