UKSPF Sports Club Development Grant Scheme 2025-26 - Grants

The deadline for applications is Friday 15 August 2025.

The Sports Club Development Fund is a one-off revenue grant scheme funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). It aims to support grassroots sports clubs and community groups in Herefordshire to expand inclusive access to physical activity, build volunteer capacity, and improve the health and wellbeing of residents.

The fund

These grants respond to the UKSPF Community and Place investment priority, which aims to:

• Strengthen our social fabric and foster a sense of local pride and belonging
• Build pride in place and increase life chances in our local communities
• Build resilient and safe neighbourhoods

Why this fund matters

Many communities across Herefordshire experience barriers to accessing physical activity. Grassroots sports clubs and volunteer-led organisations play a vital role in connecting people, improving wellbeing and encouraging an active lifestyle.

This fund will help:

• Engage new or inactive participants
• Create more inclusive and welcoming sport opportunities
• Strengthen volunteer skills and club resilience
• Improve health, wellbeing and social connection

The scheme will support community-led projects that:

• Increase inclusive participation in sport and physical activity
• Engage underrepresented or inactive groups, especially in underserved areas
• Improve wellbeing and address wider health inequalities through active lifestyles
• Strengthen local sports clubs and help teams reach their full potential
• Build the skills and capacity of volunteers, coaches and community leaders
• Develop or expand sports opportunities based on clearly identified community need

We aim to fund projects that align with the UK Shared Prosperity Fund investment priority of 'Communities and Place'.

Herefordshire Council core intervention – E11: Investment in capacity building and infrastructure support for local civil society and community groups

Projects funded through this scheme should deliver the following outputs and outcomes:

Expected outputs:

• Number of participants engaged in sports activities
• Number of new sessions or programmes delivered
• Number of coaches/volunteers supported or trained
• Number of sessions for targeted or underrepresented groups

Expected outcomes:

• Increased access to local sport and physical activity
• Improved physical and mental wellbeing
• More inclusive, community-focused sports opportunities
• Stronger and more resilient sports clubs

We are particularly looking for projects that:

• Address access and inclusion in local sport
• Foster a welcoming and supportive environment for all
• Help clubs grow their offer or reach new audiences
• Create opportunities for volunteering and skills development

This is a county-wide grant scheme. Only organisations registered in Herefordshire with legal status can apply, including:

• Voluntary and community organisations
• Constituted groups or clubs
• Registered charities
• Charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs)
• Not-for-profit organisations
• Community interest companies (CICs)
• State and independent schools (as long as your project benefits and involves the community and does not deliver activities that are part of the standard curriculum)
• Town and parish councils
• Community benefit societies
• Community amateur sports clubs
• Religious organisations - as long as the project or activity benefits the wider community and does not include religious content

Applicants who are registered outside Herefordshire can apply, but only where they deliver their main business, programmes and benefits directly in Herefordshire.

• Individuals
• Unconstituted organisations
• Organisations who are registered in the county, but propose to deliver activities and programmes outside Herefordshire

Year 2025/26

• Projects must start no earlier than 31 August 2025.
• Activities must have taken place by 20 February 2026.

This is a revenue-only fund.

You can apply for:
Grants from £500–£5,000 to support projects such as:

• Equipment or kit to increase participation
• Venue hire for sessions or matches
• Coaching and instructor costs
• Volunteer expenses or training (for example safeguarding, first aid)
• Outreach or taster sessions to engage new participants
• Development time to apply for larger grants or form new partnerships

• Capital costs (for example vehicle purchase)
• Profit-making or private individuals
• Political or religious activities
• Contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest
• Legal fees
• Services not delivered in Herefordshire

Please complete the application form and cost breakdown form before midnight on Friday 15 August 2025:

Download and complete the sports club grant application form

Email your completed forms to delegatedgrants@herefordshire.gov.uk

Fraud statement

Herefordshire Council will not accept deliberate manipulation or fraud, and any instances will be actively investigated. Any individual who falsifies their records or dishonestly provides inaccurate information to gain grant money will face prosecution. The council reserves the right to recoup funds and claw back any grants paid in error.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with fraud prevention agencies who will use it to prevent fraud and money-laundering and to verify your identity. If fraud is detected, you could be refused certain services, finance, or employment. Further details of how your information will be used by us and these fraud prevention agencies, and your data protection rights, can be found on the Herefordshire Council website fraud prevention privacy notice.

Once received, we will acknowledge receipt of your grant application.

