FA Grant Aid Scheme
Objectives
The Football Association makes grants available to football clubs, and other organisations where football is a major user group, to assist with the development and/or improvement of ground and changing facilities.
Eligibility
Applications will only be considered from clubs who are affiliated to a County Football Association, or from organisations whose membership includes a club affiliated to a County Football Association. Clubs who have previously received a grant will be eligible to apply for further funding provided that at least three years have elapsed since the date of approval of the first application.
Clubs may be eligible to apply for additional funding where there is a formal ground share arrangement with a girls/women's team. In these cases the project must be specific to the development of girls/women's football.
Security of Tenure
Applications will only be considered from clubs/organisations whose County Associations confirm that the club/organisation has been in existence for a minimum period of three years, and have a reasonable security of tenure for the future.
Where the property is leasehold there must be at least seven unexpired years remaining. It is acknowledged that there may be exceptional circumstances, e.g. where a ground is held in a Trust, and in such cases each application will be considered on its merits.
Financial
Grants awarded will not exceed £6,000 and must be matched on a pound for pound basis by funds from another source. The Grant offer will normally be based on the lowest estimate/quotation. Where the applicant is not registered for VAT, these costs can be included in the overall project costs and will be eligible for Grant Aid on a pound for pound basis.
Voluntary labour costs or contributions in kind are not eligible as partnership funding for any project. Grants cannot be awarded against the cost of professional or planning fees.
Grants will not be offered where projects have been commenced.
Loan Scheme
The Football Association will consider applications for loans from clubs in membership with The Football Association, or an affiliated Association, to acquire the freehold of a ground, or to develop and improve existing facilities.
The consideration of applications will also be extended to County Associations which wish to acquire their own freehold/leasehold ground and/or office accommodation.
Loan Details
Maximum Loan
The maximum loan granted shall be £17,500 or two/thirds the freehold value whichever is the lower. In the case of County Associations, the maximum loan will be £40,000.
Security
The security required for a loan must be a first mortgage on the freehold property, a first charge is required on the lease which must have at least 21 unexpired years remaining, or at least four personal guarantors each of whom shall be jointly and severally liable for the total sum advanced.
Interest Rates
The rate of interest charges shall be at the discretion of the Finance Committee of The Football Association, based upon the bank base rate prevailing at the time. The interest shall be payable upon the first and subsequent anniversaries of the loan.
Repayment
The period of repayment shall not exceed 10 years. Loans shall be repaid in equal annual instalments at the same time as the interest becomes due. In certain circumstances loans may be repaid on a monthly basis.
Legal Costs
In addition to their own legal costs, the borrower will also be liable for all legal costs incurred by The Football Association.
Administration Charges
An administration charge of £50 will be made on loans up to and including £5,000, and £100 on loans over £5,000. This payment must accompany the completed application form when it is submitted and is non-refundable.
Any other applications outside the foregoing shall be dealt with by Council or as it may direct.
Multi Use Games Area Scheme Objectives To make grants available to football clubs and other organisations where football is a major use group to assist with the development of all weather floodlit facilities. The scheme will also assist with the provision of indoor facilities. The scheme will also assist with the provision of indoor facilities. To qualify for funding outdoor facilities must be fully fenced, floodlit and made available to other sports and community groups. In exceptional cases assistance may be made available towards the cost of refurbishing all weather facilities. Financial The maximum grant payable will not normally exceed £25,000 and must be matched on a pound for pound basis by funding from other sources. These could include National Lottery, Sports Council Regional Funds, Local Authority and internal funds. Technical Applications can only be considered where the project offers the following minimum specifications: Area size Minimum 36 metres X 18.5 meters Floodlights 12 metres high and minimum 50 lux Fencing 3.75 meters Grants will not be offered in cases where projects have been commenced
Draft Business Plan
All applications to funding agencies should be accompanied by a business plan which includes the following main headings:
Synopsis
Introduction
Project Details
Capital Costs and Funding
Income/Expenditure/Cashflow
Annual Income and Expenditure
Project Programme
Site Plans
Letters of Support
The document should be well presented, preferably typed, and if possible placed in a binder, although this is not essential. The document should also have a header sheet which clearly identifies the organisation submitting the plan, together with a title for the project.
Set out below, you will find a brief description of what information should be included under each of the headings identified above. Remember, this is for guidance only. The better the presentation, and the more information provided, will obviously assist the funding agencies when considering you application, and may prevent the need for these organisations to come back to you for additional information.
