Sport England Sustainable Facilities

Type: Facility
Funding available: £10m
Focus: Facilities
Funding Cycle: December 2010

The Sustainable Facilities Fund invests National Lottery money into innovative projects capable of transforming the places where we play or take part in sport.

But it’s not just about building new facilities or refurbishing old ones.  We need to invest in facility projects that are sustainable in the long-term, not just when they open.

This means we must invest in projects that are able to bring in enough revenue to maintain high standards of facility provision and customer service and a varied programme of sports opportunities and sports development outreach work.

Otherwise, standards may fall leading to a decline in use and levels of satisfaction.

We must invest in projects that also create long lasting partnerships between public, private and commercial organisations. They will develop and promote industry best practice. And they will make an impact on one or more of our strategic outcomes.

International comparisons show the advantages of a shift to a new-generation of indoor and outdoor community hubs that link sport and active recreation with commercial activities allied to wider social policy areas such as health, childcare provision and lifelong learning. They bring together community facilities with revenue streams that put sport at the heart of the community.

You can find out more about sustainable facilities and how they could work by downloading and reading our

 Sustainable Community Facilities Toolkit.

We are determined to lead from the front through a new approach to investment in facilities and look forward to hearing from you and your organisation if your project can help us in this journey.

Applicants will be able to apply from 01 November to 16 December 2010. 

Key features which applications must demonstrate are a robust needs and evidence base which supports the need for the project and the proposed facility mix; strong partnerships which will last beyond the initial development of the project and underpins the long-term sustainability of the facility; multi-sport provision and activity that demonstrates delivery against two or more NGB strategic priorities and capital development completion within a limited timescale. 

Applicants must be able to demonstrate that their project fulfils all of the application criteria set out in the prospectus.  The total fund is £10m per annum.  The application process is competitive and priority will be given to regionally significant projects that can demonstrate a positive impact against one or more of Sport England’s strategic outcomes.

Contact: W: www.sportengland.org
T: 08458 508508
E: info@sportengland.org

How to apply : The Sustainable Facilities Fund will be accepting applications from between 01 November and 16 December 2010. All applications should be submitted online via our dedicated Investment Centre.