10 UK Sports Funding Grants Clubs and Coaches Can Apply For in 2026
Finding funding for a sports club or coaching business can feel like a job in itself. The good news is that there are still real opportunities out there for clubs, community groups, and coaches across the UK. The harder part is knowing which programmes are actually worth your time, which ones are open now, and which ones fit your project.
This guide pulls together 10 UK sports funding grants clubs and coaches can apply for, using official fund pages where possible. It is written for grassroots clubs, community sports groups, and coaching organisations rather than elite or professional sport.
Important: funding windows and programme rules can change quickly. This article was checked on 27 March 2026, so always click through to the official fund page before you start an application.
1. Sport England Movement Fund
Best for: clubs and community organisations in England that want to start or grow physical activity opportunities.
How much: £300 to £15,000.
Status on 27 March 2026: open with no submission deadline.
Sport England's Movement Fund is one of the most relevant grassroots funding routes for clubs and coaches in England. It can support new sessions, equipment, places to be active, and projects that help people who face barriers to activity.
That makes it especially useful if you run school clubs, community coaching, inclusive activity sessions, or want to test a new programme in an underserved area.
2. National Lottery Awards for All England
Best for: community-led clubs and not-for-profit organisations in England.
How much: £300 to £20,000 for up to two years.
Status on 27 March 2026: ongoing, with guidance to apply at least 16 weeks before you need the money.
National Lottery Awards for All England is not sport-only, but it is highly relevant for grassroots clubs because it supports community projects that bring people together, improve places and spaces, and help people reach their potential.
If your club is doing more than just running sessions, for example supporting confidence, inclusion, local volunteering, or a school-community activity offer, this is one of the most useful funds to keep on your list.
3. People's Postcode Lottery Community Grants Programme through Sported
Best for: sports groups in England, Scotland, and Wales delivering sport for social purpose.
How much: up to £25,000.
Status on 27 March 2026: open right now for organisations in the East of England, North of England, and Scotland from 25 March 2026 at 9am until 1 April 2026 at 12 noon. Other areas have later rounds in 2026.
Sported's People's Postcode Lottery Community Grants Programme is a strong option for clubs using sport to improve wellbeing, reduce inequalities, or strengthen communities.
It is not aimed at clubs that only focus on participation or competition. It is much better suited to groups that can show wider social impact and work with underrepresented communities.
4. Barclays Community Sport Fund
Best for: football, tennis, and cricket groups making sport more accessible to women and girls.
How much: £1,000 access grants, plus coaching qualification support in some streams.
Status on 27 March 2026: access grants opened on 25 March 2026. The female coaches for girls grant opens on 8 July 2026.
The Barclays Community Sport Fund, delivered with Sported, is one of the clearest current opportunities for clubs working in football, tennis, or cricket with women and girls.
If your club is in an area of high deprivation, or working with women and girls facing disability or rural isolation barriers, this is a practical fund to look at straight away.
5. Sport Wales Be Active Wales Fund
Best for: not-for-profit clubs and community groups in Wales.
How much: £300 to £50,000.
Status on 27 March 2026: next funding window opens on 2 April 2026 at 9am.
The Be Active Wales Fund is one of the strongest sport-specific funding routes in Wales. It can support equipment, coaching courses up to level 2, first aid or officiating training, venue hire for new teams, and some pitch improvement work.
If you are a Welsh sports club planning growth in the next school term or season, this is one to prepare for in advance rather than scrambling at the deadline.
6. Sport Wales A Place for Sport
Best for: Welsh clubs that need facilities support and are willing to crowdfund.
How much: Sport Wales can match fund up to 60% of your target, up to £15,000.
Status on 27 March 2026: available all year round.
A Place for Sport is a useful option if your main issue is facilities rather than day-to-day delivery. It works through Crowdfunder and is designed to help clubs improve the wider sporting experience, including off-field or facility-related needs.
That makes it a good fit for clubs looking at practical improvements that would be hard to cover through normal income.
7. National Lottery Awards for All Wales
Best for: community-focused sports clubs and groups in Wales.
How much: £300 to £20,000 for projects lasting up to two years.
Status on 27 March 2026: open to applications.
National Lottery Awards for All Wales funds projects that bring people together, improve places and spaces, support people early, or help organisations and communities facing pressure.
This is often a better fit than purely sport-branded funds if your club's project has a stronger community angle, for example youth engagement, family wellbeing, volunteering, or inclusion.
8. National Lottery Awards for All Scotland
Best for: sports clubs and community groups in Scotland.
How much: £300 to £20,000 for projects up to two years.
Status on 27 March 2026: open to applications.
The Scottish funding page from The National Lottery Community Fund lists National Lottery Awards for All Scotland as open, with grants for projects that bring people together and improve communities.
If your club is based in Scotland and you have a community-facing participation project rather than a pure facilities-only plan, this is one of the most relevant mainstream options.
9. National Lottery Awards for All Northern Ireland
Best for: community clubs and sports groups in Northern Ireland.
How much: £300 to £20,000 for projects lasting up to two years.
Status on 27 March 2026: open to applications.
National Lottery Awards for All Northern Ireland is open for projects that strengthen communities, improve places and spaces, or help people reach their potential.
Like the other Awards for All programmes, it is not restricted to sport, but it can be a strong route for clubs whose impact goes beyond the session itself.
10. Sport NI Olympic Legacy Fund
Best for: sports clubs and community groups in Northern Ireland looking to improve facilities through crowdfunding.
How much: project value from £1,000 to £50,000, with Sport NI contributing 65% in standard cases and up to 75% in areas of high social need.
Status on 27 March 2026: live on the official fund page, though Sport NI notes that caps can apply by sport or area.
The Sport NI Olympic Legacy Fund is designed to improve the quality of offering at club and community sports facilities in Northern Ireland. It is delivered with Crowdfunder and is especially relevant for clubs with a facilities project that would leave a long-term community benefit.
How to decide which grant is worth your time
Not every fund is worth applying for just because it exists. Before you start any application, check three things:
- Region: is it actually for your nation, county, or postcode area?
- Project type: is the fund about facilities, coaching, equipment, inclusion, or general community activity?
- Social purpose: many of the strongest current sports funds are looking for more than participation alone. They want to see inclusion, access, wellbeing, and community impact too.
If your project only just fits, it may not be the best use of your time. The strongest applications usually match the fund's purpose very clearly.
A simple next step for clubs and coaches
If you are applying for funding, it helps to get your offer and admin workflow clear before you write the application. Funders want to understand what you run, who it helps, and how you will manage it.
That is why it can help to use tools like our After-School Club Pricing Calculator or Club Registration Form Builder before you apply. They can help you tighten up what your sessions cost, what information you need to collect, and how your club will actually run in practice.
And if you want the club itself to feel easier to operate once the funding is in place, you can start a 7-day Session Monkey trial.