CLUBS in Suffolk can apply for up to £500 of funding via the Small Grants Scheme to improve their grass pitches.

The Suffolk FA funded scheme has successfully supported 59 local clubs to improve their facilities through over £21,000 of investment into the local grassroots game since 2016.

Suffolk FA Football Development Manager Jodie Allard said: “Supporting clubs to maintain and improve their facilities remains a priority for Suffolk FA and we are pleased to confirm the return of the Small Grants Scheme for the 2019-20 season. 

‘With an ever-increasing number of grassroots clubs taking on the maintenance of their sites, grass pitch maintenance and improvements are a key priority for clubs and the costs associated with these works can be a challenge.

“Through consultation with our partners, we understand that support with the costs associated with revenue pitch improvement works would be a welcomed asset to support the grassroots community.

“If you maintain grass pitches for your club, we would welcome you to get involved in the FA Pitch Improvement Programme and apply for funding through this scheme to help improve your club’s playing surface.”

The 2019 Suffolk FA Small Grants Scheme can be utilised to support grass pitch improvements for club-maintained sites across the following areas:

Verti-Draining / Verti-Quake

Slitting and Spiking

Fertilisation Application

Over seeding / Re-seeding

Scraifying and ‘Koro’ing

Weed control or Herbicide treatments

All eligible works in the Small Grants Scheme must be claimed through Parkers Pitches, the Suffolk FA sponsor of the FA Pitch Improvement Programme and works will be carried out at the most opportune time within the season.

Parkers Pitches offer discounted rates for their services for clubs who go through the FA PIP process. For a full list of their services for Suffolk clubs involved in PIP – click here

To further support the Small Grants Scheme, Parkers Pitches will be offering further reductions to their services across the following two Suffolk FA Small Grants Scheme packages. Please consult the funding guidance at the bottom of this article for more information on these.

To be eligible for funding support through the Suffolk FA Small Grants Scheme, clubs be or commit to be part of the FA’s Pitch Improvement Programme (PIP). PIP is delivered in partnership with the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) and costs £100. Through PIP your club will receive a detailed Pitch Improvement Report from the IOG which outlines the works needed to improve grass pitches at the site. This report will be needed to evidence which of the above works you can utilise the Small Grants funding for.

The PIP programme also makes sites eligible for capital funding from the Football Foundation, should this be applicable, in addition to discounted consumables through FA partner suppliers. The programme then offers the club a second free pitch report in 8-12 months' time to assess what improvements have been made and any further support you need to improve your grass pitches.  For more information on the Pitch Improvement Programme –  click here

How to apply

The window to apply for the Suffolk FA Small Grants scheme 2019 opens on Tuesday, October 1st 2019 and all applications must be made before the deadline of Thursday, October 31st 2019.

Before applying for the Suffolk FA Small Grants scheme – please fully read the funding guidance form below

To apply, complete an application by clicking here

For more information on the scheme, please contact Jodie Allard, Suffolk FA Football Development Manager, by calling 01449 616606 or 07432 735961 or via email Jodie.Allard@Suffolkfa.com