Value: Grants of between £300 and £15,000 are available.
Application deadline: Ongoing
Grants and other resources are available for community groups, local sports clubs and grassroots organisations across England with ideas of how to tackle inequalities and help get more people active.
Background
Launched in April 2024, the new £160 million, four-year Movement Fund offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most.
The new fund replaces Sport England’s existing Small Grants Programme and Active Together fund.
The Movement Fund aims to help close the ‘significant activity gap’ between people based on where they live, how affluent they are, their sex, ethnic background or whether they have a disability or long-term health condition.
The launch coincides with the introduction of Sport England’s new Movement Hub pilot – which aims to make it easier to find existing tools and resources.
Objectives of Fund
The funding aims to get more people active and increase sports participation across England.
Priority will be given to projects where there is the most need.
There is particular interest in projects providing opportunities for groups facing barriers to activity, such as:
- People living on low incomes.
- Disabled people or those with long-term health conditions.
- Older people.
- People from culturally diverse communities.
- Pregnant women and parents with very young children.
- Girls aged 5-16.
- LGBTQ+ people.
- People who are in foster care.
- People who provide care without pay.
And in projects that address combined hurdles, such as people with long-term health conditions alongside caring responsibilities.
Priority will be given to projects in communities where there is a greater need.
Not-for-profit organisations working with people living in England can apply.
To be eligible, organisations must:
- Be formally constituted with a clear purpose.
- Have at least three non-related trustees or directors who do not live together.
- Ensure decision making and voting rights are equally distributed between their trustees or directors.
- Meet Sport England’s Tier 1 Governance Code requirements (if applying for more than £10,000).
The following are not eligible for funding:
- People living outside of England (costs for activities involving participants living outside England).
- Activities linked to statutory duties (costs for activities that are statutory responsibilities, such as funding activities that schools are already required to deliver, like PE classes).
- Projects for private gain.
- Organisations that will redistribute Sport England grants to others.
- Duplicate funding (costs already covered by another source of funding)
- High-risk sports and activities (the exception might be for recognised sports where the organisation/coaches are affiliated with the relevant national governing body).
- General running or existing staff costs (costs for general running of the organisation or existing staff).
- Recoverable VAT
- Retrospective funding.
- Children under five years old (projects focused solely on children under five are not eligible for funding. However projects may be eligible where children under five are part of a larger project where the majority of beneficiaries are over the age of five).
- Football Foundation projects.
- Artistic dance activities (artistic dance activities where the main purpose is for artistic or performance purposes will not be supported; however, if they may be considered if the focus is on getting people active).
- Projects with distant start dates (projects need to start within six months of the funding award confirmation)
- Project which will not be within 12 months of starting.
Eligible Expenditure
The funding is intended for local not-for-profit groups and organisations whose projects promote physical activity, including active travel, walking, cycling, dance, fitness and sporting activities.
The funding could cover, for example:
- Equipment: support purchasing new or improved equipment that’s required for the delivery of the activity.
- Refurbishing or upgrading facilities: support to improve or create spaces that can provide opportunities to get more people active.
- Developing new capabilities and leadership skills: providing formal training for staff and volunteers to improve their skills and leadership abilities to help improve how the group tackles inequalities and gets more people active.
- Delivery costs: paying for the people and facilities needed to deliver the project, where these are new costs to the project.
- Emergency relief: helping with costs during a crisis, like damage from extreme weather, that could not have been avoided or insured.
Projects and activities need to address Sport England’s four ambitions:
- Encouraging positive experiences of sport and physical activity.
- Involving the community in planning and delivery.
- Prioritising environmental sustainability.
- A good use of public money.
How To Apply
The funding guidance and a short quiz which starts the application process can be found on the Sport England website.
It can take between three and six weeks, longer during busier periods, for Sport England to review and respond to applications.
Contact Sport England for further information:
- Funding Helpline
Sport England
SportPark
3 Oakwood Drive
Loughborough
Leicestershire
LE11 3QF
Tel: 03458 508 508
Email: funding@sportengland.org