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Frequently asked questions

Expand Q: What is the value of the fund?

A:

This is an annual £5m open fund.

Expand Q: What are the likely award values, and how many projects does Sport England plan to invest in?

A:

We anticipate making a small number of awards worth £10,000 to £500,000 to between 10 and 20 projects a year.

Expand Q: Timescales?

A:

The Innovation Fund opened for business on 12 May 2009. It will remain open for initial applications until 5pm on 10 August 2009.

Expand Q: Who is eligible to apply?

A:

The programme is open to bona fide organisations, including applicants from sports clubs, voluntary or community organisations, local authorities, education establishments (such as schools, colleges and universities), social enterprises and commercial organisations whose ideas have the potential to provide innovative participation opportunities in community sport.

We also welcome ideas from innovators outside the sport sector.

Expand Q: What are the assessment criteria?

A:

The detailed assessment criteria are available on our assessment criteria page.

Some of the criteria are specific to the Innovation Fund; others are more generic and relate to effective management of public funds and contributions to Sport England’s strategic outcomes.

Expand Q: What type of projects can be funded?

A:

Given the limited resources available, we are unlikely to consider capital build projects. However we might consider capital projects which include innovative adaptation of sports equipments or facilities to enable greater participation.

There are three stages of innovation - ideas, incubation and diffusion - and we will consider investment in projects that are at any of these stage. You can find out more about these stages on our assessment criteria page.

Expand Q: How will Sport England select the projects from the eligible applications that it receives?

A:

The application process for our Innovation Fund is competitive. We assess all eligible projects and identify those which score highest against on our our assessment criteria , as opposed to working on a first come, first served basis.

We use this approach because we have limited funds to invest. We want to achieve specific sporting outcomes with our Lottery funding, as explained in the our strategy. And this approach will enable us to produce a balanced investment portfolio of innovation projects.

The portfolio approach will help us to make our investment decisions. For example, if we receive a number of proposals for similar projects, we may select just one or two so that we can test their effectiveness and learn whether it could be replicated or scaled up.

The portfolio approach will also enable Sport England to balance risk against outcome across the full portfolio of projects. This will enable us to be less risk averse in some of the investment decisions we make.

Expand Q: Does my proposed activity count as a recognised sport?

A:

We recognise over one hundred sporting activities. Projects must demonstrate a link to at least one of these.

We strongly recommend that all applicants work with the relevant national governing body (NGB) of sport where possible.

Given the nature of the Innovation Fund, we recognise that some applicants may not have yet had an opportunity to engage with any or all of the relevant NGB who could benefit from their project. Where this is the case, applicants should identify their anticipated links to specific sports.

Expand Q: What does Sport England mean by innovation?

A:

We are looking for genuine breakthroughs that will transform the way community sport looks and feels in the future. If we are to succeed in growing participation and creating a world leading community sport system, we need new ideas and solutions which will reach a whole new audience, and provide better, more exciting opportunities to a wider range of people, some of whom, perhaps, think that sport is not for them.

For us, innovation is about both finding new solutions to identified problems facing community sport, as well as the truly original ideas that have the potential to make a huge impact on participation. This is about investing in how sport might look and feel in the future: the small-scale but groundbreaking innovations that we want to invest in should show the potential to become the scaled-up, widespread activities delivering high quality community sport in future years.

Expand Q: Why invest in innovation?

A:

We have invested in innovation on an ad hoc basis before, both by supporting individual projects, and by integrating successful innovation into the mainstream funding of ourselves and our partners.

This fund, however, is different, because we have dedicated a substantial sum specifically to innovation, and have designed our criteria and ways of working to encourage innovators – some of whom may come from outside sport – to bring their best ideas to us.

To maximise the impact of Sport England’s Innovation Fund, we want to be clear about what we mean by innovation, what sort of innovations we want to invest in now and the criteria for assessing competitively the applications submitted to ensure we invest wisely and effectively.

We also want to exploit the growing expertise and investment in innovation by other organisations in the public and charitable sectors. To this end, we will work with innovation experts beyond the sport sector to improve the way we identify, nurture and scale up good innovation.

Expand Q: What does Sport England think innovation will look like this time?

A:

Innovation means different things to different people, organisations and sectors. The examples listed below are intended to give potential applicants an idea of the types of innovation we are interested in supporting:

• New or innovatively modified versions of existing sports that attract and sustain new or different participants. For example targeting new participants with smaller versions of traditional games or using low impact or slower versions of games to get people back into sport or target older participants. Innovatively modified versions of games that attract people who are not drawn into sport through traditional club structures will also be of interest.
• Existing sports delivered in innovative settings or places, or innovative delivery that will bring a sport to a new audience
• Existing sports delivered in an innovative way to attract new people or reduce drop-off
• Using technology (e.g. equipment modification) to deliver sport at new times, in new settings or to new audience.
• Using web-based and communications technology to attract new audiences and keep current participants involved and doing more
• Innovative products used by non-sporting sectors that could be adapted for the sport sector to increase and sustain participation in sport
• Innovative ways to attract large new audiences or sustain their participation
• Innovative partnerships, with new deliverers of sport, although we would need to be convinced they have the skills to do so effectively and safely

Please remember: this listed is not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive; by their very nature, we do not know what some of the innovative ideas, solutions or partnerships will look like.

