Funding Advice & Grants – Resources & Support
Many sporting organisations are finding the current financial climate challenging. We want our members to be strong and resilient social businesses, giving back to the community whilst being financially and organisationally sustainable, so please find below a bank of advice relating to funding and grants accessible to you!
Funding Database
You can search hundreds of grant and loan finance opportunities from local, national and international sources. From small grants to large capital projects we can help you find the funding you need.
https://wsa.wales/funding-database/
Sport Wales Energy Saving Grant
Sport Wales is making new funding available to help sports clubs save money by becoming more energy efficient.
Clubs can apply for an Energy Saving Grant of up to £25,000 which can be used towards the cost of energy-saving measures such as the installation of solar panels or better insulation.
Clubs who are successful with their applications will not only benefit from reduced utility bills so that they can become more financially sustainable, but they’ll also be doing their bit for the environment.
Sporting Heritage Community Grant Fund
Each year Sporting Heritage run a Community Grant fund to help organisations fund activities to celebrate National Sporting Heritage Day. This year they are particularly interested in hearing from community and grassroots sports organisations and groups who can help promote this year’s theme of celebrating community in sport.
Head to the Sporting Heritage website for full details and to submit your application by 12pm on 30th June!
Future Generations Fund
Event Wales Sector Development and Event Wales Sustainability Innovation Funds
To learn more about the Event Wales Sector Development Fund, click here.
Digwyddiadau Cymru Gronfa Datblygu’r Sector: canllawiau ar gyfer gwneud cais.
And to learn more about the Event Wales Sustainability Innovation Fund, click here.
Digwyddiadau Cymru Gronfa Arloesi Cynaliadwyedd: canllawiau ar gyfer gwneud cais.
Magic Little Grants by Local Giving
After successfully distributing £500 grants to 2,650 charitable organisations in 2022, the scheme is set to be even bigger and better than ever before for 2023… you won’t want to miss out!
The application window will be open from 1 March until 31 October.
With a simple 20-minute application process and an outcome within six weeks, the Magic Little Grants fund reduces the work required for grass-roots organisations to access the funding they need to launch or strengthen their services. The following criteria apply:
- Organisations must either be in their first year of operation or have an annual income under £250,000.
- Funding can be used to launch new projects, support existing ones, or cover core costs associated with ongoing work.
- Organisations and the projects for which they apply must be located within England, Scotland, or Wales.
This year Magic Little Grants will be funding more organisations than ever before and will still be spreading this funding out far and wide across the country. Applicants may apply for funding for projects under one of the following themes
- Providing support to improve mental health.
- Enabling participation in physical activity.
- Enabling participation in the arts.
- Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty.
- Supporting marginalised groups and tackling inequality.
- Improving biodiversity and responding to the climate emergency.
- Improving green spaces and increasing access to the outdoors.
Please note that schools are eligible to apply if they are a registered charity. Groups in Northern Ireland are not eligible to apply for this funding. Groups may only apply once in 2023 for a grant.
Visit the Local Giving website to find out more!
Development Bank of Wales – Green business loans
If your business has been trading for two years or more you can apply for a green business loan from £1,000 up to £1.5 million. Discounted fixed interest rates are available to help make the loans more affordable.
To find out more about green business loans or the scheme in general visit developmentbank.wales/green
Or alternatively, if you would like to talk to a member of the Green Business Loan Scheme delivery team then please contact the Development Bank at greenbusiness@developmentbank.wales, or call 0800 587 4140.
The Green Business Loan Scheme is open for application from 15 February 2023 and will run for a three-year period initially.
If you have any concerns that you may not be able to participate in the application process for medical/technical/caring reasons, please contact Business Wales on 03000 6 03000, so that we can discuss how we can help. Rydym yn croesawu galwadau’n Gymraeg / We welcome calls in Welsh.
Visit the Business Wales website for full details.
UK Youth Fund in partnership with Pears Foundation
The cost-of-living crisis is having a profound and devastating effect on young people and the youth organisations they depend on as they struggle to keep up with the rising cost of inflation.
Already youth organisations are having to cut back on delivery or staff costs and in some cases, are closing their doors. This will result in a vital part of the youth ecosystem falling apart, unable to provide critical support to young people and impacting the key stages of young people’s lives.
