Clothworkers’ Foundation Offers Capital Grants of Up to £15,000

The Clothworkers’ Foundation’s Open Grants Programme is accepting applications for capital funding, with small grants of up to £15,000 and no closing date. Sports organisations can apply, but only if at least half of the people benefiting come from the foundation’s priority groups.

The programme funds capital costs for small and medium-sized charitable organisations working with disadvantaged and marginalised communities. That includes buying, building or refurbishing premises, buying vehicles or equipment - including sports and gym equipment - and some digital projects such as apps, databases and websites. Salaries, rent, running costs, training and one-off events are not covered.

To apply for a small grant, an organisation must operate in the UK and be a registered charity or a not-for-profit with an asset lock, such as a CIC without share capital or a Community Benefit Society, with an annual turnover below £2 million. Grants above £15,000 are available to organisations with turnover under £10 million, through a two-stage process.

The key test for sports clubs is who benefits from their output; encouraging people to play sport doesn’t qualify on its own. A club’s work must fit within one or more of the foundation’s priority groups, and at least 50% of the people benefiting from the project must come from those groups. These include disabled people and people with mental health needs, young people facing disadvantage, older people facing disadvantage, people experiencing economic hardship, communities facing racial inequality, and LGBT+ communities, among others. The foundation also favours organisations that build lived experience into their work and projects that will make a significant difference.

Based on previous grant cycles, competition for the grants is strong. The foundation awarded more than £8.65 million through the programme in 2025, and 28% of applicants who passed its initial eligibility checks were successful.

Many of the people in the foundation’s priority groups are the least likely to be active, and they often have the most to gain from sport: better physical and mental health, new friendships and a sense of belonging. For clubs, opening the doors wider brings in new members, new volunteers and new connections in the community, and it makes the club more resilient in the long run. It also puts the club in a stronger position for funders like this one, which increasingly want to see a club’s impact reaching far and wide throughout their community. 

For clubs, that means preparation is vital: before applying, it’s worth working out how many of your members or participants fall within the priority groups, and what evidence you have to show it. Preparation is key for almost any funder, where knowing exactly who your club serves can often be what takes a good club to a successful application.

Small grant applications are a single stage, and the foundation aims to give a decision within 12 weeks. All applicants must complete an eligibility quiz first, which then directs them to the right application form.

Find out more and take the eligibility quiz at https://www.clothworkersfoundation.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant