GrantRadar

Sport England

The Movement Fund

Sport England's Movement Fund gives not-for-profit organisations in England grants or crowdfunding pledges of £300 to £15,000 for projects up to 12 months that get more people active, especially people who are inactive or have had fewer chances to be active. Sport England decides whether to offer a grant or a pledge (it usually pledges half of the project cost if you raise the other half from your community through Crowdfunder). There is no deadline: apply at least 12 weeks before you want to start. The fund invests more than £20 million a year of National Lottery and government money.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£300 – £15,000
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Not-for-profit organisations such as sports clubs, community groups, charities, local authorities, not-for-profit companies, and schools where the project will benefit the wider community
  • The organisation must have a formal governing document (e.g. a constitution or memorandum and articles), at least three committee members, trustees or directors who are not related and do not live together, fairly distributed decision-making and voting rights, and (for companies) no one with significant control on Companies House
  • New organisations can apply but must show the skills and a clear plan to deliver
  • An organisation can receive no more than £15,000 in total from the fund in any 12 months; a second project is possible only if the first is completed with monitoring submitted

What it funds

Projects that get more people active, reduce the number of inactive people and tackle long-standing inequalities, such as:

  • New activity sessions or experiences
  • Improving or creating spaces to be active, or providing equipment
  • Projects combining environmental sustainability with physical activity
  • Building organisations' capacity to help their community be active
  • Responding to emergencies affecting participation

Almost every type of physical activity is supported, including walking, cycling, fitness and sport (high-risk activities need governing-body affiliation; football is funded directly where it supports wider social, community and health outcomes, e.g. walking football).

Eligible costs include coaches and sessional workers, training and development, facility hire, equipment, new or upgraded facilities (small-scale; you must own the site, hold a long-term lease or have landlord consent, start within six months and finish within 12), volunteer expenses, and new project management costs up to 10% of the award.

Existing activities can be funded only if they are at risk, will grow to reach new people, or will be made sustainable.

Priority goes to projects focused on people less likely to be active and on places with more need.

What it will not fund

  • Individuals or sole traders
  • Organisations based outside the UK, and activities for people outside England
  • Companies that can pay profits to directors, shareholders or members, including companies limited by shares
  • Organisations applying on behalf of another organisation
  • Organisations that have already received £15,000 from the Movement Fund in the last 12 months
  • Artistic or performative dance
  • Children's play, or activities focused on children under five
  • Gardening and manual tasks
  • Self-defence
  • ESports and virtual reality games
  • Costs you are already committed to, including existing staff salaries, rent and utilities
  • Hire of your own facilities
  • Costs not for direct delivery, such as feasibility, consultation, evaluation, or unexplained or contingency costs
  • Retrospective costs or projects started before the offer
  • Grants or funding to other organisations
  • Costs for the benefit of an individual, including personal equipment and clothing
  • Costs already funded by someone else
  • Recoverable VAT or cash purchases
  • School projects without wider community access and benefit

How to apply

  1. Check your project meets the fund's aim of getting more people active and that your organisation, activities and costs are eligible (read the 'More about the Movement Fund' pages)
  2. Prepare a detailed project budget and your governing document, financial accounts and bank statement
  3. Start an application on Sport England's online portal; you can save drafts
  4. Complete the four project sections (overview up to 100 words; why, what you want to achieve, and how you will deliver, up to 500 words each), give two unrelated contacts, and upload the documents
  5. Sport England assesses need and motivation, impact on physical activity, and delivery and capability, and decides whether to offer a grant, a crowdfunding pledge or neither
  6. If offered a pledge, run a Crowdfunder campaign (usually six weeks, up to ten) to raise the matching amount; if offered a grant, money arrives within 28 days of accepting and providing bank details
  7. Report on progress and how the money was spent when the project ends

No submission deadline; apply at least 12 weeks before you want to start activity or spend any money.

You can ask the funding helpline (0345 8508 508) for a copy of the form to draft from; unsuccessful applicants get written feedback and can reapply.

Have ready

  • Governing document, such as your constitution
  • Most recent financial accounts
  • Bank statement dated in the last three months confirming account name and details and covering at least 28 days of transactions
  • Detailed project budget breakdown
  • Evidence of governing-body affiliation for high-risk activities

Recently formed organisations provide their last three months' bank statements and a two-year financial forecast instead of accounts; the organisation name on all documents must match its legal name.

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