This new fund is a three-year unrestricted grant programme aimed at mitigating the devastating impact the cost of living crisis is having on the youth sector.
The UK Youth Fund in partnership with Pears Foundation will provide targeted funding to youth organisations delivering high quality youth work to ensure doors stay open, bills get paid and youth workers receive the salaries they deserve. This will help to ensure young people continue to be supported at this most difficult of times by the youth organisations and youth workers on whom they’ve come to depend.
You can find full details and apply for funding on the UK Youth website.
National Lottery Awards for All Wales
National Lottery funding can help you to make a difference in your community. We offer funding from £300 to £10,000 to support what matters to people and communities.
We’re here to support communities with the things that are important to them including:
The impact of rising costs-of-living.
Recovering, rebuilding and growing following the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2023 we can help you celebrate the national events that are important to your community including the Coronation of His Majesty the King, the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, and the 75th Anniversary of Windrush.
- Area: Wales
- Suitable for: Voluntary or community organisations
- Funding size: £300 to £10,000
You can apply for funding to deliver a new or existing activity or to support your organisation to change and adapt to new and future challenges.
In order to support communities, we fund projects and organisations which aim to:
- bring people together and build strong relationships in and across communities
- improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
- help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage.
In addition to meeting one or more of the above funding priorities we are also able to fund projects that:
- support people, communities and organisations that are facing increased demands and challenges as a direct result of the cost-of-living crisis.
The Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust
The Trust supports projects in the Arts, Community, Sport and the Environment.
The Scheme is open to receive Local (£2500) and Regional (£7500) applications until 1/3/2023
The Trust provides financial support to inspiring projects throughout Wales.
The Trust was established through an agreement between The Millennium Stadium plc and the Millennium Commission. The Trust’s income is generated through a levy on every ticket purchased for public events at the Stadium.
The Trust is an independent Charitable Foundation and is administered by a board of voluntary Trustees. Trustees are selected throughout Wales and represent varying worlds of sport, the community, business, youth groups, the arts and the environment.
The Trust is an all Wales organisation and regardless of the public event being held at the Stadium, all funds distributed by the Trust are spent in Wales.
Dickie Bird Foundation
The vision of the Foundation is to assist young people under 16 years of age to participate, to the best of their ability, in the sport of their choice irrespective of their social circumstances, culture or ethnicity and to ensure that, in doing so, they improve their chances both inside and outside sport.
Dickie and the Trustees raise all funds at events supported by volunteers and generous patrons. No money is received from Government or Councils. Therefore, Grants provided by The Foundation are limited to no more than £500 per individual so that we can spread our funds widely to the neediest individuals.
Grants are ONLY payable to disadvantaged children aged under 16 for essential sports equipment and clothing. Travel or coaching are not payable. Payment is for individuals therefore teams/groups should not apply.
For full details and to apply, visit the Dickie Bird Foundation website.
Talent Cymru
Sport Wales no longer administrates a specific Talent Cymru stream of funding. Enquiries should be directed to your Governing Body.
Many National Governing Bodies (NGBs) in Wales receive a National Lottery funded performance award from Sport Wales. As part of this award National Governing Bodies can choose to provide direct support to athletes towards the costs of competition and preparation. The scale and mechanisms for this are a matter for individual NGBs and each NGB that provides direct athlete support will have its own criteria.
Full details can be found on the Sport Wales website.
Community Facilities Programme
The Community Facilities Programme is a capital grant scheme operated by the Welsh Government. Grants are available at two levels; small grants of under £25,000 and larger grants of up to £300,000. Grants can be used to improve community facilities which are useful to, and well used by, people in the community.
The Programme is open to community and voluntary sector organisations, including social enterprises. The focus of the programme is on increasing opportunity, creating prosperity for all and developing resilient communities where people are engaged and empowered. All applicants are expected to be working with partners which can come from the public, private or the third sectors.
The lead applicant must be a community or voluntary sector organisation. For example a community group, a registered charity or a social enterprise. We are keen to encourage partnership working and therefore require applications which include public, private or third sector partners.
