The ESFA Development Fund is launching for the fourth year and will be once again available for ESFA districts, schools, County Schools’ FAs, County FAs and wider partners.
Funding will be released imminently and will be sent to ESFA contacts across all our channels – if you don’t receive any communications relating to this, then please contact us and we will make sure you are sent the guidance and application form.
What is the ESFA Development Fund?
The fund is available to support new schools’ football activities across England. Each bid for funding needs to demonstrate that;
- New activity is being stimulated
- That the new activity doesn’t duplicate other activity within the area
- That the activity wouldn’t be able to go ahead without development funding
- More children will play football as a direct result of the grant
Here’s what we’ve done over the last three years…
Throughout the lifetime of the Development Fund project, over 178 projects have been completed, totaling over £187,000 worth of investment across the country and creating over 6,000 new teams.
Over 2,500 teams have been specifically for the development of girls’ football, just over 2,000 teams have been for boys’ development, the fund has aided just over 900 mixed football teams and over 450 disability schools’ football teams.
How to apply
Details will be emailed out to all contacts over the coming days, but if you haven’t received correspondence from us and are interested in applying in your area, please visit the development page of our website, where you will find the guidance and forms for you to download and return.
If you are not sure you are eligible to apply, see here for the development fund criteria.
Get in touch
For further information, please don’t hesitate to contact Kieren Laverick, Football Development Officer.
The National Governing Body for Schools’ Football in England.