Sports Wales ‘Be Active Wales Fund’

There are two types of grants available.

1. Protect

To help protect clubs and community organisations or groups that are at immediate financial risk as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Protect grants of £300-£5,000 are available for emergency support for things like:

  • Rent
  • Utility costs
  • Insurances
  • Facility or equipment hire (where there is a fixed cost)
  • Activities or costs that cannot be covered by Government funding sources

2. Progress

To help progress sport and activity to the next step and support long-term sustainability.

This grant is intended to help clubs and community organisations:

  • Tackle inequality.
  • Create long-term solutions to be more sustainable.
  • Take innovative approaches.

The Progress grant can also fund items that are essential for a return to play. 

Grants of £300 - £50,000* are available, and applicants will need to demonstrate how the funding will develop their sport or activity and impact on at least one of these principles.

Applications will be supported if they are able to demonstrate a new approach to the delivery of their sport.

This may include innovation in how they are delivered, in responding to the medium and long-term challenges of Covid-19, or the type of activities that are delivered.

What can be funded?

Applications will need to align to at least one of the three priorities:

  • Addressing inequalities
  • Long-term sustainability
  • Innovation

Things that can be funded include:

  • Making improvements or adaptations to facilities so there are more opportunities for people to play or train.
  • New facilities to enable more sport or activity to take place.
  • Using technology to engage more participants, such as providing online sessions, or using online tools to help with income generation.
  • Coach education at Level 1 where there is a proven need.
  • Upskilling of volunteers where the club has gaps in skills or experience.
  • Equipment that enables more people to take part.
  • Different and innovative ways in which the activity can be delivered.
  • Approaches that target specific underrepresented groups.

What cannot be funded?

Applications requiring the necessary legal consent should come from the freeholder itself, or the leaseholder with the necessary permission.

Things that cannot be funded include:

  • Retrospective funding.
  • Personal items e.g. playing kit, water bottles, footwear, protective equipment.
  • Personal electronic devices (electronic devices will only be considered where there is a clear demonstration of how they would be part of an innovative solution for the club or activity).
  • Applications relating to National Governing Body criteria e.g. stands, dug outs, barriers.
  • Salaried posts.
  • Affiliation fees.
  • Applications from clubs linked to educational establishments.

Only professional fees relating to statutory obligations (planning applications, building regulations, legal fees) will be considered.

Be Active Wales Fund (external link)

Crowdfunder – A place for sport

Crowdfunder is a way of raising money for good causes and ideas, while also helping your club or project to connect with your community. 

What can be funded?

Sport Wales has partnered with Crowdfunder to support community clubs and activities to raise money for facility improvements.

The scheme is for not-for-profit clubs and community groups looking to raise money for ‘off-field’ improvements. For example: 

  • Changing rooms
  • Clubhouse renovations
  • Improved kitchen facilities to gain more income
  • Bike racks and storage
  • Lifts and ramps for better disability access
  • Solar panels
  • Generators
  • Boilers
  • New fencing

How does Crowdfunder work?

Clubs and organisations set up a page on the Crowdfunder website, which asks people to pledge money to the cause or idea.

These ideas would benefit the local community by improving facilities.

Your Crowdfunder project is assessed by Sport Wales, who can decide what level of match-funding you’ll be eligible for based on the information you’ve provided.

If the Crowdfunder page has met certain criteria, Sport Wales will match fund between 30% and 50% of the total, up to a maximum of £15,000 match-funding.

The percentage Sport Wales will match- fund (30% - 50%) is based on a project’s potential to tackle inequalities.

Crowdfunder: A place for sport (external link)