As a minimum requirement the main applicant/lead organisation must be able to show that they are an organisation which has:
- A constitution or set of rules, dated and signed as adopted by the Chair, or other senior office holder on behalf of the Board or Trustees;
- A bank account, in its own name, which requires at least two (unrelated) signatories;
- Evidence to show that any profit distribution is minimal i.e. restricted to the return of capital invested with minimal interest. This policy should be detailed in your organisation’s constitution or rules;
- Less than £150,000 in unrestricted reserves. Applicants with more than £150,000 in unrestricted reserves must also provide information on the organisation’s reserves policy. This should include whether any of these funds are being invested in the project and if not, the reason why not.
Applications can be made at any time – to find out more about the programme and its requirements, and to apply for funding, visit the Welsh Government website.
Fund to Tackle Youth Crime
- £5 million to keep youths away from crime through sport
- Charities bid to fund grass-roots activities teaching resilience and discipline
- Part of largest youth justice funding package in a generation – making streets safer
Find further detail on this fund on the Government website!
Cymru Football Foundation
The launch of the Cymru Football Foundation is the start of another exciting chapter in Welsh football. The new charity will support the development of football facilities through investment, assistance and guidance.
The Cymru Football Foundation will deliver the Football Association of Wales’ (FAW) commitment to develop inspirational fit-for-future football facilities that will improve and grow Welsh football on and off the pitch and is preparing to undertake the largest programme of funding in the history of Welsh football.
The priorities of the Cymru Football Foundation will be to support projects that:
- Enable stronger and sustainable community focussed clubs
- Grow opportunities and improve experiences for women and girls
- Support wider community needs and tackle inequalities
To mark the launch of the Cymru Football Foundation, two grant programmes have become active:
Fit-for-Future Equipment Fund
- Funded by the FAW and UK Government (DCMS)
- Small grants up to £30,000 available covering essential equipment from goalposts to pitch maintenance equipment
- Closing date: 30 November
Fit-for-Future Facilities Programme
- Funded by the FAW and UK Government (DCMS)
- Large and small grants up to £300,000 supporting capital projects from grass-pitch improvements to changing room developments
- Closing date: 6 January
For more information on the Cymru Football Foundation and the active grant programmes, visit www.cff.cymru.
LGBT+ Futures: Equity Fund
Consortium and its Community Collaborators, working in partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund, are delighted to announce the launch of the LGBT+ Futures: Equity Fund. This Fund has been enabled thanks to National Lottery players.
And, thanks to additional funding from Comic Relief, we are able to provide grants to user-led LGBT+ organisations based in one of the devolved nations.
£90,000 is available through small grants to grassroots groups and organisations who are run by and for one or more of our 5 communities of focus, whcih are:
- D/deaf, Disabled, Neurodivergent LGBT+ people.
- LGBT+ People of Colour and People from Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnicities.
- LGBTQI+ Women.
- Older LGBT+ people.
- Trans and Non-Binary people.
For full details, visit the Consortium website.
Major Sporting Events 2022-2030 Subsidy Scheme
The scheme supports the hosting of major sporting events in Wales where the funding is deemed to be a subsidy.
The objective of the scheme is to provide support for the successful preparation, marketing and delivery of major and mega sporting events in order to maximise the economic, socio-cultural, environmental and media (global profile) benefits to Wales and to help protect sustainable organisations and jobs in the events sector.
The scheme will be open to domestic and international rights holders for major and mega sporting events, and their partners.
Support under this scheme may be granted between 1 September 2022 and 31 March 2031.
The estimated total expenditure on major sporting events from 1 September 2022 to 31st March 2031 will be in the region of £36 million.
For full details about this scheme, visit the Welsh Government website here.
National Lottery Community Fund
Our priority is to keep money flowing to support communities across Wales. We’re open to all applications that meet our criteria, including support during COVID-19. We are also working closely with WCVA and other funders to ensure we are forming the best support for Welsh communities.
We therefore welcome applications that meet our revised priorities.
- supporting organisations to adapt or diversify to respond to new and future challenges
- supporting communities adversely affected by COVID-19
- supporting communities and organisations to become more resilient to help them to respond better to future crises.
Grants ranging from £300-£10,000, £10,001-£100,000, and from £100,001-£500,000 are available.