Overview of the required stages from programme registration to decision making:

1. Application
2. Eligibility check
3. Funding panel assessment
4. Funding panel recommendations
5. Approval and due diligence
6. Applicants receive decision notification

The grant application will be assessed by a project panel who will make recommendations either for the application to be approved or rejected, or the panel may ask for further information before a decision can be made. This will require approval.

Grant applications are assessed on their individual merit by an independent panel against the grant funding eligibility criteria, the impact of the project and that it demonstrates value for money. All applications are subject to funding availability.

Based on your application and any further information you may have been asked to provide, we will advise you of the decision to either:

• Offer a grant; or
• Offer a grant with some specific conditions; or
• Reject the application detailing the reasons why the application was not accepted.

When to start your project

If your application meets the eligibility criteria and you are offered a grant, you will receive an offer letter setting out how much grant has been approved and detailing any specific terms and conditions. If you are happy to accept the grant offer and associated conditions, you will need to return a signed copy within 7 working days.

You should not start your project until you have signed the acceptance of grant and returned it to the Delegated Grants Team.

What happens if my project/budget changes?

• Herefordshire Council won't be able to give you more grant money if your costs increase, but will consider variations within the agreed budget as long as these are approved in advance.
• You need to notify Herefordshire Council in writing as soon as you realise that you may need to make some changes to your project or budget in order to deliver your project.

How do I submit my claim for payment?

The council will make a payment of up to 50% of the total grant sum upfront in order to help you get your project up and running (depending on the scale and scope of your project). The balance will be paid upon the submission of your final report and claims which will need to include invoices/receipts and satisfactory evidence that you have spent the funding in the way you had planned.

All grant funded work must be completed and claims submitted by the deadline date specified in your offer letter. The claim form will be sent to you with your offer letter.

When to submit your final report

You will need to submit your final report within four weeks of project completion, along with your final claim as set out above. The last date for submission of the final report will be Friday 27 February 2026. The report will summarise what your project has achieved and include outputs and outcomes information. If you are successful, your offer letter will set out the information that you need to collect and provide to the council.

If you have any queries on the application process, please email delegatedgrants@herefordshire.gov.uk

Read more about the Herefordshire UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Keeping in touch

We would really like to hear about your projects as they develop and love sharing your good news with the community. If you have a story you would like us to share please contact the Talk Community Engagement team on talkcommunityengagement@herefordshire.gov.uk

We can promote your project on the Talk Community Directory.

If you are offered a grant, you will be sent terms and conditions specific to your project.

Key points to consider are:

• You should not start your project or incur any expenditure until you have signed the acceptance of grant and returned it to the Delegated Grants Team. Any project spend before the date of the grant offer will be ineligible for payment
• You need to keep all paperwork relating to your project, such as all invoices, receipts and bank statements, as they will need to be submitted as evidence with your claims
• Information relating to user feedback and progress towards the outputs of your project should also be kept
• The grant will only be paid on invoices or receipts that have been paid, and are dated after the offer letter has been agreed by all parties
• Other specific conditions of grant will be included within your offer letter
• If your project or budget changes
• We will not be able to give you more grant money if your costs increase, but will consider variations within the agreed budget as long as these are approved in advance

You need to notify the Delegated Grants Team in writing as soon as you realise that you may need to make some changes to your project or budget in order to deliver your project.

All UKSPF grant projects must also meet the following requirements:

Alignment with local strategies

Applications should demonstrate how they align with relevant existing or proposed local strategies, such as the Herefordshire UK Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan, Herefordshire Big Economic Plan, the Herefordshire Cultural Strategy 2019-2029, and Herefordshire's journey to net zero carbon by 2030.

Herefordshire Council is committed to furthering the objectives of sustainable development and expects projects, as far as possible, to take account of all long-term benefits and costs - environmental, social and economic.

All applications should demonstrate how the resulting projects will be run and that they will be financially and environmentally sustainable.

UK subsidy control regime

Applicants must ensure that any project or programme put forward is compliant with the UK subsidy control regime. You are asked to confirm this within the application form.

UKSPF procurement

All projects must comply with UKSPF procurement procedures, this includes three quotes for the purchase of any goods or services between the value of £2,500 and £25,000 and once the value of contract exceeds £25,000 opportunities should be advertised via a formal tendering process. For more details, see UK Shared Prosperity Fund: procurement (8). This will be monitored and checks undertaken before a grant agreement is issued.

Applicants must ensure value for money for all goods and services provided as part of the project.

Branding and publicity

Successful applicants are required to work closely with Herefordshire Council to develop promotional resources and to ensure recognition of funding through the necessary UKSPF branding.

All projects must adhere to the UKSPF branding and publicity guidance.