Expand Q: What will Sport England fund?

A:

1. Projects must seek to increase participation in sport, sustain participation in sport or provide opportunities to excel at a chosen sport in line with our strategy.
2. Awards are expected to be from £10,000 to £500,000. The programme has a total of �5 million per annum available to award.
3. Projects must demonstrate a link to sport(s) we currently recognised

Expand Q: What will Sport England not fund with Lottery funding?

A:

1. Projects seeking less than £10,000.
2. The general running costs of an organisation (for example, rent, gas, electricity, water bills and maintenance costs, including maintenance of equipment).
3. Projects that do not support the delivery of Sport England’s strategy.
4. Sponsorship.
5. Repeat or regular events and existing activities (although we may consider paying for the extra cost of involving new participants).
6. Items which only benefit an individual, for example, bursaries, kit and equipment that is not shared.
7. Activities that the state has a legal obligation to provide.
8. Endowments or interest payments
9. Maps of existing cycle routes/pathways
10. Projects that take place or start before the date of the offer letter, unless prior permission has been granted in writing by Sport England.
11. Costs incurred or expenditure committed (including deposits) before the date of the offer letter, unless prior permission has been granted in writing by Sport England.

Expand Q: What will Sport England not fund with the Innovation Fund?

A:

1. Projects that will not make any contribution to one or more of Sport England’s strategic outcomes
2. Projects that are similar to past or existing products or programmes that have been delivered elsewhere in the country
3. Projects that do not show the potential to be rolled out or scaled up for cost-effective and sustainable delivery
4. Sport England does not expect to fund lots of the same type of innovation. If we receive a number of projects that are similar, we are unlikely to be able to invest in all of them, and may have to select only one or two that would best enable us to test the effectiveness of a particular type of innovation and its ability to be replicated or scaled up.

Expand Q: What are considered to be eligible revenue costs?

A:

• salary and on-costs
• start-up costs: advertising costs
• recruitment & interview costs
• travel & subsistence costs for project workers, coaches, volunteers, etc
• development costs including marketing & promotion
• training and capacity building: costs for training staff/volunteers; course fees; costs of bringing in trainers
• partnerships and activity development: costs involved in running activities and coaching courses, eg transport, equipment hire/purchase; staff costs; etc
• purchase of sports equipment
• extensions in size of existing revenue projects.

Expand Q: What are considered to be ineligible revenue costs?

A:

• supporting ongoing initiatives (must be new provision / resource). We cannot support ongoing initiatives that are not being extended in size
• general running costs, eh ongoing staff costs; council tax; gas, electricity or water bills; facility hire
• items that only benefit an individual, eg prizes, scholarships, bursaries, personal clothing or equipment or the purchase of tickets for events
• activities promoting religious beliefs
• endowments
• goods or services bought or ordered prior to an Award being confirmed.

This list of examples is by no means exhaustive.

Funding for equipment is restricted to essential initial items only, and on no account will replacements be funded.

Expand Q: Is partnership funding required?

A:

Although it is not essential, we would expect all applications to include an element of partnership funding. In kind contributions are accepted.

Applicants must demonstrate that any cash partnership funding can be secured before the start of the project.

Applicants should be aware that the impact, or potential impact, of your project versus the amount of funding you require will help us assess whether the funding you ask for means your project offers us good value for money.

Expand Q: Can I request funding for more than one year?

A:

Yes – applicants can apply for multiple years funding. However, it is not anticipated that projects will receive funding for a period of more than three years. We expect to invest in projects that will begin during 2009/10. If your project is unlikely to be ready to deliver for some time yet, we recommend you consider an application for next year.

Expand Q: Does my project have to be new or can you support existing projects?

A:

We can support both new and existing projects so long as they meet the programme criteria.

Existing projects that are now ready for scaling up (ie diffusions stage projects) will need to demonstrate how they are being grown in size – we will not fund the continuation of existing projects that are not changing in scale.

Expand Q: Can I apply for project development costs?

A:

Because of the innovative nature of these projects, we expect to make support available to those projects requiring project development in order to ensure the project is as viable and effective as possible. Support may include sports development, innovation or business development expertise, and will be approved on a project-by-project basis.

