Want to apply to Sportsmatch?

Who can apply

Sportsmatch can fund formally constituted not-for-profit organisations and statutory bodies. This might include sports clubs, voluntary organisations, local authorities, schools, universities or governing bodies of sport.

Your constitution or governing document should contain a clear not-for-profit statement and a charitable dissolution clause. Your governing committee should contain at least three non-related and non-cohabiting members and, if you are a club or association, membership should be open to all sections of the community.

Our priorities

Sportsmatch is a competitive programme and in the previous two years the scheme has received requests for funds which exceed the available budget.

Sportsmatch particularly wants to fund projects which engage groups that are currently underrepresented within sport, for example women and girls, people with disabilities, and black and minority ethnic communities.

The Sportsmatch panel will favour projects which attract new commercial sponsorship.

What can we fund?

If your project meets the following criteria it is potentially fundable by Sportsmatch:

• You can deliver your project in a 12 month period from the date of our offer and spend Sport England's contribution by 31 March 2012. (Funding from Sport England must be claimed by no later than 1 March 2012).
• Your project will be able to demonstrate it has supported delivery of Sport England’s strategic outcomes of growing or sustaining participation in sport.
• Your project is focused only on sports currently recognised by Sport England and delivered to beneficiaries based in England.  Please note, that for sports which Sport England deem higher risk, appropriate affiliation is required to the National Governing Body, e.g. gymnastics, boxing and martial arts. Please call the funding helpline on 08458 508 508 if you are unsure whether your sport fits into this criteria. 
• Your project start date is no sooner than 12 weeks after submission of your complete application and supporting documents.
• Your sponsors are commercial companies, private individuals or charities/charitable trusts providing a minimum of £1,000 (see Eligible Sponsorship for more details).
• Your project is for new activity or you are applying for a second or third year of a three year project previously supported by Sportsmatch (please note if applying for year two funding you can apply for up to a maximum of 50% of the total eligible sponsorship amount and up to 25% of the total eligible sponsorship amount for year three applications).

What don't we fund?

The following are examples of expenditure we will not fund or match against:

• Projects involving building or refurbishing property (including temporary buildings), or land improvement or any projects that require planning permission e.g. fixed floodlights, land drainage, new or improved changing facilities or permanently installed items of equipment.
• The general running costs of an organisation, e.g. existing, repeat or regular events, maintenance or replacement of existing equipment.
• Activities that the state has a legal obligation to provide, e.g. activities within curriculum time.
• Items which mainly benefit an individual, e.g. bursaries, kit or equipment that is not shared (team kit is acceptable for new teams only), match day tickets.
• Endowments, loans or interest payments.
• Used road vehicles.
• Salaries, except for coaching costs or fixed term positions needed to meet a specific project requirement. Staff costs must be clearly additional to existing costs.
• Projects that distribute Sport England funds to other organisations (delegated grant making).
• Costs incurred in submitting the application, e.g. consultancy costs.
• Expenditure committed or projects that take place or start before the date of the offer letter, except for those that have been granted Without Prejudice Permission
• Contingency costs and VAT that you can recover.
• Projects that cannot deliver the entire Sport England funded elements before 31 March 2012.
• Projects that have also been funded by, or require funding from other Sport England programmes.