Club funding
Most UK sports clubs run on subs and a prayer. The grants below are real, open to community clubs, and small enough that a volunteer committee can win them without hiring a bid writer. Start with the two national funds, then work down to the local money, which is less crowded.
Every fund below was checked against its official page on 5 August 2026. Amounts and rules change; the funder's own page is always the final word.
Sport England
Grants and crowdfunding pledges from £300 to £15,000
Projects that get more people active, with priority for groups who face barriers to taking part. Equipment, coaching, facilities and new sessions all qualify.
This replaced Sport England's old Small Grants Programme, which many club guides still link to. England only.
Official pageThe National Lottery Community Fund
£300 to £20,000
Community projects lasting up to two years. Clubs qualify as community organisations, and projects that bring people together score well.
Rolling applications, no deadline. The strongest fit for clubhouse improvements and inclusive programmes.
Official pageSport England only covers England. The equivalent bodies are sportscotland, Sport Wales and Sport NI, each with their own club funding routes. Check their current programmes directly.
Most national governing bodies run or signpost facility and development funds for affiliated clubs. If your club is affiliated, its governing body funding page is worth a look before any national fund, because the competition is thinner.
District and county councils run small community grant pots, usually a few hundred to a few thousand pounds, often undersubscribed. Search your council name plus community grants. Active Partnerships, the county-level sport bodies, can point you at what is live in your area.
Every application form asks the same four things in different words: who benefits, what changes, what it costs, and how you know your numbers. Clubs fail on the last one, because member data lives in a shoebox of spreadsheets.
A constitution, recent accounts or a treasurer report, and a safeguarding policy. If any of those do not exist yet, fix that before applying. Our free club templates cover the first two.
Funders want participation counts: how many members, how many juniors, how many sessions a week. A club that can pull those numbers in one click looks fundable. That is a side effect of decent membership records, which is what the HQ apps are for.
The two national funds open to most community sports clubs are Sport England's Movement Fund (£300 to £15,000, England) and National Lottery Awards for All (£300 to £20,000). Below those sit governing body funds, council community grants and county-level pots, which are smaller but less competitive.
Usually no. Most funds accept constituted community clubs with a bank account, a committee and a governing document. Some larger funds favour registered charities or community amateur sports clubs, and CASC status helps with several.
Almost every funder asks for a constitution, recent accounts, a safeguarding policy and evidence of who benefits, which means member and participation numbers. Have all four ready before you start any form.