Sport Wales’ Be Active Wales Fund will be run differently during 2025-26, with three ‘windows’ during which applications can be made.
Using National Lottery money, the Be Active Wales Fund offers grants between £300 and £50,000 which enable sports clubs and organisations to buy equipment, enhance their facilities and support the development of volunteers and coaches so that they can support more people to become active.
When the Be Active Wales Fund opens for the new financial year on Wednesday 2 April, clubs and organisations will have until Wednesday 4 June to submit their applications. The fund will then pause until the second application window opens between Wednesday 9 July and Wednesday 17 September, while the third and final application window of 2025-26 will open between Wednesday 5 November and Wednesday 14 January.
With millions of pounds awarded via the Be Active Wales Fund every year, Sport Wales is introducing the new application windows to make sure that all applicants are given the highest standards of customer service. The windows will also give Sport Wales more time to consult sport governing bodies and local authorities to ensure that applications are prioritised based on the greatest need.
Owen Hathway, Sport Wales’ Assistant Director for Insight, Policy and Public Affairs, said: “The demand for the Be Active Wales Fund over the last couple of years has been huge. While we obviously welcome this and are delighted to have funded thousands of fantastic projects, we were conscious of the time it was taking us to process applications.
“To help us make more timely decisions, we trialled the introduction of application windows last year. The impact was positive, so we’ll operate the Be Active Wales Fund with three separate application windows during 2025-26.”
It’s important for clubs and community organisations to note that they are still only able to make one successful Be Active Wales Fund application per year. If a club/organisation is awarded funding during any of the three application windows, they won’t be able to apply for more funding until 2026-27.
Owen added: “The three windows reflect the seasonality of sports in this country and the demands on volunteers’ time. We advise clubs to consider at the start of the new financial year when they would be best placed to submit an application that covers their needs.”
In another change, clubs and community organisations must now contribute at least 10% of the total project cost for applications between £300 and £25,000, while a minimum contribution of 20% is needed for applications between £25,001 and £50,000. Funding for some higher value items, such as floodlights, continues to be capped at 50% of the total cost of the project.
The first stage for any club or community group interested in funding is to fill out the community investment expression of interest form. Should your idea be eligible for the Be Active Wales Fund, you will be contacted by Sport Wales’ Investments Team.
When assessing eligible applications, the community impact of a project will be the key point taken into consideration.
Please note that the ‘A Place for Sport’ Fund that Sport Wales operates in conjunction with Crowdfunder will remain open all year round. ‘A Place for Sport’ helps to provide funding for off-field facilities such as improvements to changing rooms, better disability access etc.
Sport Wales will also be offering Energy Saving Grants to support clubs’ plans for energy saving measures which will lead to lower utility bills. Applications for Energy Saving Grants will open at the end of May and further details will be publicised soon.
Sport Wales’ Investment Team are on hand to help anyone seeking funding guidance and advice. You can email the team at BeActive@Sport.Wales or call them on 0300 3003102, Monday to Friday, between 10:00-12:30 and 13:15-16:00.
