What makes a good application?
We receive many applications for each Panel, some of which are strong, some of which are marginal, and some of which are not eligible at all. The following advice may help you consider ways to strengthen your application when it goes before the Panel.
Criteria
Firstly, make sure your application complies with all our criteria (see Rules in the download section). Although it seems obvious, we receive applications which don't qualify because applicants didn't read the rules properly before applying.
Good planning
The more thoroughly planned out the project is, the better. Especially if it's a large or complicated project, the more evidence there is that it has been properly planned, the more favourably the Panel will look upon it. The more detail you can provide - the number of people involved, exit routes, etc, the better. Likewise, the more detail you can supply in the budget, showing you have costed out every aspect of the project, the stronger the application will look. If your project is a particularly large or complex one, it would be a good idea to talk to your County Sports Partnership and/or the local representative of the National Governing Body, as they can provide useful advice.
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Development Plan
If your club has an overall development plan for the next few years, it is helpful if you provide this and demonstrate how this project fits into that. It will also be beneficial if you can demonstrate how you intend the project to be sustainable in the long term, after our funding has ended.
Letters of support
If your project involves working with the local community, any letters of support, such as from schools you are going into, or from the Local Authority, will always strengthen your application. Support from your local County Sports Partnership or the local representative of the National Governing Body will also help. In the same way, if your project involves setting up a new team or a new club, evidence that there is a demand for this will help your application.
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Priority Groups
Sportsmatch have a number of priority groups which we are especially interested in targeting, as follows:
Women and girls
Black and Minority Ethnic groups
Disability groups
Applications which relate to these groups are given priority because these groups traditionally receive less funding than other areas.