This new fund, delivered in partnership with Sported, aims to reduce inequalities in sport – with a focus on football, tennis, and cricket. It replaces the Barclays Community Football Fund which closed to applications last year.

The three-year funding programme, running from April 2025 to December 2027, will provide £1.4 million each year.

The funding supports community groups and grassroots sports organisations who are working within the most deprived areas of the UK and are making sport more accessible to women and girls, as well as engaging people from other under-represented groups including people with disabilities, from racially diverse communities and from the LGBTQ+ community.

Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations including community groups, youth groups and traditional sports clubs.

The following funding is available:

  • Grants of £1,000 to help sustain and increase access to football, tennis, and cricket for women and girls (as well as engage people from other underrepresented groups, such as people with disabilities, those from racially diverse communities and those from the LGBTQ+ community). Only one £1,000 grant will be awarded per organisation. The grant can be split across football, tennis or cricket activities.
  • Female Coaches for Girls Grants to support football, tennis, and cricket coaching courses to help increase the number of female coaches delivering sport to girls. Two coaching grants per club to cover the cost of, or a contribution towards, a Level 1 or equivalent introductory qualification and any additional safeguarding and first aid requirements for the chosen sport. This is to upskill up to two female coaches at the club or group.
    • Level 1 coaching grants: Football – £160 grant; Tennis – £200 grant; Cricket – £200 grant

The Fund also offers:

  • Exclusive match tickets, mascot places, and promotional opportunities.
  • Access to advice and support and signposting to training and resource.

Who Can Apply

Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations including community groups, youth groups and traditional sports clubs.

To be eligible, applicants must:

  • Deliver football, cricket, or tennis activities for women and girls – or are applying for funding to start.
  • Operate in an area of high deprivation. The Government Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) are used to establish eligibility and only organisations located in or supporting people from IMD areas 1-3 are eligible to apply.

Disability applications from groups that sit outside of IMD areas 1-3 will be considered as long as they groups offer activities for women and girls.

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

  • Trips abroad.
  • Costs associated with elite football or talent development.
  • Talent development.
  • Schools and other educational institutions. (Charities that support schools may be considered if they are inclusive of young people from the wider community and not just pupils from that school.)
  • School curriculum-based activities.

Eligible Expenditure

The funding is unrestricted and can be used for anything that will support delivery of football, cricket, or tennis activities for women and girls.

Typical examples of costs might include a contribution towards:

  • Venue hire including floodlights and heating.
  • Coaching costs
  • Volunteer expenses
  • Equipment
  • Kit
  • Marketing and communications
  • Training and qualifications
  • Insurances and affiliation.

Ideally the funding should be spent within a six month period.

How To Apply

Applications open on 22 April 2025 and close on 22 June 2025. The fund may close early if heavily over-subscribed.

The Sported team will let groups know the outcome of their application or request additional information by the end of August 2025.

The FAQs, application guidance, and online application form can be found on the Sported website.

Groups who are not a Sported member or existing grantee will need to create an account to start their application.

Please note it is anticipated that the fund will be ‘extremely popular’ and thus applications may close earlier than the deadline. Groups should apply early to avoid disappointment.

Contact Sported for further information.

Documents & links

Barclays Community Sport Fund

Contacts

For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following:

  1. Sported Team
    Sported Foundation
    House of Sport (4th Floor)
    190 Great Dover Street
    London
    SE1 4YB
    Tel: 0203 848 4670
    Email: ba******@*********rg.uk