Irish FA/ DCMS Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund 2025-26
Overview
Last month the UK Government announced it is to invest a further £100m in the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, including £3m earmarked for facility improvements in Northern Ireland via the Irish FA/DCMS fund.
The new tranche of funding for 2025-26 follows on from a £123 million investment in 2024-25 to support projects across the whole of the UK.
The Irish FA/DCMS Fund aims to enable grassroots football clubs, local authorities, schools and football-focused sports community/charitable organisations in Northern Ireland to improve and refurbish facilities so that grassroots football clubs and communities have a high quality pitch to play on, thereby helping to create a better grassroots football infrastructure foundation.
Funding Level
The minimum award available will be £100,000, with a maximum award of up to £500,000.
Match funding contributions include cash in the bank, a loan or offer of funding from another source. Evidence includes either confirmation of a bank loan, bank statements or Letter of Offer or Letter of Comfort/ Letter of Intent from another funder. See full Guidance Notes for details on match funding requirements.
Funding will be directed towards large capital projects primarily focusing on the installation of quality natural grass pitches, certified artificial grass pitches (AGPs) or Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs). All projects must have a pitch proposal at its core and associated infrastructure will be considered as part of the overall proposal.
Eligible Organisations
Applications are invited from the following organisations:
- Football clubs based in Northern Ireland that are affiliated to the Irish FA and participates in Northern Ireland leagues, including NIFL clubs and their associated entities
- Local Authorities based in Northern Ireland
- Association Football-focused Sports Community Organisations based in Northern Ireland
- Association Football-focused Charitable Organisations, that are registered with the Charities Commission for Northern Ireland.
- Schools/ Colleges/ Universities based in Northern Ireland
Objectives
- Improves the capital infrastructure to support the delivery of grassroots football activities across Northern Ireland;
- Delivers a sustained increase in participation in sport and physical activity across Northern Ireland, improving the mental and physical health of participants;
- Increases the number of multi-sport facilities in Northern Ireland to deliver a sustained increase in participation in non-football sports;
- Reduces the postcode lottery for quality facilities by directing investment to disadvantaged or areas of deprivation and delivers a sustained increase in participation and physical inactivity in these areas;
- Delivers improved access to sport facilities for women and girls to deliver a sustained increase in participation;
- Delivers improved access for under-represented groups to deliver a sustained increase in participation;
- Delivers ‘value for money’ investment in facilities by securing partner match funding.
Successful projects must be completed by 31 March 2026. Failure to complete by 31 March 2026 may result in the withdrawal of any award.