We’re here to help. Please contact us if you have an idea by calling 0300 123 0735 or emailing wales@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.
The funding is of course available to all organisations throughout the UK.
Visit the National Lottery Community Fund website for further details and to apply.
Welsh Government – Covid-19 Support
The Welsh Government is continuing to provide support into 2021-22 to help businesses and charities in Wales during the Coronavirus outbreak.
To help locate the varied range of Covid-19 support available to business take a look at the Business Wales COVID-19 Business Support Finder.
Economic Resilience Fund
Applications for the Local Authority Economic Resilience Fund across Wales are now CLOSED.
Business Rates Relief
The Welsh Government will be providing an additional £116m package of non-domestic rates relief for businesses in the sectors most directly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This relief is aimed at businesses and other ratepayers in Wales in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors, including venues like sport and leisure facilities.
The Welsh Government will provide grant funding to all 22 local authorities in Wales to provide the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Rates Relief scheme to eligible businesses for 2022-23. The scheme aims to provide support for eligible occupied properties by offering a discount of 50% on non-domestic rates bills for such properties.
The scheme will apply to all eligible businesses, however the relief will be subject to a cap in the amount each business can claim across Wales. The total amount of relief available is £110,000 across all properties occupied by the same business. All businesses are required to make a declaration that the amount of relief they are seeking across Wales does not exceed this cap, when applying to individual local authorities.
The relief will run from 1 April 2022 until 31 March 2023.
For full details and to find out where to apply, please visit the Welsh Government website here.
Sport Wales Grant Funding
Be Active Wales Fund
The ‘Be Active Wales Fund’ will provide further protection to the Welsh sport sector from the consequences of the Coronavirus. The Be Active Wales Fund will invest £4million in community and grassroots sport to help restart activity. Further details of the fund have just been announced (7th July 2020). The Be Active Wales Fund has two main purposes:
- To protect clubs and community organisations or groups that are at immediate financial risk and need support.
- Grants of £300-£50,000 are available for emergency support.
- Provide financial support to help prepare clubs and community organisations or groups to restart, respond to, or grow participation, in direct response to Covid-19. Grants of £300-£50,000 are available to prepare your club or organisation. You will need to make a 15% contribution for grants over £5,000, which could be from the club’s own funds, or grants from elsewhere.
For further details on the Be Active Wales Fund, including eligibility and how to apply – please click here:
Crowdfunder – A Place for Sport
Sport Wales has partnered with Crowdfunder to support community clubs and activities to raise money for facility improvements.
The scheme is for not-for-profit clubs, voluntary or community-based organisations that deliver or enable sport and/or physical activity in Wales. It is to be used for those looking to raise money for ‘off-field’ improvements. For example:
- Changing rooms
- Clubhouse renovations
- Improved kitchen facilities to gain more income
- Bike racks and storage
- Lifts and ramps for better disability access
- Solar panels
- Generators
- Boilers
- New fencing
As part of the scheme, Crowdfunder will provide support and advice for your fundraising project. In addition, if your Crowdfunder page has reached certain criteria Sport Wales will match fund between 30% and 50% of the total raised, up to a maximum of £15,000 match-funding
The Crowdfunder pilot scheme will run until April 2022. For further information please visit the Sport Wales website
Details of other available grant schemes and assistance are available on the Club Support section of the Sport Wales website.
Social Business Wales Support
Social Business Wales (SBW) is an EU funded project designed to support established social businesses that are looking to expand, diversify or create more jobs. SBW can help with a wide variety of challenges – from visioning to sales strategy. Their team of business advisors offer friendly, one to one advice and are backed up by specialist consultants in areas including HR, law, finance and marketing.
If you are in an early stage of your social business journey, please make use of the resources and information available on the SBW website and then get in touch to see what support is available. Please mention the reference WSA2018 when calling their contact centre.
If your organisation doesn’t meet the SBW criteria for support, don’t worry – our helplines also offer expert advice on commercial development and funding.