Expand Q: Can I apply for a football project?

A:

Please note that we won’t fund projects that have been funded either partly or entirely by the Football Foundation. This is because we already award funding to the Football Foundation. However, if your project is football-specific, it will need to be supported by the Football Association.

Expand Q: Does my project have to focus on adults?

A:

Projects targeting under 16 participation should support the delivery of the 5 Hour Sports Offer for Children and Young People through community activity. Activity within the school curriculum is not eligible.

Expand Q: Can there be more than one applicant?

A:

No. It is vitally important to be clear on the identity of the applicant. The applicant must be the person or organisation receiving and accountable for the award. For example, most county sport partnerships are not able to apply on behalf of organisations or individuals. The applicant must also be from an eligible body. There may be other partners who will be involved in the delivery of the project but a single, eligible organisation must be identified as the applicant.

Expand Q: Can I seek funding for work that has already started?

A:

No - it is Sport England policy that no funding will be made in aid of expenditure to which the applicant organisation has committed itself by purchase, contract or other binding agreement before receiving a written award (unless it has obtained our written consent prior to the commitment).

Even if there is no contract but the applicant has started work, it must by default be regarded as committed and the application rendered ineligible.

Expand Q: How do I apply for “Without Prejudice Permission” to start work ahead of a final funding decision?

A:

The following is the procedure for granting ‘Without Prejudice Permission’:

• applicants should first submit their application – Without Prejudice Permission cannot be granted until a full application is received
• a written request for Without Prejudice Permission should be submitted to the Grants Manager, clearly stating the reasons for making an immediate start to the project and highlighting those elements of the project which must be started.
• at this point a decision on your Without Prejudice Permission request will be considered. Applicants will receive a letter detailing the decision reached and should note that ‘Without Prejudice Permission’ does not in any way commit Sport England to award any financial assistance.
• where an applicant has committed itself and Without Prejudice Permission has not been given, the rule will be strictly applied and the application made ineligible.

Please note that Sport England will need a reasonable amount of time to consider whether ‘Without Prejudice Permission’ can be granted.

Expand Q: Can I apply for more than one project?

A:

Yes – there is no set limit on the number of applications that an applicant can submit. However, each application will need to demonstrate need and value for money as well as meeting the remainder of the Innovation Fund’s criteria.

Expand Q: Can a national governing body or national partner apply?

A:

Yes - but they must demonstrate how a) they meet the Innovation Fund criteria and b) that the project is not duplicating outcomes that they are receiving funding for via the Whole Sport Plans or Sport England award.

Expand Q: What measurement and evaluation will projects need to complete?

A:

All our funded programmes will be subject to an appropriate level and type of measurement and evaluation. This will be geared to ensure that the organisation meets its statutory duties, manages risk and most importantly achieves the agreed objectives. The requirements will also be proportionate to past performance – good delivery will mean lighter measurement requirement, with poor performance calling for greater attention. For example, those projects contributing to the grow target will be expected to provide information on increases in participant numbers.

Please note that the Innovation Fund is designed to promote effective dissemination and take-up of the lessons learned throughout the funding period of each project. This aims at making the project into business as usual so that impact can be sustained. Measurement and evaluation will therefore be an important part of a successful project proposal, and appropriate measurement and evaluation will be agreed with each successful applicant on a project-by-project basis.

Expand Q: How will you promote the Innovation Fund?

A:

The Fund will be promoted via relevant media, on our website and through our network of partners and helper agencies. Since we are actively seeking applications and partnership support from innovators and their supporters in other sectors, we are also working with innovation experts outside of the sport sector. The Sport England Communications team will follow up with successful applicants to ensure that projects receive suitable publicity throughout the funding period, to promote learning from the projects and so that successful projects are celebrated

Expand Q: How do I apply?

A:

Applicants should follow this process:

1. 12 May 2009 applicants should review the Innovation Fund overview, eligibility. and assessment criteria and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to assess whether their proposed application is eligible.
2. Applicants should complete the initial application form, which can be found on our online Investment Centre
3. In addition to completing the initial application form, applicants must complete the additional question sheet

Expand Q: Who do I contact if I want some pre-application advice?

A:

Applicants with queries should contact Sport England on 08458 508 508 from 12 May 2009, or email mailto:funding@sportengland.org

Expand Q: Who will own the intellectual property of projects chosen for funding?

A:

The Innovation Fund has been established to discover and nurture innovative ideas and solutions that will improve our objectives of growing participation and creating a world leading community sport system.

With this in mind, we will configure the Intellectual Property to realise the maximum benefit of the Fund and its recipients; over the coming months this will be formalised as we develop our Intellectual Property policy. The policy will determine provisions such as access rights and ownership for those projects supported by the Innovation Fund.