1. Synopsis
Under this heading you should attempt to bring together in very brief form the main points associated with your application. One or two sentences will be sufficient. Under this section you could have the following subheadings:
Specific AimWhat is the aim of your organisation?NeedWhat need is there for the project you have in mind?CostWhat is the total cost?FundingHow will this project be funded?SportsHow many sports will benefit from this project?ManagementHow will the project be managed?FeasibilityHave you carried out research with regard to the financial viability of the scheme?FutureWhat future benefits will the project bring to your club and the local community?2. Introduction
This Section will give a history of your organisation. When it was formed, and why. How many members at the present time, compared with say 2 and five years ago. List any achievements, details of league and cup triumphs. Details of any individual who has moved onto greater prominence. Details of other sports groups that may be involved in this project.
Also give details of your village, town or location, details of population etc etc.
Details any assistance you have received from other organisations in preparing the application; local authorities, local sports bodies, national governing bodies.
3. The Project
Under this Section you will go into greater detail of the project for which financial assistance is being sought. You may wish to subdivide this Section into the following:-
Specific AimsWhat do you hope to achieve?Purpose of the BidWhat is the purpose of your application?Achieving your AimsHow will the project be achieved? Do you have the ability to achieve your aims? e.g., Do you have land available for the project?Use of the FacilityWho will use the facility and why?AdvantageWhat are the advantages of your site?ManagementHow will the site be managed?MaintenanceWho will maintain the facility?Community UseWhat time will be set aside for community use?4. Capital Costs and Funding
In this Section you must give details of the costs involved in providing this facility. You should break down the costs of the project into various headings.
You should also demonstrate how the project will be funded. List all the funding agencies to which applications have been submitted.
You should also include in this Section copies of estimates and quotations that you have obtained, together with copies of correspondence with funding agencies.
5. Income/Expenditure/Cashflow
This section should include your estimates of how the project, when completed, will be financed. You should include your estimates of income that will be derived from lettings and your estimate of the expenditure that will be incurred. If, for example, you are thinking of providing an artificial surface, you must calculate the number of hours that it will be available for hire and apply the appropriate fee that you wish to charge.
With regard to expenditure, the main items are likely to be: maintenance, heating and lighting, insurance, marketing, salaries, synthetic carpet replacement, contingency etc. It is unlikely that the expenditure figures will change in line with variances in income levels.
The expense item ‘marketing’ has been included. Please remember that no one will use the facility if they are not aware of its existence. You must sell it to clubs and other sports organisations and to the local community. Do not assume that users will turn up. You must sell it to clubs and other sports organisations and to the local community. Do not assume that users will turn up. You must make the effort.
Also, with regard to the expense item ‘synthetic carpet replacement’, the carpet will have a life span of around 10 years. You must ensure that an account is set up to help defray the cost of replacement carpet when required. You should start this from year one. Do not wait until the replacement is needed before setting aside funds.
The next stage is to prepare a 12-month cash flow statement incorporating the figures that you have already prepared.
One final point on finance is VAT. Please remember to include VAT in your calculations. If you are unsure, then please contact your local VAT office for guidance.
6. Annual Income and Expenditure
The next step will be to prepare an income and expenditure account to cover the first year of operation and then project forward for, say, five years. This will give you a clear idea of the financial viability of the project. It will also highlight which year you may have to review your charges.
The above are based on a typical all-weather floodlit facility. It could well be that your project is for something entirely different. If this is the case then the above examples can still be applied. If, for example, your project is for new dressing rooms, there will still be expenditure in connection with them. There may also be income from hiring out the dressing rooms. Therefore, the same principles can be applied.
7. Site Plans
Under this Section you should include a copy of the planning approval for the project together with any plans and drawings that are available. This could also include a plan of your locality showing where you are based and its proximity to other locations offering similar facilities.
8. Letters of Support
When you are involved in a project which is dependent on users from other clubs and organisations then it may assist your application if you contact these groups and canvass their views on whether they would make use of the facility. Other useful letters of support may come from local MPs, Councillors, County FA etc.
Please remember that the above is for guidance only. The information required can be provided from within your club. Do not go to great expense to create a business plan. Do, however, take time and care to ensure that what information is provided is accurate and relevant to the project in question.
If you require any further help or guidance on this matter, please contact Mike Appleby at the following address:
The Football Association
25 Soho Square
LONDON W1D 4FA
Telephone: 0207 745 4589