CLUB FUNDING

1. Introduction

We intend to produce comprehensive guidance on the funders and funding available to clubs in Renfrewshire, to help clubs take the best advantage of it.  We will work with other sports networks throughout Scotland , with the sports network association (SALSC), and with a number of the funding bodies.

2. Sportscotland

For biggish projects, say £40000 to £150000, Sportscotland seem the appropriate port of call for sports clubs.  Sportscotland expect clubs to provide at least 10% of the funding, Sportscotland will provide 50% (in exceptional circumstances 70%) and the remainder must come from secondary funders, from loans, or from the club itself.

Sportscotland would naturally be the lead funder in many projects carried out by sports clubs.  There is a two stage application – the first stage permits some important steps to remain unfinished – approximate costing (within 10% of final cost is usually OK), tenders from contractors, planning permission, etc.  The idea is that stage one should avoid as far as possible expense at that preliminary stage, and that the project should be judged on its merits.  It is likely that a successful stage one application (which implies that the project is well-thought out and worthwhile), will be successful at stage two, unless some unexpected problem arises.

A club with a successful stage one application can use this to provide other funders with some assurance that the project has merit.  We hope that Sportscotland will develop some real life case studies to demonstrate the process, and the pitfalls. 

3. Renfrewshire Council

Renfrewshire Council operates three funding schemes, either directly or through related bodies like the Local Area Committees.  We will ask the Council to provide notes on the operation of these schemes for inclusion here.

We will also ask Renfrewshire Council to provide four related pieces of information:

1. a list of all grants in 2008/09, with their purposes and recipients, so as to provide clubs with an understanding and indication of what may be available, for what, and at what level
2. an analysis of the actual expenditure on sport in 2008/9, so that clubs can get an overall picture
3. the projection for the subsequent three years for expenditure on sport, and the budget for grant and funding to local sports clubs
4. any other issues likely to affect sports clubs in the future e.g. the likely increase in availability, at reduced rent, of buildings suitable for sports clubs.

4. Other Funders

Sportscotland is not the only funder who would take the lead role in a project of reasonable size.  The big lottery is one of several others.  We will identify such funders and explain their funding criteria. 

We will identify other funders who are more likely to take a secondary role, and provide the relevant information about them.

5. Application forms and guidance notes

We will make available, on this website, the application forms and guidance notes of the most popular funders in Renfrewshire, and we will produce some notes on the important and difficult aspects of completing these documents, based on  the experience of the funders.

6. Loans

The bid four banks in Scotland have amalgamated to provide loans to not-for-profit organisations at commercial rates of interest – but without the need for any security (if the project is viable).  We will provide information on this and other lenders.

7. Workshop

When we have accumulated reliable information, we will run a workshop, witth invited funders, for representatives of clubs interested in developing through a funded project.  One outcome of the workshop will be to identify what resources need tobe improved for clubs to take a project through from application to completion.

8. Timescale

All this will happen piecemeal over a substantial period, but we intend to produce comprehensive information of high quality, and to run the first workshop, before 31 March 2010.

9. Conclusion

We intend to identify and help those clubs with projects that have real potential, but where a lack of resources, of whatever kind, is holding back any progress.  We also expect to involve clubs in development projects that might otherwise never have been undertaken.