Sport England have transformed their funding application process to make it easier for sports clubs and other organisations who help people to take part in physical activity apply for money.
Their new Movement Fund, which has been launched, simplifies funding applications and will help those with the greatest need secure investment to support people to live active, healthy, lives.
The fund, which is worth £160 million over the next four years, replaces their existing Small Grants Programme and Active Together fund, and will offer crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to provide physical activity opportunities that can help tackle long-lasting inequalities.
As latest Active Lives figures show, there’s still a 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 Movement Fund aims to help close these gaps and will especially welcome applications that focus on doing so.
The launch coincides with the introduction of their new Movement Hub pilot – which will make it far easier to find existing tools and resources.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the delivery of our strategy,” said Tim Hollingsworth, our chief executive.
“In our implementation plan we committed to simplifying access to our open funding, with a single point of entry for anyone wanting to be a part of the movement – today we make good on that commitment.
“We know that choosing the best fund to apply for can be confusing, which is why we’ve worked hard to create a single application form that allows us to do the hard work and best assess your suitability.
“But while the method of application may have changed, our intention to unashamedly prioritise funding for people and communities who need it most, has not.
“Whether it’s a crowdfunding pledge or a grant, the Movement Fund is here to help our mission to tackle deep-rooted inequalities and unlock the advantages of sport and physical activity for everyone, to become a reality.”
Theirr Movement Fund is aimed at community groups, local clubs and grassroots organisations that are at the heart of delivering physical activity opportunities that boost people’s health and wellbeing.
And with investments of between £300 and £15,000 on offer if your project aligns with our priorities, they can fund a broad range of costs and items.
The fund comes on the back of the commitments made in the 2022-25 implementation plan of our Uniting the Movement strategy.
General eligibility criteria for the Movement Fund include:
- An organisation working with people living in England
- An organisation being not-for-profit
- An organisation not being based on investment in equipment or facilities for football-only projects (these organisations should instead apply to the Football Foundation)
Further criteria apply to the fund and they’ve developed a brand new set of guidance to help people in the application process.
To give an idea of what they’d like to see, alongside the fund’s objectives and priorities, they’ve developed four ambitions of what they’re looking for in an application.
They are:
- encouraging positive experiences of sport and physical activity
- involving the community in planning and delivery
- prioritising environmental sustainability
- a good use of public money.
For more details and to apply see here