1. Does my League qualify for grant aid?
To qualify for grant aid in 2011-12 your League must fulfil the following criteria:
- Must be FA or County FA affiliated
- Must be outside the National League System
- Must be below Step 5 in the Women’s Pyramid of Football
- Must be 11-a-side/youth/mini-soccer/small-sided (non-commercial) League
- Must be non-profit making.
Applications will only be accepted in season 2011-12 from Leagues that did not receive grant aid in season 2010-11 from this scheme.
The primary use of any equipment purchased must be to assist the administration of the League and should be regarded as essential for that administration. Where computer equipment is being purchased, the League Finance Committee must be satisfied that the equipment will be in constant league use. The requirement for the equipment must be stated on the application form. All applications will be assessed by the League Finance Committee of The Football Association and grant awards will be subject to their approval.
2. What equipment may my League obtain grant aid towards and what specifications should the equipment meet?
The grant may be claimed against the purchase of new computers, computer related equipment or office equipment up to 1 May 2012. The specific items of equipment that will be considered for grant aid during this period are listed below:
Priority
Please note that priority will only be given to equipment purchased for any of the following League officers: League Secretary, Registration Secretaries, Referees Secretary, Fixture Secretaries, Results Secretaries, Website Editor and Welfare Officer.
Low Priority
Equipment purchased for League officers other than those listed under the ‘priority’ heading will be considered a low priority. A low priority application will be considered on its merits, however an award of funding cannot be guaranteed.
If a League would like to replace equipment (i.e. PC, printer etc.) which was previously funded by The Football Association and is now beyond repair or outdated (older than five years), you will need to provide as much information as possible, including detailed computer specification, year of purchase, reasons why the equipment is not any longer adequate. This application may be considered as a low priority application where funding cannot be guaranteed.
Please note that applications will not be considered where funding is being sought for similar equipment that has previously been grant aided by The Football Association for use by the same League officer, even if the equipment has been passed on to another League officer without providing satisfactory explanation.
Equipment List
The items considered eligible for assistance under the scheme are listed below. Please note that any equipment purchased that is not listed below will not be grant aided.
- Computer/laptop computer/monitor/mouse/keyboard
- Printer/ID card printer
- Modem
- Scanner
- Fax Machine
- Photocopier
- Binding Machine
- Shredder
- Laminator
- Telephone/answer machine
If the item to be purchased is a computer or laptop computer it must conform to the following minimum specifications in order to be eligible for financial assistance:
- Microsoft Windows 7 Operating System
- 2GHZ 32-bit (x86) processor
- 2GB of system memory
- Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum) 2, Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel
- 80-100 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space
- DVD-ROM Drive3
- Audio output capability
- Internet access capability
3. How much grant aid may my League apply for?
A grant can be applied for based on the size of the League. The size of the League is dependent on the number of registered teams and will be based on £10 per team up to a maximum of £1,000. There will be a minimum grant available of £350. For Leagues with 150 teams or more it will be possible to apply for a grant of up to a maximum of £1,200. If a League is not registered for VAT, then these costs can be included in the total cost and grant aided. Below are four examples to illustrate the level of grant aid available dependent on the size of the League:
- League A – administers 15 teams and will be eligible to apply for the minimum grant of £350
- League B – administers 36 teams and will be eligible to apply for a grant of £360
- League C – administers 112 teams and will be eligible to apply for a grant of £1,000
- League D – administers 150 teams and will be eligible to apply for the maximum grant of £1,200.
4. How does my League submit an application for grant aid and how long will it take?
An application form is provided with this information. Your League should first ensure that the equipment you wish to purchase is eligible and meets the minimum specification by referring to question 2.
As soon as you have purchased and received the equipment, please complete Sections One, Two, Three and Four of the application form THOROUGHLY. Copies of the receipts/invoices for the equipment purchased must be attached to the application form. After ensuring that you have completed all questions, please forward the application form to your parent County FA. (If your League is sanctioned directly with The FA, please forward the application form to The FA for the attention of the Leagues Manager.)
The County FA will verify the application, complete Section Five of the form and then forward it to The FA. The FA will check the application to ensure it meets all the relevant criteria and process your request via the League Finance Committee. The grant will be issued to the League as a contribution towards the cost, or in full payment of equipment purchased direct to the League account.
If the equipment purchased is regarded as priority (refer to question 2) then your League should allow up to approximately six to eight weeks before receiving a grant award. If the equipment purchased is regarded as low priority then the application will be considered by the League Finance Committee on its merits and processing will take in excess of eight weeks. Funding for low priority equipment cannot be guaranteed.
5. How many times can my League apply?
A League can apply as many times as required until the maximum level of grant aid available to that League in season 2011-12 has been awarded. However, if your League received funding in season 2010-11 you will not be eligible to apply for funding in 2011-12. Grants will not be awarded retrospectively (i.e. for equipment purchased prior to 2011).
The deadline for submission of applications to the scheme is 1 May 2012, although Leagues should be aware that there is a limited budget available and priority will be given to Leagues that have not previously received funding.
Click here to access to application form
If you have any queries on the scheme, please contact Leagues and Clubs Administrator at The Football Association on + 44 (0) 844 980 8200 # 4593 or via e-mail at Natasha.Parmar@TheFA.com
