| What is Progress? |
The Be Active Wales Fund is a grant fund to support Welsh sport through the Coronavirus pandemic. There are now three elements of the Be Active Wales Fund. Depending on the circumstances of your club, you should decide which element of the fund you want to apply for. |
| Existing Grants: |
1. The ‘Protect’ element was established to safeguard not-for-profit clubs and organisations and provide immediate financial support.
2. The ‘Prepare’ element supports sports to return to activity, and meet guidelines set out for the return of that sport or activity. |
| New Grant: |
3. The ‘Progress’ element will help take sport and activity to the next step and support with long-term sustainability. |
| What are the criteria of Progress? |
The Progress element of the fund has three main purposes. These are to help the club, organisation or activity:
1. Tackle one or more inequality, such as increasing opportunities for black and minority ethnic participants, people with a disability, women and girls or those in areas of deprivation.
2. Create long-term solutions to be more sustainable.
3. Be more innovative in their approach. Applicants will need to demonstrate how the funding they are requesting will develop their sport or activity and impact on at least one these principles. |
| What do you mean by these principles? |
Addressing inequalities
There are several demographics that are currently underrepresented in sport. We will support applications that have an impact on participation rates and representation for:
• Women and girls
• People with a disability
• People from a Black or Minority Ethnic group or background (BME)
• Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual people
• Transgender people • People living in social economic deprivation / disadvantage
• Those who use the Welsh language
Long-term sustainability
We want to ensure that community sport is set-up to succeed in the future. Applications that support lasting improvements will be prioritised.
Innovation.
Applications will be supported if they are able to demonstrate a new approach to the delivery of their sport. This may include innovation in how they are delivered, in responding to the medium and long-term challenges of Covid-19, or the type of activities that are delivered. |
| Can you give examples of what will be supported? |
This is a new and innovative investment stream and so we cannot share working examples. Whilst we have been clear that applications will need to align to at least one of the three priority areas of ‘addressing inequalities,’ ‘long-term sustainability’ or ‘innovation’, we have made a conscious effort to not be prescriptive. It is important that applicants are not focused on what they can get funding for, but rather what their ultimate needs are.
The panel making decision on funding will be looking for information on the unique circumstances of the club, organisation or activity and how they relate to one or more of the key fund criteria. You should provide as much detail as possible.
As a GUIDE ONLY, some applications are likely to focus on:
• Making improvements or adaptation to facilities so there are more opportunities for people to play or train. • New facilities to enable more sport or activity to take place.
• Using technology to engage more participants, such as providing online sessions, or using online tools to help with income generation.
• Coach education at Level 1 where there is a proven need.
• Upskilling of volunteers where the club has gaps in skills or experience.
• Equipment that enables more people to take part.
• Different and innovative ways in which the activity can be delivered.
• Approaches that target specific underrepresented groups.
*We would require a minimum of three quotations to be submitted for any individual item costing more than £250 |
| Are there any things you won’t fund? |
There are a number of things that are ineligible for this funding:
• Applications requiring the necessary legal consent should come from the freeholder itself, or the leaseholder with the necessary permission;
• No retrospective funding will be considered;
• No personal items will be considered, e.g. playing kit, water bottles, footwear, protective equipment.
• No personal electronic devices will be considered. Support for applications where electronic devices are concerned will only be considered where there is a clear demonstration to how they would be part of an innovative solution for the club or activity.
• No applications relating to National Governing Body criteria will be considered, e.g. stands, dug outs, barriers.
• No salaried posts will be considered;
• No affiliation fees will be considered;
• No applications from clubs linked to educational establishments will be considered. For example, university teams or upgrading of education facilities • Only professional fees relating to statutory obligations (planning applications, building regulations, legal fees) will be considered;
• There are specific aspects that Sport Wales will fund under the ‘Protect’ and ‘Prepare’ strands which would not be applicable under ‘Progress.’ You should read the guidance across all three elements to determine the most appropriate strand for your application.
• We will not support requests for elements previously supported via ‘Protect’ and/or ‘Prepare.’
*We would require a minimum of three quotations to be submitted for any individual item costing more than £250 |
| How much funding can we access? |
The minimum award is £300 whilst the maximum award is £50,000. The funding is awarded on a sliding scale.
1. 100% grant up to £10,000
2. 90% grant for awards between £10,001 and £25,000
3. 80% grant for awards between £25,001 and £50,000 |
| How long will it take to have confirmation? |
We will endeavour to ensure that applicants are informed of their decisions within a month of submission. However, this may take longer depending on the volume of applications we are processing. |
| Can I apply for Protect, Prepare and Progress at the same time? |
No. Any applicant should only apply for one element of the Be Active Fund at any given time. You will only be able to apply for certain funding in line with the guidance around return to sport which is issued by the Welsh Government. Should the restrictions on your sport change then you will be able to withdraw an application and resubmit under another strand if that were more relevant. i.e Withdrawing a ‘Progress’ application in order to apply for ‘Protect’ funding should a significant lockdown be introduced. |
| When will I receive the money? |
We would hope to ensure applicants receive confirmation of the decision within one month of submission. Payment will then be processed within a matter of weeks; however, this can be dependent on any post-award conditions. |
| I’ve received a Be Active Wales Fund Grant already, can I apply again? |
If you have received funding via the Protect aspect of the fund you will not be able to reapply for that within a 3-month window, and only if your sport/activity is not permitted to return under Welsh Government or National Governing Body guidelines. You will be able to apply for both the prepare and progress strands irrespective of when you received other funding, but both elements are subject to one application per club or organisation. Therefore, if you have received Prepare funding you will not be able to access that element of the fund again within this financial year. The same principle applies to the Progress strand. |
| Isn’t this just the Development Grant? |
There are aspects of our previous development grant which would be eligible under this new strand of the Be Active Wales Fund. However, there is also a broader criterion which we believe can help encourage greater innovation within sport and reflect the new and additional challenges presented as a result of Covid-19. We are also challenging applicants to think through the implications of their bids and specifically ensure they are able to evidence how it would contribute to one of the three key aspects of tackling inequalities, creating long-term sustainability and/or demonstrating innovation. |
| What is the deadline for applications? |
Applications will be processed on a rolling basis with the final deadline for all applications to be no later than midday, Friday February 12th |
| Can I apply for staff costs? |
No. Staffing costs will not be eligible under this scheme. |
| Can private/commercial sport and leisure companies apply? |
No. As with both the protect and prepare elements of the fund this strand is open only to not-for profit clubs and community organisations. |
| What if there is a further short-term or long-term lockdown? |
Opening the ‘progress’ element of the fund ensures the entire Be Active Wales Fund is available and clubs who are ready to progress and think about long-term and innovative ways to deliver their activities can take advantage of that.
However, it is important to know that the ‘protect’ and ‘prepare’ strands remain active and open. These funds are available to safeguard not-for-profit clubs and organisations, and provide immediate financial support, as well as supporting sports to meet guidelines set out for the return of that sport or activity. Our funds now cover a series of eventualities which are both reactive and proactive in scope. |
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