help with your application

Before you submit an application, we strongly recommend you fill in an expression of interest form. This will allow us to support you in developing a strong application.

When applying to the Foundation, you must fill in an application form along with a development plan.

Contacting the Foundation

Community Development Manager

If you would like to discuss anything with the Foundation, please contact a Community Programme Manager.

You may also find it useful to contact your County Football Association to discuss your project.

General enquiries

For general enquiries, please contact the Community Team Administrator on 0845 345 4555 ext 4285 or at community@footballfoundation.org.uk.

What we look for

A good application will identify and demonstrate the need for the project. It will clearly state what the objectives are and how they will be achieved. It must demonstrate partnership working and funding contributions from partner organisations. The project should not work in isolation and should demonstrate links to other initiatives where appropriate.

If you would like some tips on how to develop a health and wellbeing community sports project, please read our 'Health and Wellbeing toolkit for applicants'. This toolkit tells you everything you need to know about setting up a community health project, including what the Football Foundation look for in community grant applications for health projects above £10,000. It contains useful advice on how to build local partnerships, which key health partners to work with and how to demonstrate the impact of your project.

The Foundation is keen to ensure the projects it funds are sustainable and they should demonstrate how they will continue, once Foundation funding comes to an end.

Projects should not be unrealistic. They must be manageable and deliverable. A project that lacks detail, community focus and fails to identify how it will be sustained at the end of the Foundation funding would be considered as a poor investment of our funds.

Your project should look to address one of the following community objectives:

•    Contribute to the promotion of respect amongst communities and

           bringing people together through football.

•    Contribute to preventing and reducing offending.

•    Contribute to improving lifelong learning and educational attainment.

•    Contribute to personal development from participation in football and

           sport through to volunteering, training and employment.

•    Contribute to tackling the major causes of reduced life expectancy.

•    Contribute to improving mental health and well-being.

Your applications should also show how it works with at least one of the following target groups:

•    Those residing in the top 20% most deprived areas.

•    Under represented groups within the game.

•    Offenders and young people ‘at risk’ of offending.

•    Educational under-achievers and those not in employment, education or training.

•    Under-skilled Community Sports workforce.

•    Those suffering, or at risk, from serious ill-health.