Introduction
Sport England is delighted to announce the return of Sportsmatch with a new web-based facility enabling applicants to apply online.

Designed to encourage new or additional sponsorship investment from businesses, trusts and private individuals, Sportsmatch, funded by Sport England, will continue to offer pound for pound matched funding to sporting stakeholders for projects that encourage sports participation at grass roots level.

Improved Application Process
Applicants now apply online via www.sportsmatch.co.uk

Telephone support is available from Sport England on Tel. 08458 508 508.

Scheme’s Criteria
The scheme’s awards criteria have been amended to provide greater flexibility for applicants. From May 2008, partnership funding from trusts and private individuals becomes eligible for match funding in addition to monies from companies.

All projects applying in 2008/09 will need to ensure that their project is able to spend and deliver their entire grant funding by 31 March 2009. Private investment may be used to sustain projects after this date; however the private investment funding will need to be in the applicants' bank account from the beginning of the project. Therefore, Sportsmatch will only consider one year revenue projects and capital projects that meet the above criteria.

How does sportsmatch funding work?
Sportsmatch can match, pound for pound, commercial business sponsorship or funding from trusts / private donors (up to a maximum of three) for a sporting project that aims to increase participation and/or improve performance at grassroots level. Your project may be a revenue scheme or, in limited cases, a capital project. Sponsorship may be in cash or in-kind.

What's the minimum and maximum award?
The minimum award is £1,000 and the maximum is £50,000. If you are a school the minimum award is £500 (the maximum is still £50,000).

The minimum partnership funding of £1,000 (or £500) must come from one eligible source - a number of businesses / Trusts / Individuals cannot club together to make up the minimum sponsorship.

Further Information
Please go to the Sportsmatch website: www.sportsmatch.co.uk in the first instance. Alternatively please contact Sport England on Tel. 08458 508 508 for all other Sportsmatch queries.