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Football Foundation Goalpost Guide

Matthew Harrod

If you’re an organisation which provides sporting facilities for grassroots football, you could be eligible for a Football Foundation grant of thousands of pounds towards new goals for your ground.

 

The Football Foundation is a charity jointly funded by the Premier League, the FA and the government, set up to help communities improve their local football facilities by providing grants for new equipment.

Who it’s for

You can apply for a Football Foundation grant if you fit one of these categories:

  • Not for profit football clubs or voluntary groups
  • Local Authorities
  • County FAs
  • Professional Club Community Organisation
  • An educational establishment providing facilities for the community
  • A registered charity
  • A not-for-profit company
  • A community interest company (CIC) or other social enterprise
  • A company limited by guarantee

 

They’re not for:

  • Individual or sole trader
  • National governing bodies
  • Commercial or for-profit entities
  • A club within the Premier League, Football League, National League (Steps 1-6), Regional Feeder League (Step 7), Women’s Football Pyramid (Tier 1-5) or the Cymru Premier League
  • Educational establishments providing facilities solely for their students.

 

Choosing your goals – what you need to know

The Football Foundation provides grants for the purchase of new or replacement pairs of goalposts for use within community grassroots football.

To be eligible for the grant, the goalposts you buy must meet safety standards BSEN 748:2013+A1:2018 and/or BSEN 16579:2018 (all our goals are fully compliant with the latest safety standards). They must also be installed in accordance with manufacturer requirements.

 

The following sizes are eligible for funding:

  • 11v11 (Both senior size 2.44m x 7.32m and junior size 2.13m x 6.4m)
  • 9v9 (2.13m x 4.88m)
  • Mini Soccer (1.83m x 3.66m)
  • Futsal (3m x 2m)
  • Goalposts for 3G pitch – (If the goalposts are for use on a 3G pitch it should be certified for use and be listed on the FA’s 3G Pitch Register).

 

The following aren’t eligible for funding:

  • Goalposts which have already been ordered or bought.
  • Individual goalposts
  • Replacement parts or nets
  • Replacement of goalposts which have previously been purchased with Football Foundation funding.
  • Other items such as corner flags, football kit, footballs or cones.

 

The grants

The maximum grant you can apply for depends on the size of the goalposts you are purchasing:

  • 11v11 (both senior and junior sizes) – You can apply for a maximum of £1,200 per set (or 75% grant up to the maximum grant value) based on a typical average purchase price of £1,600 including carriage, but excluding VAT
  • 9v9 – You can apply for a maximum of £900 per set (or 75% grant up to the maximum grant value) based on a typical average purchase price of £1,200 including carriage, but excluding VAT
  • Mini Soccer – You can apply for a maximum of £900 per set (or 75% grant up to the maximum grant value) based on a typical average purchase price of £1,200 including carriage, but excluding VAT
  • Futsal – You can apply for a maximum of £600 per set (or 75% grant up to the maximum grant value) based on a typical average purchase price of £800 including carriage, but excluding VAT

 

The application procedure

To apply for your grant you will need to visit the Football Foundation website and fill in your application on there. All they will need from you is a little background information about your organisation and you may also be required to show that they meet the latest safety standards – though as MH Goals is an approved supplier, the Football Foundation already know all our goals meet the requirements.

Once you have submitted your application you’ll get a confirmation email to say your application has been received, and then another email once a decision has been made and the decision letter (and any associated terms and conditions) is available to download from your FF account. This usually arrives within five working days.

Remember, don’t order or purchase goals until your grant has been confirmed. Also, the grant must be used to buy the goals you specified on the application – if you’ve changed your mind then you must get approval to change your goalpost type first before you place the order.

It’s not necessary for you to be a football club to apply to the Football Foundation, however grassroots football must be an integral part of what you offer.

 

The Football Foundation requests applications are made no more than once a season, so make sure you’ve included everything in your submission you think you’ll need. To apply, and to see full details plus terms and conditions, please see their website at www.footballfoundation.org.uk

Any questions? Want some help to find the right goals for your ground? Give us a call for free advice on 01502 711298.

 

Matthew Harrod
Sales Director
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