Sport & Physical Activity172+ Funders

Sport & Physical Activity Grants & Funding

There are 172 UK funders offering grants for sport & physical activity charities, with typical awards from £100 to £500,000.

Sport and physical activity grants support charities and community organisations using sport as a tool for positive change. Funding comes from dedicated sports bodies — Sport England, sportscotland, Sport Wales, and Sport Northern Ireland — as well as from trusts, foundations, and corporate funders. Projects range from grassroots participation programmes and facility improvements to elite athlete development and sport-for-development initiatives. Many funders in this space focus on using sport to achieve broader social outcomes: reducing youth crime, improving mental health, building community cohesion, and tackling health inequalities. Women's and girls' participation, disability sport, and engaging inactive populations are current priorities. Capital grants are available for facilities — pitches, courts, equipment, and changing rooms — from several dedicated programmes. The emphasis across the sector is on sustainability, inclusion, and reaching those who face the greatest barriers to participation. Community sports clubs, coaching programmes, and outdoor activity projects all attract strong funding support.

Quick Stats

Total Funders
172
Grant Range
£100 - £500,000
Open to Applications
62%

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Filters use programme details verified from each funder's own published guidance. Funders we haven't verified yet are listed separately below, never hidden.

Sport & Physical Activity Funders

13 of 172 match your filters

Checked against verified programme data for 34 of 172 funders. 138 not yet verified are listed below; 21 that don't fit were excluded.

Active Travel England

Matching programme: Active Travel Community Grants

Active Travel England champions walking, wheeling, and cycling as the preferred everyday travel modes in England, rooted in values of inclusivity, inn...

Grant Range
£15,000 - £100,000

Dan Maskell Tennis Trust

Matching programme: Individual Grants

The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, established in 1997 and named after the legendary 'Voice of Wimbledon' Dan Maskell, is a UK charity dedicated to advanci...

Grant Range
Up to £1,600

England and Wales Cricket Trust

Matching programme: County Grants Fund

The England and Wales Cricket Trust (EWCT), a registered charity (no. 1112540), promotes community participation in cricket as a means of healthy recr...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £50,000

Football Foundation

Matching programme: Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund

The Football Foundation, established in 2000 by the Premier League, The FA, and the UK Government via Sport England, is the UK's largest sports charit...

Grant Range
£300 - £100,000

Invictus Games Foundation

Matching programme: Domestic Grants

The Invictus Games Foundation, established in 2014 by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, harnesses adaptive sport and adventurous challenges to drive p...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £20,000

Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust

Matching programme: Local Grants

The Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust is an independent Welsh grant-maker founded to harness the legacy of the Millennium Stadium for enhancing qual...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Norman Garon Trust

Matching programme: Norman Garon Trust Main Grant Programme

The Norman Garon Trust, established by local benefactor Norman Garon, drives youth development through scouting, sports, and recreation, harnessing in...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £5,000

Norton Foundation

Matching programme: Individual Grants

The Norton Foundation is a UK-based charitable trust dedicated to enhancing the lives of young people under 25, primarily in Birmingham, Solihull, Cov...

Grant Range
Up to £10,000

Sheffield Grammar School Exhibition Foundation

Matching programme: Sheffield Grammar School Exhibition Foundation Grants

Sheffield Grammar School Exhibition Foundation advances educational opportunity for financially needy local city residents through scholarships, bursa...

Grant Range
£50 - £5,000

sportscotland

Matching programme: Club Support Programme

sportscotland, established in 1972 as the Scottish Sports Council by royal charter, serves as Scotland's national agency for sport and an executive no...

Grant Range
Up to £250,000

Sussex Cricket Foundation

Matching programme: ECB County Grants Fund 2025

The Sussex Cricket Foundation, established in 2015 as the charitable arm of Sussex Cricket Limited, harnesses cricket to transform lives and build res...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Team Forces Foundation

Matching programme: Good Causes Fund

Team Forces Foundation, a UK-registered charity established in 2011, delivers social impact to the armed forces community through funding sport, chall...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Woodsmith Foundation Limited

Matching programme: Community Grants

Woodsmith Foundation Limited, established in 2012 as the York Potash Foundation and now funded by Anglo American via a unique 0.5% revenue share from ...

Grant Range
£200 - £10,000
138 funders not yet verified against these filters

We haven't confirmed these funders' programme details yet, so they may or may not fit. Showing the first 10.

Tips for Applying to Sport & Physical Activity Funders

Align your application with Sport England's Uniting the Movement framework, which prioritises connecting communities, positive experiences for children, active environments, and tackling health inequalities through movement. Reference Active Lives Survey data to demonstrate participation levels and inactivity rates in your target community, showing the specific gap your project addresses. Focus your application on engaging inactive populations rather than serving those who already participate in sport — funders in this space are shifting resources toward the people who face the greatest barriers to being active. Describe your behaviour change approach, referencing models such as COM-B or the transtheoretical model to show that your programme is designed around how people actually change habits rather than assuming that providing activities is sufficient. Address safeguarding in sport explicitly, detailing your policies, training, and culture around protecting participants, particularly children and vulnerable adults. Present sustainability plans that show how participation will continue beyond the funded period — through volunteer coaching capacity, club development, or integration with existing community sport infrastructure. Strong applications demonstrate that your project creates lasting behavioural change rather than short-term participation spikes, and show how you will measure physical activity levels alongside broader social outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sport & Physical Activity Grants

What grants are available for sport & physical activity charities in the UK?

There are 172+ UK funders offering grants for sport & physical activity charities. These range from small community grants under £5,000 to large multi-year funding programmes exceeding £100,000. Use Fundermatcher to find the best match for your organisation.

How much funding can sport & physical activity organisations get?

Grant amounts for sport & physical activity charities vary widely depending on the funder and project. Typical grants range from £1,000 to over £100,000. Many funders offer multi-year funding for established organisations with a strong track record.

How do I apply for sport & physical activity grants?

Start by identifying funders whose priorities align with your sport & physical activity work. Fundermatcher matches your charity's profile against 172+ funders to find the best fit. Our AI assistant can then help you draft compelling grant applications.

How to Find the Right Sport & Physical Activity Funders

1

Describe Your Charity

Tell us what your charity does, who you help, and where you work. Takes 30 seconds.

2

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Our AI ranks all 172 sport & physical activity funders by how well they fit your specific work.

3

Write Winning Applications

Our AI assistant helps you draft and refine grant applications tailored to each funder.

Which of These 172 Funders Are Right for You?

Browsing 172 funders manually takes hours. Describe your charity once and get your top matches ranked by compatibility — in seconds.

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