WCVA
Volunteering Wales Main Grant Scheme
VOLUNTEERING WALES MAIN GRANT SCHEME – NEXT ROUND OPENING AUTUMN 2022
Volunteering Wales Grants is a scheme funded by the Welsh Government to promote and improve volunteering in Wales. The scheme’s aims are:
- Increase volunteer engagement and satisfaction by removing barriers to volunteering for people of all ages and from all parts of society.
- Support the creation and development of high quality and positive volunteering opportunities in Wales.
- Promote changes in beneficiary organisations to embed volunteering into their working practices and culture eg obtaining the Investing in Volunteers Award.
Funding is available for not-for-profit organisations proposing projects up to two years, for up to £25,000 per annum.
For more information please read the full scheme guidance here
To apply please visit https://map.wcva.cymru
For full details, visit the WCVA website.
£21m for future of Wales’ voluntary sector – 28th Dec 2021
Localgiving
Localgiving is a charity whose mission is to strengthen UK communities by safeguarding the sustainability of the local voluntary sector.
Don’t forget WSA members receive 25% off a 12 month Localgiving membership (pay just £72 instead of £96)
For more information, please contact the WSA office.
For further information on Local Giving please see the video below:
Magic Little Grants
After successfully distributing 2,000 grants to their members last year, making it the biggest ever Magic Little Grants programme, Local Giving have announced that this year’s will be even bigger and better than ever before!
Localgiving will be awarding £500 grants to 2,650 charitable organisations, in partnership with the People’s Postcode Lottery.
This year, Localgiving will be funding more organisations than ever before and will once again spread this funding out far and wide across the country. If your organisation is carrying out a project within the themes detailed on the Localgiving website, make sure to get your application in – the programme is live! The application process is short and simple, taking ten minutes to complete. Each organisation may only apply once in 2022.
Organisations must either be in their first year of operation or have an annual income under £250,000. Funding can be used to launch new projects, support existing ones, or cover core costs associated with ongoing work.
Crowdfund Wales
Since 2016, Localgiving has supported over 400 organisations in Wales to develop their online fundraising skills and raise over £1million in additional funding. Our new programme, Crowdfund Wales, provides organisations with a fantastic opportunity to raise extra funding through crowdfunding. Participants will receive:
- A subsidised Localgiving annual membership
- A crowdfunding mentor and ongoing training
- A £250 grant unlocked when you deliver a successful crowdfunding campaign
Your mentor will support you to deliver a crowdfunding campaign to raise a minimum of £2,000 through online fundraising and provide you with the tools and skills to continue your online fundraising journey.
To benefit from Crowdfund Wales, simply complete your registration via the link below using the promocode WALES150 and you will be sent a short application form to finalise your participation.
Find full information, and contact details to learn more, on the Localgiving website.
The Moondance Foundation
The Moondance Foundation is closed to new applications, but they anticipate reopening applications this Autumn.
Assiting charities and organisations in Wales. The Moondance Foundation Mission Statement:
To prevent or relieve poverty, support the welfare and well-being of women, children, the elderly and the vulnerable in our society, improve health outcomes, raise educational standards and preserve our environment for future generations.
Moondance tries to be as flexible as possible and supports organisations that have a transformational impact in their communities in Wales and beyond.
Click here for further information and how to apply for general funding
Tesco Community Grants
Tesco Community Grants fund thousands of local community projects across the UK, helping to fight holiday hunger, tackle mental health, support young people, host community events and much more.
Find out more about Tesco Community Grants and learn how to apply here.
CVSC – Gwynt y Mor Offshore Windfarm Fund
A long term investment of £19 million, over the lifetime of the wind farm, the Gwynt y Môr (GYM) Offshore Wind Farm is helping coastal communities of Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire to achieve amazing things.
The fund is really flexible so that it can meet the differing needs and ambitions of communities across the coastal area. It focuses on the themes of:
- Building strong and sustainable communities;
- Developing prosperous communities with strong economic growth;
- Reducing poverty and inequality in communities.
The fund is independently administered by Community & Voluntary Support Conwy (CVSC) in co-operation with Denbighshire and Flintshire Councils for Voluntary Services. CVSC employ a full time, locally based fund manager. Decisions on the allocation of funds are made by a grants panel of people who live, work or volunteer in the funds area of benefit.
For more information and to apply for this funding, please visit the CVSC website.
