Sport England have recently extended the “Return To Play” funding available to sports clubs and facilities across the country.

The Return to Play Fund will support groups, clubs and organisations who’ve been impacted by restrictions brought in to tackle the disease, and is part of their overall response to the crisis that now includes more than £220m of government and National Lottery funding.

During the lockdown period, they have adapted the programme now to further help clubs. These changes include:

• Organisations based in Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 1-5 can now seek support towards ongoing running costs – for example rent, utilities and insurance. This is capped at a maximum of £3,000 and will only be considered with an eligible funding request. They won’t solely support only running costs. Please see more details in the ‘what we can fund’ section.
• Eligible organisations/activities in IMD 6-10 locations can apply to their crowdfunding option, Return to Play: Active Together, to seek support towards running costs.
• Flexibility over start date – they ask that activity resumes within six weeks of national/local lockdown restrictions being lifted,
• They have increased their total budget by £5 million to support more organisations.
• They have now extended the programme and it will remain open up to 30 June.

Existing awardees

If you’re in an organisation already in receipt of Return to Play: Small Grants funding, are located in IMD 1-5 – you can find your location here – and are now eligible for running cost support, please consider the following:

• To repurpose part of your award, they are happy to discuss options to do so for part of your existing award – up to a maximum of £3,000 – to support running costs. You should contact them first before doing so, to agree these changes, by emailing them at smallgrants@sportengland.org quoting your URN in the subject line.
• They can offer flexibility on start and end dates of their offer. They will not expect delivery/activity to commence until national/local lockdown restrictions are lifted but they ask activity is resumed within six weeks of them being lifted. They are happy to discuss this on a case-by-case basis. However, if the above solution works there’s no need to contact them.
• Where there’s an urgent need for additional support, to support eligible running costs, they may consider an award increase in line with their new criteria. They will ask you consider the above solutions first, before contacting them, but should this be needed please contact them to request an award increase. Please email your request to smallgrants@sportengland.org, quoting your URN and organisation name in the subject line.
• For eligible organisations delivering a recognised sport or physical activity, in IMD 6-10 areas and in need of supports towards running costs, please consider applying to their Return to Play: Active Together crowdfunding programme.

If you have any questions, please email us at smallgrants@sportengland.org, or call 03458 508 508.

For more information about the funding scheme, please click here