GrantRadar

Football Foundation

Pavilion & Clubhouse Grants (Changing Pavilions & Clubhouses)

Football Foundation capital grants for grassroots football sites in England to refurbish, modernise or build new or replacement changing rooms, toilets and clubhouses. Applications are accepted at any time through the Foundation's online portal, but applicants must speak to their County FA or Foundation Delivery Manager first and supply a substantial technical pack (drawings, specification, two quotes, planning, tenure). The Foundation's pages refer to grants up to £25,000 and over £25,000 up to £100,000 (larger grants need longer tenure and community-engagement evidence), with partnership funding expected.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Amount not specified
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • You do not have to be a football club, but grassroots football must be an integral part of your offer
  • Eligible: not-for-profit football clubs or voluntary groups, local authorities, County FAs, Professional Club Community Organisations, educational establishments providing facilities for the community, registered charities, not-for-profit companies, CICs or other social enterprises, and companies limited by guarantee
  • Not eligible: individuals or sole traders, national governing bodies, commercial/for-profit entities, clubs in the Premier League, Football League, National League System (Steps 1-6), Women's Football Pyramid (Tiers 1-4) or Welsh Premier League, and educational establishments providing facilities solely for their students
  • For a football club, the application must be submitted by the Chair, Secretary or Treasurer (verified at account set-up)
  • You must own the facility freehold or hold an uninterruptible lease from the grant offer date of at least 5 years (grants up to £25,000) or 10 years (grants over £25,000 up to £100,000), and have the landlord's written consent unless you own the site or the landlord is a joint applicant
  • Projects must be in England
  • One application per season unless agreed otherwise, and one site per application

What it funds

Minor and major building works that:

  • Enhance facilities
  • Address health and safety issues
  • Improve the organisation's financial health by reducing operating costs
  • Increase income streams
  • Maintain or increase participation in football

Usually refurbishment, modernisation and creation of new or replacement changing rooms, toilets and clubhouses.

Statutory fees for planning permission and Building Regulations approval, and professional fees for design and management services, are eligible costs.

Routine maintenance items (unblocking drains, minor roof repairs, repainting, replacement floor coverings) are only eligible as part of a larger refurbishment.

Designs should meet the Football Foundation minimum design requirements unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Facilities must be available for community use and grassroots football must be integral to the applicant's offer.

What it will not fund

  • Works to football stadia in the National League System (Steps 1-6), Women's Football Pyramid (Tiers 1-4) or the Welsh Premier League
  • Converting containers, portacabins or other temporary structures into changing rooms, clubrooms, toilets or catering facilities
  • Ongoing running costs of buildings
  • Routine maintenance works (e.g. painting and decorating) as stand-alone projects
  • Temporary structures such as marquees
  • Facilities that are not available for community use
  • Kit and equipment
  • Projects intended for private gain
  • Projects outside England
  • Retrospective funding (works already started or completed)
  • Facility hire

How to apply

  1. Check eligibility on the Pavilion Grant Eligibility page
  2. Speak to your County FA or Football Foundation Delivery Manager before submitting; they (with the Foundation's Technical team) confirm the elements are eligible and what level of detail to submit - the form asks you to confirm you have been in touch
  3. Get planning permission (or written confirmation from the local authority that it is not needed) before applying, and gather the survey, drawings, specification, two quotes, tenure and partnership funding evidence
  4. For a grant over £25,000, gather evidence of how you collaborated with local people to design inclusive facilities (the Community Engagement Toolkit helps)
  5. Create a Football Foundation account (or log in), click 'Apply for Funding' and select 'Changing Pavilions'; complete the form with the documents, price and VAT (if applicable)
  6. The Grant Management Team assesses the application; you normally get an email within four weeks linking to your decision letter and terms and conditions
  7. If successful, deliver the works; on completion provide mechanical and electrical test certificates (and a Building Regulations final certificate where needed) before the final 5% of the grant is released

No more than one application per season unless otherwise agreed with the Foundation, and multiple sites cannot be combined in one application.

Applications are open all year; there is no published deadline.

Have ready

  • Photographs of the existing building or works to be completed
  • Condition survey of the existing building (ideally an independent condition survey or inspection report recommending the works; if none, photographic evidence of need)
  • Plans and drawings of the existing building configuration and as proposed
  • Specification and schedule of works
  • At least two like-for-like quotations from experienced contractors, based on the design and specification
  • Evidence of additional partnership funding
  • Evidence of security of tenure (signed lease or freehold title document)
  • Planning approval notice (or written confirmation from the local authority that planning permission is not required)
  • Landlord's consent to the works
  • Building Regulations approval where required
  • Building and contents insurance

Grants over £25,000 also need evidence of community engagement in the design; mechanical and electrical test certificates are required on completion before the final 5% is paid.

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