Sport Funding

Team Essex Ambassadors Award’s scheme

Awards have been offered since 2008 to Essex Athletes with recognised potential to compete in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Each year up to 12 elite athletes are given a £6,500 bursary to help them achieve their sporting potential. A condition of the award is for the athlete to contribute time as Ambassadors to encourage young people to continue or get involved in sport and strive to be the best they can. Applications for 2012 awards will be available from the support our stars pages where you can find out more information.

SportsAid-Essex

Aspiring athletes in Essex can also get help to succeed through SportsAid-Essex. SportsAid is a national charity that provides direct financial assistance to athletes with proven ability at a National and Regional level in sport.

Able bodied athletes must be between 12 and 18 years old and there is no age restriction for disabled athletes. The charity also offers funding for 55 sports and is aimed at athletes at GB /National Level or squad members with potential but not in receipt of other funding such as TASS. For more information visit: SportsAid or contact Sally Peck Telephone: 07714 276586

Sport:exl from Sportessex

Sport:exl provides support for developing athletes showing potential in their early stages. The funding is available for young people who are on the start of the talent ladder especially those on the gifted and talented registers in School Sports Partnerships.

Sport:Exl is a foundation established by Sport Essex the County Sports Partnership in Essex. 30 grants are awarded per year, for more information visit sportessex.

University of Essex Bursary Scheme

The University of Essex Sports Bursary Scheme assists talented student athletes to reach their full potential.

The scheme is aimed at athletes currently performing at a National or International level at Junior/Senior level or who show strong evidence of having the potential to achieve these levels of performance. The bursary lasts for a one year period, but athletes can reapply each year. Renewal of the bursary will be based largely on the evidence of continued athletic achievement.

For further information contact Laura Eddie, Sports Development Officer at the University of Essex 01206 873392 or visit the University of Essex Bursary Scheme.

General Sport Funding

For further information about sport related funding opportunities from the Essex County Sports Partnership visit the - sportessex A-Z directory of funding. 

Inspired Facilities

Inspired Facilities is focused on making it easier for local community and volunteer groups to improve and refurbish sports clubs or transform non-sporting venues into modern grassroots sport facilities.  Part of Places People Play, Sport England’s programme to deliver a London 2012 legacy of increased mass participation in sport, it is investing £50 million of National Lottery funding in up to 1000 community sports projects between 2011 and 2014  Read more>>

Protecting Playing Fields

Sport England’s latest round of funding for this great scheme closes on 12th December, so if you’re interested in applying we suggest you go for it quickly! Grants can be provided grants from £20,000 up to a maximum of £50,000 and the funding can be used to purchase of land for new playing fields or bringing disused playing fields back into use, purchase playing field land where there is a known and established threat, such as through the expiry of a lease or a development proposal, make improvements to existing pitches through levelling, drainage, reseeding and realignment and / or do any of the above in order to establish a community club-school link.  Read more>>