The Community Sport Activation Fund is a £40 million Lottery revenue fund developed to support grassroots activity at a very local level. The Fund was designed in response to demand and will aim to unlock potential and resources.

The key aims of the Community Sport Activation Fund are to:

• Encourage and support local partnership working to develop new approaches to delivery
• Increase and sustain once a week participation in sport for those aged 14 and above.

The kinds of projects that Sport England expects to fund include:

• Activities reflecting a broad range of Sport England recognised sports (or there variations)
• Informal 'come and try it' opportunities which will lead to regular, sustained participation
• Multi-sport activities which provide people with a range of choices and opportunities
• Family orientated activities with a focus on 14 plus age group
• Local activator roles that focus on directly organising and delivering new opportunities for participation.

Projects could be funded for up to three years (five years in exceptional circumstances) and grants will range from £50,000 - £250,000. At least one third of the overall project costs must come from partner match funding (half of which must be financial).

All projects must fit into at least ONE of these categories:

New projects thatprovide appropriate opportunities to meet existing unmet demand or develop additional demand for sport in a local geographical area. The project will use local activation and leadership to build a sustainable increase in participation; or

Existing projects that can demonstrate that they have previously had a significant impact on participation in a local geographical area and can deliver new and additional opportunities with further investment.

Please note that Sport England will not fund applications that contain the following:

• Facility development (see Sport England's funding website for capital funding opportunities)
• Equipment only (capital) applications, or those with a substantial equipment element to them
• Walking-only applications (although projects which contain walking elements that are funded by other partners will be acceptable – see FAQs for further details)
• The general running costs of your organisation (see FAQs for further details)
• Any shortfall in funding for an existing service or project where another funder has withdrawn funding
• Goods or services purchased before an award is made
• Items that can only benefit an individual
• One off events
• Activities that focus on promoting religious beliefs
• Endowments
• Loan repayments
• Foreign trips

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list.

Key Eligibility Criteria:

• Be submitted by an organisation that is able to receive public funding such as a voluntary or community organisation, sports club or local authority.
• Be working in partnership with at least one other organisation
• Your project has at least the minimum level of confirmed partnership funding
• Have funding confirmed in writing for at least Year 1 of your project
• Funding Rounds

There are five opportunities to apply for this Fund over the next four years. Given the number of opportunities to apply, Sport England encourages you to apply only once your project is ready.

• Round 1 - 7 January 2013 – 4 February 2013.
• Round 2 - 7 May 2013 - 1 July 2013
• Round 3 - November 2013 – January 2014
• Round 4 - May 2014 – June 2014
• Round 5 - April 2015 – June 2015

*It is important to note that in round 1, Sport England will only be investing in a small number of strong, well-developed projects that are able to start to deliver by 1 June 2013.

More Information: Please refer to the Sport England Website, Community Activation Fund Prospectus, Check List and FAQs for further information, guidance and for full eligibility criteria or visit www.sportengland.org/funding/csaf.aspx