The Places and Spaces Fund

• Projects will need to demonstrate they have all relevant planning/ building permissions in place at the point of application
• All work needs to start by July 2025 and finish by end of September 2025
• Proof of match funding will be required
• Organisations must either be asset owning or have a minimum lease agreement of 10 years remaining
• This is a new funding avenue for Active Essex therefore any successful project would be expected to support a test and learn principle with this fund, with ongoing feedback and open communication.
• Only applications that clearly target at least one of the key priority audiences (listed below) will be eligible to apply

This fund is intended to improve community assets to support currently inactive people to become active.

The fund’s priorities are to improve community assets which are:

• Not currently fit for purpose to support wider physical activity opportunities
• Non-traditional spaces for physical activity or sport
• In the heart of the community but don’t currently deliver physical activity opportunities

The fund is not intended to improve sports facilities to enhance the experience of already active participants. (Sports clubs seeking funding for this, should speak to their relevant National Governing Body of Sport).

As such, all applications need to demonstrate how their project will support currently inactive people to lead active lives through their project.

Applications will be required to demonstrate how they will target one or multiple of the fund’s key priority audiences below:

• Residents living with a disability or long-term health conditions
• Women and girls
• Ethnically diverse communities
• People from lower socio-economic groups

We will also prioritise applications that:

• Will be delivered in IMD areas 1-4. (Check your IMD area rating here)

Organisations will be required to meet our minimum standard operations.

Every organisation receiving an award will need to use the Find Your Active branding, collect simple information about the participants through our participant data form and complete an end of project partner survey on our online Impact Tool. We welcome at any time inspirational stories about people who are benefitting from the fund, and we may want to showcase these stories in our marketing and communications.

Funding requires recipient bodies to have a recognised constitution in place.

You can apply if you are a:

• Formally constituted club, association, or trust
• Registered Charity
• Local Authority
• Social Enterprise,
• Registered CASC
• Community Interest Company,
• Non-for-profit company limited by guarantee, without share capital and without persons of significant control.

We cannot accept applications from:

• individuals
• sole traders
• organisations that are aimed at generating profits primarily for private distribution

Please note this list is not exclusive. Active Essex reserves the right to review applications on a case-by-case basis to ensure proportionate universalism and adhering to funding guidelines. All decisions are final

What we will fund

• We will support a range of indoor and outdoor projects supporting one or more of the fund’s key priority audiences (see funding priorities)
• If all permissions in place (at the point of application), we will fund fixed assets
• Examples of other projects we may fund include:
  • Facility renovations
  • Improvements to public or community spaces so they can deliver physical activity (e.g., local parks, open spaces, community halls, faith centres)
  • Purchasing new or replacing fixed equipment
  • Improving access to facilities to make them more inclusive and accessible to new user groups

• Active Essex and The London Marathon Foundation encourage you to source materials with consideration for sustainability e.g. avoiding single use materials where possible and working towards Carbon Neutral initiatives. Please make sure you provide any details of this in your application.
• We want projects to reflect a mix of communities and places from across Essex. We will ensure there is a geographical spread of funding, and a range of activities delivered across the projects we support.
• We believe people understand what’s needed in their communities better than anyone else. It’s important to us that you involve your community in the design, development, and delivery of the project you are planning.

What we will not fund:

• Projects delivered outside Essex County Council Districts (for example Southend and Thurrock)
• Creation, renovation or maintenance of grass or artificial sports pitches cannot be funded – Football clubs are advised to review grants available via the Football Foundation https://footballfoundation.org.uk/looking-for-funding
• Projects that only enhance the experience of those already active
• Projects without any match funding
• Items which will only benefit an individual or family, rather than the wider community
• Contingency costs, loans, endowments, or interest
• VAT you can reclaim
• Activities that generate profits for private gain
• Costs that have already been incurred
• Work on land or buildings where you do not meet our requirements around land ownership and permissions.

Please note this list is not exclusive. Active Essex reserves the right to review applications on a case-by-case basis to ensure proportionate universalism and adhering to funding guidelines. All decisions are final.

Please complete the short and simple online application.

Delivery partners must comply to our Standard Operating Conditions. To ensure we are working with safe, inclusive and reputable organisations and activities, Active Essex requires funding recipients to adhere to our Standard Operating Conditions outlined in this short video here.

Please relate your application to our funding priorities and let us know who your project will support and how many inactive people you plan to engage. Please tell us how much money you need and what it will be spent on. We encourage you to speak to your Active Essex Relationship Manager for your area, before you apply. This will ensure the team can provide advice and offer support on your application. Click here to see who your relevant team member is.

We will acknowledge receipt of your application alongside your unique organisation number and will let you know the outcome week commencing 31st March 2025. We will contact you should we need any further information about your application.

If you are successful, you’ll receive a simple award agreement clarifying the purpose of the award, the amount, and the conditions of the award. Once the agreement has been signed and processed, you will receive your funding within 30 days.

How much funding can I request?

Application can request between £3,000-£9,999

Your funding criteria request match funding but what counts a match funding?

This fund shouldn’t support 100% of project costs, so an element of match funding should be demonstrated. The greater the match funding, the higher the application will score for this criteria point.

In terms as what might count as match funding:

• Funding contribution to the project from the applicants own funds
• Funding obtained by other funding sources e.g. other funding grants or charitable donation from another organisation
• In kind (non-cash) funding of free goods or services such as staff and volunteer time (using time that someone works on the project as match funding). To do this you will need to include a full description of the work that is expected to be carried out and the cost of this time.

Not all funding for intended project has yet been secured. Can I still apply for this fund?

No. we will need evidence that all additional funding (if required) has already been obtained.

When does my project need to completed by?

All work needs to have been started by July 2025 and completed by end of Sept 2025

When will I hear if my application has been successful?

We aim to make all organisations aware of the outcome of their application week commencing 24th March 2025

Is there a deadline for applications?

Applications open on Thursday 23rd January and will close 5pm Thursday 6th March 2025